🇬🇧 Glory be to Jesus Christ! 🌞
A continuation and partial repetition of the
reading I wrote about earlier:
15042023.html
Paul uses the well-known situation of slaves at that time. A slave does not do what he or she is inclined to do, what he or she is interested in, but what he or she is forced to do. Moreover, a slave has no way to get rid of this condition on his or her own without violating the laws of the time; he or she could only be freed or released by the masters.
For the condition of a person who commits sin, the comparison with
slavery to sin is very expressive: the person also does not do what is
necessary for him or her in sin, and cannot free himself or herself from
sin (freedom from sin
means such a change in a person that he or she
is not even tempted by it, complete deliverance, sin becomes inactive,
powerless
), and sin (by definition) cannot let go or free the person
from itself
.
Further, Paul extends the comparison to righteousness (these words
are not read today, but at other time), and emphasizes that this is only
a metaphor that fixes
and voices the fact that the person entrusts
themselves completely to God, but this is not slavery in essence, but
only a metaphor (I speak in human terms,
Paul says). The person who
really lives for God can say that their whole nature is really a good
gift to them and to others through them – from God. A gift is something
that you receive out of love, that does not burden you in any way, that
gives you joy.
Matthew VIII, 23 – ‘εμβαντι’ – ‘embanti’ -
having entered (the boat)
.
Several different passages where the Lord heals, casts out demons, acts as a Teacher.
Earlier I have written, and I quote:
I would like to dwell on verses Matthew VIII, 19-22. They are often
little understood. If you compare the parallel passage about the
threefold denial of the Apostle Peter, the situation will become
clearer. In short, the Lord expects the disciples to say
yes!” to Him,
but a humble, not overconfident yes!
.
The first dialog is about overconfidence. The unbaptized man is so
self-assured that he openly says that he will follow Christ wherever He
goes (cf. Peter). Christ’s words show that His state is a supernatural
state, not a natural state like that of animals. Would that man have
followed Christ to suffer? What if Christ began to reveal to him the
heavenly things? And if he revealed to him what would happen in two
thousand (ten thousand, a million, a billion, etc., maybe as many or
even more) years, would he believe? After all, what will be left of his
understanding in that distant time (and even in the present, what
remains of it)? And if He gives him unprecedented revelations, will he
believe? And if he does, how will he know that he is not mistaken? And
this man thinks that he can by nature
be wherever Christ is, by his
own strength. This is the first mistake. The answer is similar to the
one given to Peter. As a result, no one can contain the fullness of the
Gospel except Jesus, and therefore no one can follow Him wherever He
goes,
everyone is limited. Limited, but at all times enough is revealed
to be saved. And the saints did this, not with overconfidence, but with
humility.
The second dialog is about the opposite extreme – putting off living
the Gospel for later,
for better times,
after the pandemic,
after
the war,
for tomorrow,
when he grows up,
and so on. If you want to
live with Christ, and not to languish or wait for conversion like the
spiritually dead, then start without delay, now, here and now. You don’t
have to tell everyone about it (although there is no prohibition), but
start, regardless of the circumstances, favorable
or not.
As a result of both, the Gospel is higher than the human, higher than the temporal, eternal.”
(end of quote)
Glory be to Thee, our God, glory be to Thee!