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Context Matters: The Prodigal Son

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celebration

Hieu An Tran (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’re familiar with the story of the Prodigal Son. This parable has made it well into the cultural atmosphere. We hear the term “prodigal” whenever anything precious returns.

Within the church, this story is everywhere. It is held up as both a model of repentance and a reason for parents of wayward children to hope. Many sermons have been preached and many books have been written on this famous parable.

Are we reading this story properly in context? Is it really all about repentance after reaching the lowest point? When we learn to read the Bible for what it is, and not as a collection of morals and memorable phrases, we’ll find that some of our most cherished stories have a different or deeper meaning than we’ve assumed.

The Context of Luke 15

The story of the Prodigal Son is found in Luke 15:11–32. But it would border on Bible study malpractice not to read this story in the context of the entire chapter. We find stories of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and then the lost son. These parables seem to rush out of Jesus in one long breath, so we should consider them together. (In fact, Luke refers to the three stories as “this parable” (Luke 15:3).)

Additionally, we cannot miss the introduction Luke provides.

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable. (Luke 15:1–3)

Note that the parables are addressed to the Pharisees and scribes after they grumbled about the way Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners. They were offended Jesus would share his time and space with such people.

The Lost Sheep

In verses 4–7, Jesus tells the well-known story about the one sheep out of a hundred who was lost and then found. Notice the ending of the parable and its emphasis on rejoicing, made especially relevant by the audience Jesus was addressing.

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

The Lost Coin

In verses 8–11, Jesus tells the story of a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. She seeks diligently, finds it, and throws a party.

And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Lost Son

Let’s note the way the third story picks up on the themes we’ve already mentioned.

The younger son left his father with his inheritance, squandered it, and reached the lowest of all possible low points for a Jewish person: feeding pigs (an unclean animal) and even longing to share their food (verse 16).

This son “came to himself,” planned his speech, and headed home. He was planning to take a place as a servant (verse 19), but his father would have none of that. The father “ran and embraced him and kissed him” while he was still a long way from the house. The son confessed his sin and admitted “[he is] no longer worthy to be called [his] son” (verse 21).

The father then shifted into party-planning mode. He called his returning child “my son,” and “they began to celebrate” (verse 24).

If we’re looking at the three parables of Luke 15 as a group, we’d expect the story to end here, in celebration. But we have eight verses and one major character remaining.

The Grumbling Son

The father’s older son bristled at the sound of the party for his prodigal brother. “He was angry” and refused to join the festivities (verse 28). The conversation between the older brother and the father that followed shows that the older brother is a spitting image for the Pharisees and scribes at the beginning of the chapter.

The older son emphasized his service and rule-keeping to his father, and he wondered why his father never allowed him a party (verse 29). The son couldn’t believe that his brother who wasted all of his inheritance money on sinful pursuits was worthy of the fattened calf (verse 30).

The central points of the chapter can be found in its final two verses.

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” (Luke 15:31–32)

The older brother didn’t grasp the freedom and joy of being with his father. And he didn’t grasp the heartache and loss of his brother’s departure or the significance of his return. As the NASB puts it, “we had to celebrate and rejoice” (verse 32).

We Must Rejoice

Though the first two stories in Luke 15 involve searching for something that is lost, that is not the main theme of this chapter. And though all three parables feature the restoration of what was lost, that’s not it either.

In telling this parable to the Pharisees, Jesus is shining a bright light on God’s delight and pleasure in welcoming sinners. There is joy in heaven, joy before the angels of God—a party worthy of rings and robes and fattened calves—when even one sinner repents.

And for those who do not share the Father’s joy in welcoming sinners? Well, their focus on the law instead of the Father should make them re-examine what it means to be a child in the first place.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Note: This was originally posted in 2019.

Context Matters: Count the Cost

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coins

Michael Longmire (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard that Christians need to count the cost. They must plan and be prepared; they should always know what they’re getting into.

The advice to “count the cost” often comes up when raising money for a new building or a missions trip. (Let’s color in that thermometer!) I’ve also heard people use this expression when launching a project or undertaking a new venture.

What does Jesus mean by this little phrase? In Scripture as in life, context matters. If we learn to read the Bible properly—instead of as a loose collection of proverbs and pull-quotes—we’ll find that some familiar phrases and verses have far different meanings than we’ve assumed.

Jesus Teaches About Discipleship

The phrase “count the cost” (or “calculate the cost”) only appears one place in the Bible: Luke 14:28. The larger context is Luke 14:25–35, where Jesus lays out the demands of being his disciple.

Jesus punctuates this sermon with three statements about what qualifies a person to be his disciple; the phrase “cannot be my disciple” appears in verses 26, 27, and 33.

These are indeed hard sayings!

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. […] So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26–27,33)

It is between the second and third warning that Jesus uses two illustrations about counting the cost. In the first (Luke 14:28–30), Jesus tells of a man who wanted to build a tower. If the builder lacks the proper finances and supplies, he will end up with an unfinished project and ridicule. In the second illustration (Luke 14:31–32), a king ponders an upcoming battle. Outnumbered two-to-one, if he foresees disaster for his army, he will pull out of the fight and ask for a peace treaty.

In the first illustration, the question is: Do I have enough? In the second: Am I strong enough?

What is the Cost?

In the middle of a discourse on discipleship, Jesus’s illustrations raise a natural question: What is the cost of being a disciple of Jesus?

The answer from Jesus flashes as stark as lightning. “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Combined with verses 26 and 27, the comprehensive answer is as simple as it is difficult. Being a disciple of Jesus may cost you everything.

Christian discipleship is not about frequent cost-counting and recalibration. It must be obvious from the beginning of your journey with Jesus that you may lose everything. In fact, you must be willing to lose all family, all possessions, all respect, all dignity—even your very life—as a Christian disciple.

The question of counting the cost only needs to be raised once, because the answer is always the same. The only fruitful disciples are those who are willing to drop everything, as Jesus highlights in the last two verses of this chapter (Luke 14:34–35). Like tasteless salt, a Christian still clinging to family, possessions, or life is not effective or useful.

Lose Everything to Gain Everything

Jesus demands everything of his followers. But those who give up everything for Jesus will not find loss, but gain. Those who have Jesus have everything.

And in giving up everything, Christian disciples follow the pattern of the same Jesus who issues the call. He laid aside all family, possessions, relationships, glory, and dignity—at both his incarnation and at the cross—to purchase the salvation of his people.

Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? There is no discount, and the bill is extreme. But Jesus supplies what you lack and gives joy along the path.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

This post was originally published in 2019.

Context Matters: God Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart

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woman looking out window

W A T A R I (2018), public domain

If you’re a Christian, you may have heard that God has promised to give you the desires of your heart. That sounds amazing, doesn’t it?! Indeed, this quip has been used to justify both questionable actions and bad theology.

In this article, we will look at this phrase in its context, because context matters. When we learn to read the Bible properly—and not merely as a collection of one-liners and sound bites—we’ll find that some of the most famous passages take on different and deeper meanings than we’ve thought.

A Conditional Promise

We should begin with the most obvious fact. The phrase “he will give you the desires of your heart” is only half of a verse. Plucked clean and held up in the wind, this seems like an unconditional promise. But we must consider the entire verse!

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)

That’s a harder pill to swallow. It’s a conditional promise—if you delight yourself in the Lord, then he will give you the desires of your heart. In the immediate context, this is powerful. If we desire God, he will give us our desires, which must include him!

But there’s more here. The first two verses of the psalm are an exhortation not to be envious of the wicked, “for they will soon fade like the grass.” Then verses 2–6 exhibit a pattern, as the reader is urged to love the Lord in various ways and he promises to respond and act. The parallel structure of these verses helps us understand what it means to “delight yourself in the Lord” and what it means that God “will give you the desires of your heart.”

Followers of God should “trust in the Lord and do good” (verse 3), “commit [their] way to the Lord” (5), and “trust in him” (5). Then God will grant them to “dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness” (3), “he will act” (5), and “he will bring forth [their] righteousness as the light, and [their] justice as the noonday” (6). Notice the circular pattern here—the more we commit our ways to God and trust in him, the more he will give us growth in righteousness, which leads to more trust in God.

The Larger Picture

The entire psalm is repetitive but instructive. The wicked will fade away and perish, but the righteous will inherit the land. David’s reference to “the land” throughout this psalm picks up on God’s covenant promise, dating back to the days of Abraham, to dwell with his people in their own land.

David goes on to describe the ways people pledge themselves to the Lord and the ways he cares for them.

How do the righteous act? They do not envy the wicked (verse 1); they are still before the Lord and wait for him (7); they do not worry about the ways the wicked prosper (7); they cease from anger and wrath (8); they wait for the Lord (9); they are meek (11); they are generous and giving (21); they delight in God’s way (23); they lend generously (26); they turn away from evil and do good (27); they speak wisdom and justice (30); they keep the law of God in their hearts (31); they wait for the Lord and keep his way (34); they are people of peace (37); and they take refuge in the Lord (40). These actions go along with delighting oneself in the Lord.

Now, how does God care for those that honor him? He will give them the land (9); he will give them land and abundant peace (11); he will turn back the plots of the wicked (15); he upholds them (17); he knows their days and their heritage will remain forever (18); he does not put them to shame in evil times (19); they have abundance in the days of famine (19); he will give them the land (22); he upholds their hand (24); he will not forsake them (28); they will dwell in the land forever (29); he will not allow them to be condemned when brought to trial (33); he will exalt them to inherit the land (34); he gives them salvation (39); he is their stronghold in troubled times (39); and he helps them, delivers them, and saves them (40). These blessings go along with receiving the desires of our hearts.

Conclusion

We cannot say that God will give us the desires of our hearts. If we delight in him, he will change our desires so that they glorify him, and he will satisfy those desires. He will even give us himself.

Psalm 37 is not the only place in the Bible that we see this glorious truth, but we can see it here if we read carefully. A sugary half-truth is no match for the deep, brilliant promises of God.

Context matters.

This post was originally published in 2019.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Context Matters: The Ten Commandments

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ten commandment tablets

Jondolar Schnurr (2015), public domain

You’ve no doubt heard of the Ten Commandments. You may not have them memorized, but even hardened non-Christians can rattle off a few of these commands.

The Ten Commandments have inspired thousands of sermon series, dozens of catechism questions, and even a Hollywood movie. Within the church we parse the Ten Commandments carefully, considering both what they require and what they forbid of us.

Despite their ubiquity, we don’t often consider this question: Are we using the Ten Commandments as we should?

Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible as it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled laws and proverbs—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages take on different or deeper meanings than we’ve always assumed.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments are first given to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, after God has brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through several post-sea trials. From the top of the mountain God speaks these words to his people.

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Exodus 20:2)

This is a short preface which lands an important punch. In it, God reminds the people that he is YHWH, the special, personal name that he has only revealed to Israel. Further, he is their God. He is linked to the people; he is for them.

God has “brought [them] out of the land of Egypt.” The end of this verse is not just repetition, it is a reminder that God is keeping a long-ago promise to to his people. God had promised land to his people—specific land, in fact, that was not in Egypt—and Jacob and Joseph both knew that because of God’s promises their stay in Egypt would be temporary (Genesis 46:3–4, Genesis 50:24; see also Exodus 6:8).

Finally, God reminds the Israelites that he brought them “out of the house of slavery.” God redeemed them from their terrible state as slaves. He showed compassion and great power in rescuing them.

It is in this context that we read the Ten Commandments. Peter has already written extensively on this passage, and he makes this crucial point: “They do not earn their position as his people by obeying these words [the Ten Commandments]. He gives them these words because they are already his people.”

At Mt. Sinai, the people are not hearing rules from a cold and distant judge. They are hearing laws from a loving, powerful Father.

Deuteronomy 5

The title of the book Deuteronomy means “second law,” and most of the book is a repetition and explanation of the law that God has already given.

As Moses repeats the Ten Commandments, he is looking back on the covenant that God made with his people at Mt. Sinai. He remembers the mountain and the fire and the fear, and he puts the commands into context for the people. He is repeating the law because the Israelites are about to cross the Jordan and settle where foreign gods are worshiped. Their understanding of their God and his law is essential.

In chapters 1–4 of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts much of the history of Israel after Egypt. He tells them that when they obey in their new land, the people will marvel that God is so near to them and that their laws are so righteous (Deut 4:7–8). Moses refers explicitly to the “Ten Commandments” and calls them God’s “covenant” in Deut 4:13. He reminds the people that, though they will disobey, God is merciful. “He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them” (Deut 4:31). All of the miracles and mercy of the Exodus happened so that the people would know that the Lord is God and that there is no other beside him (Deut 4:35).

We read this preamble in Deuteronomy 5:

And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. Not with our fathers did the Lord make this covenant, but with us, who are all of us here alive today. The Lord spoke with you face to face at the mountain, out of the midst of the fire, while I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up into the mountain. (Deuteronomy 5:1–5)

Once again we see that God is described as the great and covenant-making God. Moses reminds the people of the fire on Mt. Sinai that engulfed the mountain. Then, as now, God’s power, presence, and holiness should inspire godly fear and obedience.

Why Do We Have These Commandments?

What is brief in Exodus is expanded in Deuteronomy. The holy, powerful, sovereign, covenant-making God gives these commands to his people out of love. He wants it to go well with them and with their children after them, that their days may be prolonged (Deut 4:40).

Because the Israelites are God’s people, he loves them enough to give them these commands. These laws are not shackles around the feet; these commands are the way to freedom, the best way to live as God’s loving people in the world.

Context matters.

We have collected all of the “Context Matters” posts on this blog on one page—check it out!

This post was originally published in 2018.

Context Matters: Mary and Martha

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making bread

Harry Thaker (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard the account of Mary and Martha. One sister (Mary) sits at Jesus’s feet while the other (Martha) complains about a lack of help in the kitchen.

This story is often cited to reinforce the practice of devotional time, to warn against distractions, and to scold people (especially women) about fussiness regarding hospitality.

But we must answer a crucial question. What is the context of this story? The Bible is not just a collection of sayings and proverbs, ripe for picking and snacking on when we please. As we learn to read the Bible for what it is, we’ll see that some of our most familiar passages take on different and deeper meanings than we’ve assumed.

The Middle of Luke

The middle third of Luke’s Gospel begins in Luke 9:51 when Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Instead of itinerant preaching around the Sea of Galilee, Jesus begins to move purposefully toward the city of his ascension (see Luke 9:51).

Much of the beginning of this section concerns discipleship. In Luke 9:51–56, Jesus rebukes James and John for wanting fire from heaven to fall on those Samaritans who didn’t receive Jesus. In Luke 9:57–62 we read of three encounters with hesitant followers, and Jesus presses them on this question: What will be your highest priority—comfort, tradition, family, or me?

Jesus sends out 72 disciples in Luke 10:1–24 to preach (and bring near) the kingdom of God. In this passage, Jesus makes it clear that his followers must rejoice primarily that their names are written in heaven (verse 20). But he also explains how the Son reveals the Father (verse 22) and how those who reject the disciples actually reject the Father (verse 16).

This leads to the conversation with the lawyer (Luke 10:25–28) and the parable of the Good Samaritan.

The Greatest Commandments

This lawyer stood to test Jesus, asking what was necessary for eternal life. When Jesus turned the question around, the lawyer answered correctly.

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

Jesus praised the lawyer’s answer, and the lawyer asked a question in an attempt to justify himself. “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus’s answer to this question is the parable of the Good Samaritan. We won’t take that parable apart in this article, but the ending is instructive.

Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36–37)

While the lawyer was concerned about the word “neighbor” as a noun, Jesus wanted him to understand “neighbor” as a verb. Instead of defining who should receive love as a neighbor, Jesus focused on how to be (or become) a neighbor.

And, for many people, this brings the section to a close, with the story of Mary and Martha included as an awkward footnote.

Mary and Martha

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home and we are immediately introduced to her sister, Mary. The first description of Mary is the classic description of a disciple, sitting at Jesus’s feet and listening to his teaching (Luke 10:39).

Martha was “distracted with much serving,” and complained about her sister to the Lord. Jesus addressed her with affection and compassion.

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42).

While Luke makes it clear that Jesus had welcomed, traveled with, and been supported by women from early in his ministry (see Luke 8:1–3), we must not overlook the gender dynamics at play here. Jesus commends discipleship for women over distracted, anxious hospitality.

Jesus directs Martha to the “one thing” Mary has chosen. Namely, himself! And on the heels of a conversation with a lawyer, it stands out that the one necessary thing Jesus mentions is not the law. The law is not bad, but now the Keeper and Interpreter of the Law is present, the One whom the prophets and kings longed to see (Luke 10:23–24).

The Greatest Commandment

After the conversation with the lawyer, the parable of the Good Samaritan fleshes out what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself.” But the story of Mary and Martha is also connected to the lawyer’s answer to Jesus.

In a classic chiastic move, Luke has switched the order of explanation. The last story explains the first commandment.

How do we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind? Look at Mary. She has chosen the good portion.

We keep the greatest commandment by being a disciple of Jesus. We listen to his word. In contrast to anxiety and trouble, we look to and follow Jesus, the One who makes the Father known.

Conclusion

The story of Mary and Martha is not primarily about domestic duties. It’s not mainly about “quiet times” or distractions either.

Luke teaches us to love God by loving and following the Son. And we grasp this point when we read the Bible with our eyes open to all that’s happening within its pages.

Context matters.

Check out all of our Context Matters posts here.

This post was first published in 2018.

Yes, Context Matters

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Stephen Kneale agrees with us that context matters.

Whenever we read the bible it is important for us to put any passage into context. We must put it into its canonical context – making sure we are clear where this passage fits within the wider book and where that book sits within the scriptures as a whole. We have to put the passage into its literary context – making sure we put the sentences in the context of the paragraphs which sit in the context of sections that are part of larger books. We have to think also about the historical context – what was going on at the time of writing that has impacted what this writer is saying and why…

If that is right, we want to hear God on his own terms. Which is why we very much don’t want to take him out of context. To do that is to twist his words. It is to miss his words. It is to misunderstand him. It is to misunderstand what the creator of the universe has determined is needful for us to know

Kneale discusses the person who comes to the Bible with a particular question, finds a verse that sounds about right, and then makes use of that verse to speak to the issue in question without considering whether the author intended to speak to that issue. These are wise reflections.

Check it out!

Context Matters: The Lord’s Prayer

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praying

Olivia Snow (2017), public domain

You’re probably familiar with the Lord’s Prayer. In fact, you might feel like you’ve heard it a million times.

You might pray it as a family or during worship at church. Many pastors have preached through this passage, and most of the church’s historic catechisms analyze this prayer in detail.

But we rarely consider the context of the Lord’s Prayer. Because of the frequency with which this prayer is recited, the Lord’s Prayer might be the passage of Scripture most often removed from its context.

But context matters. The Bible is not a collection of independent stories, proverbs, and prayers. Each book was written by an author with a purpose. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is, we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages take on different or deeper meanings than we’ve always assumed.

The Sermon on the Mount

As recorded by Matthew, the Lord’s Prayer falls in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. (Peter has written about this portion of Matthew’s Gospel recently here and here.)

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:9–13)

This sermon is for Jesus’s disciples (Matt 5:1), and in chapter six Jesus is teaching about spiritual practices and values. For a watching world, these are crucial aspects of life that denote one of Jesus’s followers.

Private Religious Practices

In Matthew 6:1–18, Jesus is concerned with the disciples’ religion. And Jesus contrasts the children of God with the hypocrites and Gentiles. The overarching command is this: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 6:1).

  • When you give to the poor, don’t draw attention to yourself like the hypocrites. Rather, give to the poor in secret. (Matthew 6:2–4)
  • When you pray, don’t draw attention to yourself like the hypocrites. Rather, pray to your Father in secret. (Matthew 6:5–6)
  • When you fast, don’t draw attention to yourself like the hypocrites. Rather, fast in secret. (Matthew 6:16–18)

In each of these situations, Jesus says the hypocrites will reap the reward they seek (honor or praise from people) but nothing else. Those whose practices are done in private—without concern for notoriety—will be rewarded by God.

The Lord’s Prayer falls in the middle of this instruction. It is not a prayer that is prayed to attract attention, but it is private, trusting communication between a disciple and God.

God is Father

In the Lord’s Prayer we are famously instructed to address God as “Our Father,” but this is part of a longer and wider point Jesus is making about God’s family.

Until the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had not spoken of God as Father in Matthew’s Gospel. But in these three chapters, Jesus refers to God as Father 17 times, with a whopping 12 of them coming in chapter six. Part of Jesus’s point is that his disciples have a new relationship with God. He is not simply the law-giver or judge, but he is father.

This is the exact point Jesus is making when he introduces the Lord’s Prayer. He tells the disciples not to “heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do.” The Gentiles think that when they pray they will “be heard for their many words.” But for disciples, God is Father, and “your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

You do not need a lengthy or eloquent prayer to turn God’s gaze. You already have his attention. You are his child! Of course he will listen!

The way we pray, including the way we pray the Lord’s Prayer, reveals whether or not we believe God is our loving father.

Forgiveness

The fifth petition of the Lord’s Prayer concerns forgiveness, and Jesus continues to teach about the topic after saying “Amen.”

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14–15)

The word “for” at the beginning of this sentence is instructive. For disciples, Jesus’s teaching on prayer must be connected to their interactions with other people. The way they approach God in prayer, and even the forgiveness they seek from God, is connected to the way they forgive others.

We don’t have the space to exhaust the Bible’s teaching on forgiveness, but many other passages teach that we cannot earn forgiveness from God. What Jesus says here must make sense when considering other portions of the Bible which are more straightforward.

In short, the way people treat those who have sinned against them reveals an important part of their heart toward God. Those who are forgiven by God make a consistent practice of forgiving others. And those who do not forgive others may not know the forgiving love of God.

Conclusion

The Lord’s Prayer is not an isolated collection of six requests. And while it is instruction from Jesus on how to pray, it is more than that.

The Lord’s Prayer is an illustration of what it looks like to pray to a heavenly Father who knows what you need before you ask him. It is an example of how to pray in secret, how not to practice your righteousness before men, and how to seek reward from God. And it is a reminder that our relationship with God cannot be divorced from our relationship with other people.

Context matters.

You can find all of our Context Matters posts collected on this page.

This post was first published in 2018.

Revisiting Two Tries to Heal the Blind

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I wrote once about how the larger context helps us to understand why Jesus took two tries to heal the blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26). I offered two theories that both fit the data.

  1. To provide a picture, a living parable, of his two tries to heal the disciples’ spiritual blindness.
  2. To provide a picture, a living parable, of the two stages of sight the disciples must go through to understand who Jesus is.

Here now is a clear piece by Benjamin Gladd arguing in favor of that second theory. He walks through the text, highlighting what is happening in Mark’s larger argument regarding the disciples. In the process, Gladd demonstrates how to read the story of the blind man contextually and carefully.

Check it out!

Three Important Contexts for Bible Study

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newspaper

Jay Clark (2018), public domain

We use the word “context” a lot on this blog. However, we don’t always use the word in the same way.

There are at least three different contexts that are important when studying the Bible: the historical context, the literary context, and the personal context. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Historical Context

Each book of the Bible was written at a specific time, and that historical background is important. At minimum, we should recognize who wrote the book and what was happening in that part of the world at the time.

One of the main themes of the Bible is how God calls and saves his people and how they extend his kingly rule over the earth. Therefore, it is crucial to understand who is in power and the condition of God’s people.

The question of power is relevant both for God’s people and those nearby. When reading the Old Testament, we should learn about the leaders of Israel and the surrounding nations. How the king in Israel came to power and whether he was faithful to God will explain much about the mood of a passage and any warnings or commands contained therein.

God’s people have gone through long stretches of faithfulness and rebellion, punctuated by prophetic announcements. As we read the Old Testament, we need to discern whether Israel is turning toward or away from God at the time.

(The questions of power and faithfulness apply when reading the New Testament as well, but the span of time and the number of other nations involved are much larger in the Old Testament.)

The best place to find a short historical introduction to each book of the Bible is a good Study Bible. For more detailed information, a commentary is the place to turn.

Literary Context

The context to which we refer most frequently on this blog is the literary context of the passage in question. This is certainly true for our ongoing Context Matters series. In these posts we examine well-known verses or phrases from the Bible and show how they might mean something deeper or different that what we assume.

Literary context matters because the Bible is not a loose collection of inspirational stories or aphorisms. The biblical authors wrote works of literature, so where an author places a passage was a deliberate choice, and the meaning of that passage is framed by what comes before and after.

The immediate context refers to the sections directly before and after a passage. But the broader literary context matters too. One of the great values of a book overview is getting an outline of the author’s flow of thought and purpose in writing.

The best way to grasp the literary context of a passage is to read it yourself. Unlike historical context, where we mostly need to depend on experts, any ordinary person with a Bible can see the literary context. When studying a smaller passage of Scripture, it is a good practice to read the entire book which contains that passage on an ongoing basis.

Personal Context

The way we apply the Bible is personal, since obedience to the same command may look different for different people. The context of our lives matters.

Some commands in Scripture look much the same for all people. The eighth commandment (“You shall not steal”) has far-reaching and profound implications, but it always boils down to not taking what isn’t yours.

Other commands of God will look quite different for different people. God has called us to our particular places—married or single, urban or rural, healthy or ill, different countries of residence—and much of the difficulty of applying God’s word is discerning how his general principles should be worked out in those particular places.

For example, for me to love my neighbor I need to know my neighbor, care for my neighbor, and seek to do good for my neighbor, even at great cost to myself. But if my neighbors are not your neighbors, we will necessarily obey this command in slightly different ways.

God’s call to personal faith, repentance, and obedience means that we need to seek the Lord as individuals. However, God does not call us and leave us alone. He calls us into the church, and we need this community to apply the Bible faithfully.

All Contexts Matter

Because the Bible was written by people, about people, to people, and for people, all of these contexts matter. As we study the Bible we need to take all of these contexts into account as we observe, interpret, and apply God’s word.

This was originally posted in 2018.

Use Context to Resist Satan

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J.A. Medders reflects on the fact that the devil hates context. He’ll quote scripture but ignore what’s present right in the immediate context. We should make sure we don’t do the same. (My co-blogger Ryan once made a similar point.) In fact, by employing context in our Bible study, we’ll be better equipped to resist the wiles of Satan.

The devil took Psalm 91:11–12, applied it to Jesus, and left out the context. And here’s why: verse 13 is an allusion, reminder, and reinforcement of the promise God made in Genesis 3:15. There in the garden of Eden, as sin rippled through the universe, the devil heard his doom—someone would be born who would crush his head. And his name is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God. He didn’t want to think about Jesus and verse 13.

Check it out!