Week 28 "When Bad Things Happen"

Video is normally posted early Sunday Afternoon.

Video Notes:

·       Though at the time of Christ it was a popular assumption that tragedy and disability were indications of God’s judgment, Jesus made it clear (as does the Book of Job) that natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanoes are not necessarily evidence of personal sin. Jesus goes on to say that everyone is guilty and without repentance will face judgment. The question changes from “Why did they die?” to “Why are we still living?”

·       Times of prosperity and safety are evidence of God's patience with us.

·       Scythopolis was one of the cities of Decapolis (10 Cities) and the only one on the west bank of the Jordan River. They had many great examples of Hellenistic (Greek) architecture including a large Theatre and Roman Baths.

·       The city sided with Rome in the revolt in ad 66 so it survived the destruction that eventually befell Jerusalem.

·       The city was damaged by the Galilee earthquake of ad 363, but was rebuilt at a time when most inhabitants were Christian. Town reached its peak of 40,000 people in the 6^th Century.

·       The town captured in 634 by Muslim forces and renamed Beisan.

·       On January 18, 749, Beisan was completely devastated by the Golan earthquake. A few residential neighborhoods grew up on the ruins, probably established by the survivors, but the city never recovered its magnificence. These ruins are evidence of how quickly natural disasters can destroy even the most impressive of human accomplishments.

·       Some have suggested that Jesus' mission as Messiah in Israel was like the extra time given the fig tree in v. 6-9. During that time Jesus revealed the character of God and the unfruitfulness of Israel.

Text: This week we’re covering Luke 13:1-9 dealing with Jesus’ dialogue with the disciples regarding a brutal act of violence by the Roman governor Pilate and their understanding of why it happened. Jesus also uses a parable of an unfruitful fig tree to help them get a better understanding about God!

Other passages to read: We encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel to our text from Luke:

·        The idea that disaster and disability happens because of sin: Job 4:7; John 9; Acts 28:3-4;

·         The unfruitful fig tree: Matthew 7:19; 21:19;  Mark 11:13-14; Isaiah 5:1-7 (fig trees were often planted in vineyards); Micah 7; Luke 3:8-9

·         Sample of other verses on God’s mercy: Exodus 34:5-7; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; Joel 2:12-13; 2 Peter 3:9-11.

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

·       Why do bad things happen? Do bad things only happen to bad people?

·       If you were to characterize God, as he is revealed in the Bible, how would you describe him? What metaphor would you use to describe his default attitude towards mankind?

·        When we consider these two sections in verses1-5 and 6-9, what connections can we see between these two sections?

·       Are there repeated themes or phrases in these verses?

·       How many years of mercy did the fig tree receive?

·       How does the story of the fig tree end?

We try to answer these questions on this blog in the next week’s post (so you have time to think about them and then check your work!).

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• What is my attitude towards victims in a disaster? Do I explain their situation as a result of personal sin?
• Do I think that I am, or should be, exempt from violence and disaster?
• In what, or whom, do I trust for my ongoing safety? (Not as easy a question as you might think.)
• Am I repentant or stiff-necked? Am I fruitful or unfruitful?
• How have I experienced the mercy of God in my life? This year? This week?
• Is there some area of “unfruitfulness” in my life that needs to be dug and dunged by God’s mercy and grace? Will I let him do it this week?

Pastor Randy’s Sermon Notes: "Falling Towers and Barren Fig Trees"

Read Luke 13:1-5

When Towers Fall:

1.       The Religious Response (self-righteous)

"Bad things happen to bad people"

2.       The Irreligious Response (skeptic)

"God is unfair and life is tragic"

3.       The Appropriate Response:

·  Offer sympathy and prayer (Romans 12:15)

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

·         Help in practical ways (2 Corinthians 9:2, 8, 10-11)

“For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action...8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work...10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion….”

·         Repent (Luke 13:6-9)

“Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' 8 "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'

o   What does God want from you where you are planted?

The essence of sin is not breaking rules but putting yourself in the place of God. 

o   God is a God of second chances

Confession

Contrition

Change

Quotes and Commentary:

v.1 They may have been telling Jesus this to discourage him from going to Jerusalem. “You don’t really want to go there do you? They kill people like us!”

v. 2 Josephus records other violent acts by Pilate that angered people, but says nothing about this incident. Though that is also not unique as there are documented atrocities that he does not include in his histories. This is all we know about this event. Jesus was very aware of their suffering even if Josephus wasn’t!

v.3 & v.5 are word-for-word the same. Jesus was making his point very clear.

“Jesus is making it clear that those who refuse his summons to change direction, to abandon the crazy flight of national rebellion against Rome, will suffer the consequences. Those who take the sword will perish with the sword.

     Or, if not the sword, they will be crushed by buildings in Jerusalem as the siege brings them crashing down…Building accidents happen; but if the Jerusalemites continue to refuse God’s kingdom-call to repent, to turn from their present agendas, then those who escape Roman swords will find the very walls collapsing on top of them as the enemy closes in. (N.T. Wright, Luke for Everyone, 163.)

v. 4 Some may have thought this happened because of their collaboration with the Romans on an aqueduct project.

v. 5 In case you didn’t get the personal application the first time. Everyone is guilty. Everyone will face judgment sooner or later. God wants us to repent of our self-love and autonomy (sin)!

v. 6 It was not uncommon to have a fig tree in a vineyard. See Isaiah 5:1-7.

v. 7-8 The emphasis here is the amazing mercy of the vinedresser and his commitment to work and do everything possible for the tree to be fruitful, but the future of the tree lies in its response to such mercy and privilege by bearing fruit (repentance). If there is no repentance then there will be a “cutting out” of the tree.

v. 9 “The story is left open. There is no closure. We are left wondering about the fate of the tree. That is where the power of the parable lies. The crowd is left in silence to determine if their fruitlessness might have anything to do with the fig tree. Or if the advocate who saves the tree from destruction until it might bear fruit could possibly be Jesus himself. As readers of Luke’s Gospel, we too are left in that same silent place, to determine if we might be, in some sense, like the fruitless tree and if Jesus just might become our Advocate.” (Michael Card, Luke: The Gospel of Amazement, 169.)

Previously on “Ponderables”:

• What makes Jesus sad and/or mad about the Pharisees and experts in the Law? Remember that “Woe” is not just a pronouncement of judgment but a term of mourning. In reading through the list of “woes” in this section the answer should not be difficult to complete. Each “woe” provides a reason. N.T. Wright comments that the woes were not just an indication “that he happened to disapprove of the objectionable practices of these other groups. It was, rather, that he could see where they would lead: to a terrible conflagration in which the present generation would pull down on its own head the pent-up devastation of the centuries.”

• If the Pharisees were a religious party, very like a political party, and the Lawyers were the Biblical scholars of that day, what does this say about religion and power? What should the church’s attitude towards worldly power and leadership be? This question is considerably harder to wrestle with. When Jesus spoke critically of the social-political group of the Pharisees the religious experts told Jesus that he was insulting them too…then Jesus spoke critically of them too. The point of following Christ is not to change the world politically from the top down, socially through insider “pressure groups” but to respond to the love God offers and allow it to change the world from the inside out, from the bottom up, from the margins in.

• What is the relevance of “inside” and “outside” in this passage? Is one more important than the other? It is key to notice the Pharisees and lawyers focus only external compliance to religious regulations. They are seen to have missed the point. What is inside is what is important. You can look good on the outside and be corrupt inside. However, if you are clean inside you will also be clean in your outward behavior.

• What does Jesus say in this passage about fear and value? How are they related to hypocrisy? We are not to fear man nor death. We are to fear God. What this means is that we value most highly God’s opinion of our life and heart. Why? Because He is the One who loves us and we desire more than anything to return that love!

• What is the “key to knowledge”? Do our methods open it or close to the people? The key to knowledge is the “fear of the Lord.” Our methods, when they are law based and external close knowledge off to people. However, when we live out God’s love sincerely we become those who do what we can to bear the burden for others rather than making it harder.

Week 27 "The Pharisee Among us...or Within Us"

Video is normally posted early Sunday Afternoon.

Text: This week we’re covering Luke 11:37-12:12 dealing with Jesus’ dialogue with the Pharisees and Lawyers over lunch at a Pharisee’s house. The situation becomes rather heated with Jesus about as worked up as you ever see him. What is it that bothered Jesus so much? Let’s look and see!

Video Notes:
This video talks about two separate ideas that have overlapping significance.
1. Gates=

·         It was the custom for the city elders to do business in the city gates. It was here that the cause of the poor and powerless was supposed to be upheld.

·         Unfortunately, in the OT the people and their leaders consistently neglected justice for their fellow citizens and the aliens who lived among them.

·         Power corrupts like leaven!

2. Leaven=

·         Leaven was not like the commercial yeast we use today but was actually raw dough that was saved from the previous baking day. It was possible to still have raw dough for a year in that lump.

·         Somewhat like sourdough starter…passing on the corruption.

·         Each year, the Feast of unleavened bread was a time of cleaning & purification, which was both hygienically practical and spiritually necessary.

·         Jesus also warned his disciples to beware of “the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod” The Pharisees were filled with hypocrisy and the Herodian rulers were sold out in their support of the Romans and were without godly convictions. Everything was about staying in power and enjoying the fruits of such privilege

·         How does leaven work? The bread dough is puffed up by the waste product of the bacteria.

·         Corrupt ideas and values work the same way.

·         What are the ideas, values, and behaviors that corrupt our own culture?

Other passages to read: We encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel to our text from Luke:

·         Woes to the Pharisees & Lawyers: Matthew 23:1-36; Mark 12:38-40

·         Leaven of the Pharisees: Matthew 16:6-12; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

·         Have no Fear & Acknowledge Christ Before Men: Matthew 10:26-33; 25:31; Mark 8:38

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

• What makes Jesus sad and/or mad about the Pharisees and experts in the Law?
• If the Pharisees were a religious party, very like a political party, and the Lawyers were the Biblical scholars of that day, what does this say about religion and power? What should the church’s attitude towards worldly power and leadership be?
• What is the relevance of “inside” and “outside” in this passage? Is one more important than the other?
• What does Jesus say in this passage about fear and value? How are they related to hypocrisy?
• What is the “key to knowledge”? Do our methods open the Word or close it to the people?

Pastor Randy's Sermon Notes: "The Pharisee among us…and within us." 

“When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.” (11:38a)

Four Warning signs that a Pharisee is among…or within us:

1.    Hypocrisy: our public performance is more important than our inward devotion. (11:38b-41)

• Luke 12:2-3
• 1 Samuel 16:7

2.    Seeking attention and craving recognition for ourselves (11:42-43; 12:4-10)

3.    Religious intimidation and crushing burdens placed on others (11:44-47)

4.   Our knowing the Bible is more important to us than living the Bible. (11:52-53)

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• Of what are we full, and what are we neglecting?
• Are we approval addicts? How willing are we to be known as Christians when it is not popular?
• Do our lives make others unclean with our infectiously negative or selfish attitudes?
• Are we legalists or advocates? Are we “loaders” or “bearers” of people’s burdens?
• Hypocrisy if the biggest objection to the church, by those outside the church. Are we really living what we say we believe or are we somehow pretending? How can we tell? How can others tell?
• Do you have someone in your life who knows Jesus and will lovingly and gently point out your areas of self-deception? Will you listen?

Commentary & Quotes:

“…He began to say to His disciples: ‘First beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’ There is no need to point out the connection between this warning and the denunciation of Pharisaism and traditionalism at the Pharisee's table. Although the word 'hypocrisy' had not been spoken there, it was the sum and substance of His contention, that Pharisaism, while pretending to what it was not, concealed what it was. And it was this which, like 'leaven,' pervaded the whole system of Pharisaism. Not that as individuals they were all hypocrites, but that the system was hypocrisy. And here it is characteristic of Pharisaism, that Rabbinic Hebrew has not even a word equivalent to the term 'hypocrisy.' The only expression used refers either to flattery of, or pretense before men, not to that unconscious hypocrisy towards God which our Lord so truly describes as 'the leaven' that pervaded all the Pharisees said and did. It is against this that He warned His disciples - and in this, rather than conscious deception, pretense, or flattery, lies the danger of the Church.” (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 623)

Previously on Ponderables:

• We have seen that Jesus was very concerned for social justice issues, so why does he seem so disconnected from this man’s request? This question was actually answered last week in the commentary section … It would have been normal for people to bring their requests for justice to the Rabbi. Here the man’s shouted question is not a plea for Jesus to make a just decision but a demand that Jesus give him what he wanted from his brother. Jesus would have no part of this as it was contrary to his calling as both Bailey and Morris note:

“Jesus is a reconciler of people, not a divider. He wants to bring people together, not finalize separations…He was concerned to heal relationships between people, and out of that healing they could deal with issues that divided them.” (Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, 300,302)

• Why did Jesus tell this parable? Doesn’tgoing off on a tangent? He told the parable to address the underlying issue present in the man’s claim. Remember that the man didn’t ask Jesus to decide the case but to enforce the decision the man had already made.  Just like the man in the parable who only listened to himself.

• How do you reconcile this parable’s teaching with that of the Talents or Minas where the servants are rewarded for bringing in a profit? Should we be collectors or givers? In the parable of the talents, the servants are stewards serving the master. In this parable of the rich fool, the man takes no account of God or of others in his plans and is motivated only to please himself.

• What are the two great principles that stand out in this section? How are they connected? They are found in verse 15, “be on your guard against all covetousness” and verse 21, where the principle is to be rich towards God. They both point towards the conclusion in verse 34 “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Week 26 "Rich Towards God"

There is no video clip this week.

Text: This week we’re covering Luke 12:13-21 dealing with Jesus’ response to a man’s demand that he support his inheritance claim against his brother. Jesus used this as an opportunity to talk about greed and covetousness. As was his custom, he used a parable to drive his point home.

Other passages to read: We encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel to our text from Luke. In this case, there are none…but there are topically related verses:

•          Inheritance guidelines: Numbers 27:1-11; 36:7-9; Deut. 21:16-17
•          Warning against covetousness: 1 Timothy 6:6-11; Hebrews 13:5
•          “Eat, drink, and be merry”: Isaiah 22:13; 1 Cor. 15:32
•          “Treasure towards God”: Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:34
•          Other Old Testament passages reflected in this teaching are Prov. 27:1; Psalm 49:16-17; Isaiah 5:8; Eccles. 2:24; 5:10-12; 11:8; Prov. 18:1; Jeremiah 17:11
•          Other New Testament verses are Matthew 16:26; Luke 16:19-31; James 4:13-14

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

• We have seen that Jesus was very concerned about social justice issues, so why does he seem so disconnected from this man’s request?
• Why did Jesus tell this parable? Doesn’t it seem like he is going off on a tangent?
• How do you reconcile this parable’s teaching with that of the Talents or Minas where the servants are rewarded for bringing in a profit? Should we be collectors or givers?
• What are the two great principles that stand out in this section? How are they connected?

We try to answer these questions on the Jesus4Everyone blog in the next week’s post (so you have time to think about them!).

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• What “just causes” are we a part of? Are we open to receiving correction or have we become as Bailey says, “a tyranny unto ourselves?”
• To what extent is Jesus a part of our personal decision-making process?
• When I pray, are my requests centered on God and his plan or upon asking God to bless my own ideas?
• What is it that we treasure most? How can we tell?

Pastor Randy’s Sermon Notes:  "Rich towards God" (Luke 12:13-34)

1.    How to recognize greed:  All kinds

(v.15) “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed

• Gloating or conspicuous consumption (v.19)
• Worry and resentment (v.23)
• False Trust; where money is your security and it is what you look to in order to be attractive and impressive. (v. 24, 27)
• If you are run off of your feet trying to get it. (v. 30)
• If you cannot give and share generously (v.33) 

2.    How to be rich towards God: Inner Wealth and Heavenly Wealth.

·         Inner Wealth: Receive Radical Grace

You are God’s Treasured Possession:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God….” (1 Peter 2:9)

God gave you His ultimate treasure:

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”  (2 Corinthians 8:9)

• Heavenly Wealth: Practice Regular, Radical Giving (v. 32-34)

“But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.” (2 Corinthians 8:7-8)

Commentary Quote:

“In Jesus’ parable to the crowds, God labels a rich landowner as a ‘fool’—that is, a person whose practices deny God; indeed, the principal deficiency of the wealthy farmer is his failure to account for God in his plans. In light of this, Jesus’ instructions to his disciples are appropriately theocentric [God centered].” (Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, 487)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

7-Point Prophetic Rhetorical Template (Bailey)

This pericope utilizes the seven-step prophetic rhetorical template moving toward the climax in the center. The following outline is from Kenneth E. Bailey’s Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, pages 298-308. The comments are mine unless specifically noted.

1 & 7 = General Principle

   2 & 6 = Goods Given or Left

     3 & 5 = Dialogue with self

        4 = The Soliloquy in the center is used 5x Luke 11, 15, 16, 20

0. SETTING (v. 13-14)

It would have been normal for people to bring their requests for justice to the Rabbi. Here the man’s shouted question is not a plea for Jesus to make a just decision but a demand that Jesus give him what he wanted from his brother. Jesus would have no part of this as it was contrary to his calling as both Bailey and Morris note:

 “Jesus is a reconciler of people, not a divider. He wants to bring people together, not finalize separations…He was concerned to heal relationships between people, and out of that healing they could deal with issues that divided them.” (Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, 300,302)

“Man, is far from cordial…He came to bring people to God, not to bring property to people. In this situation he was concerned with the attitudes of those involved, not with who got what.” (Morris, Luke, 232)

1. GENERAL PRINCIPLE (v. 15)

This principle is more than a reminder to casual watchfulness, but a warning to put forth a serious proactive and protracted effort to guard ourselves against becoming materialistic. It is like actively preparing the fort for an anticipated attack and then keeping it ready. One of the ways we can do this is to remember this principle that Jesus shares—the weight, or worth, of our life, is not measured in the number of our toys. Contrary to the bumper sticker, the one who dies with the most toys doesn’t win, as this parable makes clear.

   2. GOODS GIVEN (v. 16a)

The farmer’s super-abundant bounty was not a result of his actions…it was a gift of God. It is folly to presume that God’s blessings are a result of our own awesomeness or are for our personal enjoyment. Often the greatest test of spiritual maturity is not how we handle poverty but how we handle riches.

      3. DIALOGUE WITH SELF (v. 16b-17)

             (My Crop, Not Stored)

Here we see a tragic sequence of “I (8x in the Greek) will…” and “my” (4x) statements. The problem is that God is not even a small part of his decision-making process.

“In the Middle East, village people make decisions about important topics after long discussions with their friends…Everybody’s business is everybody’s business. Even trivial decisions are made after hours of discussion with family and friends. But this man appears to have no friends. He lives in isolation from the human family around him, and with an important decision to make the only person with whom he can have a dialogue is himself.” (Bailey, 303)

         4. SOLUTION (?) (v. 18)

               (More Storage)

The solution he comes up with is a pretty crummy one. Why would he presume that the abundance was merely for his own enjoyment? What God gives us, he gives us to share his blessing with others.

“He did not realize that the bellies of the poor were much safer storerooms than his barns.” —St. Augustine

      5. DIALOGUE WITH SELF (v. 19)

                  (My Crop Stored)

Do we include God in our internal dialogue? Can we be content with material abundance alone? I hope not! We were made for relationships with God and fellow human beings.

It has been pointed out that there is a word-play in Greek at this point between the word translated “merry” which is euphainō (related to expanding the diaphragm) and the word translated fool in the next verse. Here the picture is of taking a big breath and letting it out in a sigh.

   6. GOODS LEFT (v. 20)

God calls this man a fool “a-phron” (a person with no diaphragm left to expand). In other words, they are fully satisfied with something less than God. A fool is one who doesn’t take God into consideration as Green points out,

“This farmer has sought to secure himself and his future without reference to God. This is the force of the label given him by God, “fool,” used in the LXX to signify a person who rebels against God or whose practices deny God…” (Green, Luke, 491)

7. GENERAL PRINCIPLE (v. 21)

This principle hints at v. 34 “Where your treasure is…there your heart is.”

“The Outcome of this parable, as to the utter uncertainty of life, and the consequent folly of being so careful for this world while neglectful of God, led Him to make warning application to His … disciples (in Luke 12:22-34). Only here the negative injunction that preceded the parable, ‘beware of covetousness,’ is, when addressed to ‘the disciples,’ carried back to its positive underlying principle: to dismiss all anxiety, even for the necessaries of life, learning from the birds and the flowers to have absolute faith and trust in God, and to labor for only one thing—the Kingdom of God.” (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 624)

Previously on “Ponderables: Last week’s post asks the following questions…which we will answer together…

• In the parallel passage in Matthew 12 and Mark 3, this episode is cast in terms of the unforgivable sin. What is it about this “blasphemy of the Holy Spirit” that makes it unforgivable? Last week’s commentary quote from David Gooding gives away the answer. Here it is again, “God’s finger was touching them; God was speaking to them. What they had just witnessed was a direct, unambiguous, demonstration of the Holy Spirit. Now they must make life’s ultimate judgment, and they were at the point of making a decision that once deliberately made would be irreversible and would make deliverance forever impossible. Reject the Holy Spirit, call Ultimate Good evil, call Truth himself …a lie, and God himself has no further evidence left, nothing further to say… God himself is reduced to silence.” (David Gooding, According to Luke, IVP 1987, 223-224., quoted in Hughes 1/426) The point is that the Holy Spirit is who convicts us of sin and illuminates our hearts to receive the gospel. If we reject that work as somehow evil then how could we ever be saved? Dying in that condition of persistent rejection seals the deal. God will honor our decision to live without him by allowing us to die without him.

• What are some things we can learn about demons (v. 24-26)? About Jesus’ power?   Jesus is seen to be the “stronger man” who comes and disarms the “strong man”/Satan and turns all that he had trusted in against him. Jesus is the one who has all power over demonic forces, at his word they have to leave. Now, if we were to turn this passage into a text on demonology I suppose that there are a number of things we could learn: they can leave or be cast out of a person (or nation?), they prefer to inhabit a person, there can be more than one demon in one person, and these demons are unclean or evil. However, I don’t think this passage intends to be an exhaustive treatment of demonology. This segues into the next question.

• What is Jesus’ main focus in these verses (v.14-36)? Is it simply to defend his deliverance ministry, to give tips on exorcism, to speak of the future of a nation that rejected him, or perhaps to challenge people to keep his words in their hearts? A combination of these? Or is it a collection of unrelated ideas? I am usually looking for the combo plate when it comes to Biblical interpretation as I think our little boxes sometimes leave out much of what God is saying in a given passage. Is Jesus defending what Green calls his “ministry of release”? Absolutely. Is that his main point? No. Jesus is also not giving tips on exorcism, though we get some insight into the need to be filled not just clean and empty. The main emphasis is that people would hear his words, keep (guard) them, and let them have their full effect on their lives. If they choose to reject the ministry of the Holy Spirit who is convicting them of sin and calling them to put their trust in Jesus' righteousness then what hope for salvation remains? Jesus’ message is also a not-so-subtle warning to the nation of Israel of what would happen to them following their rejection of the Messiah. They would have no strength to keep out the spiritual wickedness that would come upon them. The decision was theirs and God would honor it.