Transcript
Okay. I’m here with Zane Hodges and we’re discussing the passage of Matthew chapter 8 and we’re going to be looking at 5 through 13. But we’re talking about the issue of the outer darkness. That expression only occurs three times in the whole New Testament, and all three are in Matthew. And this is the first of the three. So that’s why we’re starting here in Matthew 8:5 through 13.
And I was wondering, Zane, as we get started in this discussion, is there anything that is distinctive of the three uses in Matthew 8, Matthew 22 and Matthew 25? Is there anything distinctive about this Matthew 8 passage about the outer darkness?
Well Bob, it seems to me that there is. And that what is distinctive bears directly on the question of whether the outer darkness is to be taken in a literal sense or in a figurative sense. Obviously our interpretation of the passages is going to be very significantly affected by which of those two directions we take.
And what I would say just at the outset of our discussion is that Matthew 22 and Matthew 25, the passages in which the outer darkness occurs after chapter 8, both are obviously parables. That is, the expression occurs in a parabolic context. And it should not be understood as part of the apparatus of the parable. And that suggests very strongly therefore that the outer darkness in Matthew 22 and in Matthew 25 is not literal but is parabolic.
However, what is distinctive it seems to me about Matthew chapter 8 is that there is no reason to take the first reference to outer darkness in a parabolic or in a figurative sense.
You mean the first, that is the one we find here in Matthew 8?
Exactly. That should have said that more clearly. This is the first use in the Gospel of Matthew of the term outer darkness. And there is nothing in this first use, there is nothing in the passage that suggests to us that our Lord is using it in a figurative or non-literal sense.
And so it’s important for us it seems to me to look very carefully not only at the verses in question here but also at the larger context. As you’ve indicated, the encounter between Jesus and the centurion.
So that’s what we’d like to start with if that’s suitable to you.
That would be great. Maybe we can talk a little bit because Jesus commends the centurion for his great faith. So maybe you could tell us a bit about what happens in verses 5 through 9. Because obviously this centurion believed Jesus can heal long distance. He doesn’t have to be there and touch the person.
Exactly. And that’s very impressive. What the story really deals with is the fact that the centurion comes to Jesus requesting healing for a servant of his who is ill. And ninety people out of a hundred would probably have expected Jesus to come down to their house and to either lay His hand on them or speak words of healing to them or something like that.
And Jesus in fact in verse 7 offers to go. He says, “I will come and heal him.” And it is at this point that the centurion surprises us by saying to our Lord that he really doesn’t consider himself worthy to have Jesus come in under his roof. And that Jesus doesn’t need to do that in order to affect the healing. That all that Jesus needs to do is to speak the word and his servant will be well.
I will come and heal him.
And then as speaking as a military man he says, “I know what it is to give orders and to have those orders carried out.” And he says, “You can give this order right here and now and it will be carried out.” That’s a tremendous expression of faith. Not only obviously in Jesus’ power to heal but in the authority of His word.
Well yet don’t we see several things here? First of all “I’m not worthy” sounds a lot like John the Baptist saying, “I’m not worthy to loose your sandal.” This guy’s not worthy for Jesus to come into his house. But on top of that he also knows that there is an unseen world out there. And that Jesus can command unseen figures to carry out, you know, His unseen soldiers will go carry out His bidding.
Right. In other words His word will be obeyed by the creation or by the angels or whoever is involved in the command that He gives. Right now this man probably doesn’t have any idea exactly how Jesus pulls this off. But he knows Jesus can pull it off.
So wouldn’t you say it sounds to me like this man believes Jesus is the Messiah?
It certainly sounds that way. And I think this brings us to the comment that Jesus makes on his faith. It tells us that He marveled. And He turns to the people who followed Him and He says, “I have not found so great a faith, not even in Israel.”
I have not found so great a faith, not even in Israel.
Now that’s a statement that deserves our attention here in connection with what He then goes on to say about the outer darkness. Because one thing He does not say is that He hasn’t found any faith in Israel. He doesn’t say that. Obviously lots of people in Israel have believed on Him as the Messiah and therefore they have genuine faith. But this is a measure of faith that is higher than anything He has encountered thus far in Israel.
Okay. Now now you’re getting into questionable stuff you know. Because people think, well don’t you either believe something is true or not? So what is this greater faith, this level of faith?
Well it seems to me that very simply we’re not talking about a different kind of faith. We’re talking about a faith that rises higher and believes something that is harder. They’re believing something different than other people believe.
That’s right. Yes. Okay. In other words it’s possible for, let’s put it this way, all human beings have the capacity to believe things. We all do that all the time. Right? But some things are easy to believe and other things are somewhat more difficult to believe. And other things seem almost impossible to believe.
So when we talk about faith and greater faith and great and the greatest kind of faith, we’re not really talking about a change in the nature of faith. But we’re talking about the capacity of the man’s faith to believe something that is difficult to believe.
Yes. Now Paul does talk about this in connection with Abraham in Romans chapter 4 you remember. And Abraham had the problem of not only believing what God said but believing it contrary to the physical evidence of his own body and Sarah’s body. And he waxed strong in faith. He has great faith because he’s able to rise above the physical impediments to the fulfillment of God’s word and to believe God’s word despite that.
Now quite frankly there are many things about God and many things in the Bible which it should not be difficult to believe. Some people have difficulty with even simple things. But basically if we are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life that should not be a difficult thing. If He is the Son of God, if He promises us eternal life, if He guarantees our eternal destiny, that should not be difficult to believe.
Right. But now we’re not talking about that kind of thing here. Because Jesus had found that kind of faith in Israel. But what He hasn’t found is the faith that is able to rise above any kind of impediment. In this case there was distance.
Right. Right. In other words He found lots of people in Israel who believed if they touched Him. Like the woman with the issue of blood twelve years with her blood. She believes, “If I touch Him I am healed.”
That’s right. But this man believes if Jesus just says the word He could heal somebody across Israel or across the planet.
That’s right. Across the universe for that matter. I mean He realizes that Jesus has authority over, like you’re saying, nature, disease, everything, distance. And His word is all-powerful. And His word can accomplish anything that Jesus pronounces it to accomplish.
So in that sense the centurion’s faith is greater than the faith that Jesus has encountered in Israel.
Now this is important it seems to me in turn. Somebody’s going to talk about in the following verses. Now He says, “I’m going to say that the time will come when many shall come from the east and the west and sit down in the kingdom with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And the sons of the kingdom will be cast out.”
I say to you that many will come from the east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Notice right off the top that this ties in with the fact that the centurion had great faith. Not just simply the kind of faith that Jesus had already met in Israel. So this is already a clue that what He has to say about being cast into the outer darkness or what He has to say about the children of the kingdom being cast out is not an issue, a simple issue of salvation. It’s not just kingdom entrance.
No. It’s not just kingdom entrance. Because then it wouldn’t be relevant to the point that He’s making about the centurion’s faith being greater.
That’s good. So we’re dealing with something here that requires greater faith than the faith by means of which we enter the kingdom.
And now He says that the time is coming when people from all over the world will sit down. The word that is used here in the Greek text means to recline. Particularly to recline at the table or to request them to recline at a meal. So what is implied here is that these people come from all over the world and sit at this big table with the patriarchs of the Jewish nation, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And these people from all over the world sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And some people who are identified as sons of the kingdom are not allowed to do that. They can’t recline at the table with them.
That’s right. They are cast out into the outer darkness. We’ll come to the exact terminology there. But what is of interest here is that first of all, as we’ve already observed, this does not concern the basic question of faith for salvation. It concerns a greater faith than that.
And therefore it is not at all surprising that we should think in terms of sons of the kingdom being cast out. Because that is a term which only occurs elsewhere in the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 13. Where it’s clearly identified as saved people.
Something like that. Yes. I don’t have 13:38. 13:38. “The field is the world. The good seed are the sons of the kingdom. But the tares are the sons of the wicked one.”
The field is the world. The good seed are the sons of the kingdom. But the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
So if this is the only other use, these two in Matthew 13:38 and here in Matthew chapter 8, what is it verse 11 I guess? Those two. If those are the only two references I mean verse 12 Matthew 8:12. If those are the only two references and that’s pretty telling. When obviously in 13:38 it’s the good seed. It’s the believers.
Yes. Exactly. And not only that within this immediate context if the issue is not saving what we call saving faith or anything right then that isn’t the problem with the sons of the kingdom.
Right. In other words their problem is not that they don’t have faith. Their problem is that they don’t have a faith comparable to the faith of this centurion, this Gentile.
Yes. Badly. Uh-huh. Now at this point what the language that Jesus uses suggests certainly suggests that there will be Gentiles coming to sit down at this table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And there will be Jews who are not allowed to sit there and who will be cast out.
In other words there will be some in the kingdom, Jews and Gentiles, who are exalted and others who are not.
Yes. Now what is that explicit here but becomes explicit in the parabolic form of this is that this is a general principle and not just a principle that applies to Jews and Gentiles.
Now what do you mean by general principle?
Well by that I mean we should not take the terminology sons of the kingdom to refer exclusively to Jews if you follow me. Even in Matthew 13 it’s a general reference only. The children of the kingdom. It’s not an exclusive reference to Jewish children of the kingdom.
So sometimes this phrase has been interpreted as though it meant Jewish people.
You know I wonder one thing Zane related to this. It’s interesting that for example in John’s Gospel we never have believers referred to as sons of God. They’re always children of God, teknon. Not huios. We are but here you have the word for sons. We used of that. And that term is used in Revelation and in Romans and in other places as the believer who has special status with God. But here these people are called sons of the kingdom. But yet they don’t have that special status.
Well they’re not called sons of God here. They’re called sons of the kingdom. And if we really stop and think about it who are the sons of the kingdom but those who have believed in Christ for eternal life and are going to live in the kingdom? They are the true children of the kingdom. They are the ones that the kingdom has brought forth to spiritual birth so to speak. And who will be inhabitants of the kingdom.
Whereas the sons of God expression that is a more special kinship with God.
Yes. And don’t forget that Paul uses the term we are Christians generally with that we might receive the adoption of sons. So we’re talking I think in connection with Revelation about your huios use of the term really here. We’re talking about the Matthean use of this. And it’s not even sons of God. It’s sons of the kingdom.
So this is confirmatory of course of the passage in Matthew 13 where it’s evident that it’s a general term for the saved. But that’s a good term for the saved. Because all the saved are in a very real sense the children of the kingdom. They’re the ones who are going to get into the kingdom and live there. And you know that’s their home.
Right. So regardless of whether they get to recline at this banquet.
That’s right. So already the passage by using this terminology, whether the initial presentation here leads us to visualize Jewish people who are believers being excluded from the terminal that you use doesn’t have to refer exclusively to them. Do you follow me?
I do. But wouldn’t this I mean it says in what verse verse 10 He said this to those who followed which would have been Jewish people believers and unbelievers but His disciples and others. Wouldn’t they have been totally shocked by what He’s saying here?
Yeah. I think they would have been. Because He’s saying there are going to be Gentiles who are sitting down with the great patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And there are going to be many sons of the kingdom which certainly includes many Jews.
That’s right. Who are born again. But yet they’re going to be excluded from this. This would have been shocking to them.
That’s right. And it’s still shocking to Christians today. Would we tell them that there are going to be genuinely saved people who were excluded from this special occasion whatever it is with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob?
Right. But obviously if you were an ordinary Jew in the audience this sounded like it was Zane. And it was in a very real sense saying this. There are going to be Gentiles who are in fellowship with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And Jews who are not sharing that.
Yeah. Right. But what I’m trying to point out is that in using and choosing His terminology Jesus doesn’t choose terminology that has to refer exclusively to Jews.
Okay. Even though in this context that’s a natural inference. They’re going to be Jews. And that’s certainly true. There are going to be Jews excluded from this special occasion whatever it is with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. There are going to be Gentiles like the centurion who are going to be part of it.
And in terms of whatever this is that is brought out more fully in Matthew 22 and to a lesser degree in Matthew 25. But here we just know it’s a special occasion. We know that. But we also can place this statement here in a larger context of New Testament teaching.
And that I’m glad you brought that up. Because I think that’s where we should go next in this discussion. Let’s look at this for a moment as a perfectly literal statement on the part of Jesus.
Okay. When we discussed the Jew Gentile thing. So now we’re talking in more general terms of the type of situation Jesus is describing. It’s clear that He’s describing a situation where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are reclining. That implies as I say the Greek word implies that they’re reclining at a table or that they’re reclining at a meal or something. And that can like the Last Supper when they reclined with Jesus.
Exactly. That’s what the word that is used here most frequently referred to. So what is implicit here is that some kind of a dinner, banquet, feast, you choose your word, is going on here in which Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are involved. And they, that no one would doubt I think that they were men of great faith. So they obviously belong at this dinner as well as the people come from east and west.
But what is involved here is apparently a literal dinner. All right. So that raises the question what literal dinner is this? And here it seems to me it would be worth our time to turn to Luke 22. But let me just do that because I think it will be more effective to read the passage in Luke 22. And I’m going to read from verse 24 through 30.
This of course is at the Last Supper. “But there was also rivalry among them as to which should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them. And those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you. On the contrary he who is greatest among you let him be as the younger. And he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the one who serves.’”
But there was also rivalry among them as to which should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them. And those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you. On the contrary he who is greatest among you let him be as the younger. And he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the one who serves.”
All right. Notice already the idea of sitting at table and serving or being served has been raised here.
Now verse 28, “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom. I’m giving you a kingdom just as My Father bestowed one upon Me. That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom. That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
So here the Lord Jesus Christ says to His disciples, “I’m giving you a kingdom.” And one of the privileges associated with this is that you will be able to sit with Me at My table in the kingdom and eat and drink with Me. Just like we have in Matthew 8.
Exactly. And giving the kingdom is not meaning you’re gonna get in. Giving the kingdom means you’re gonna rule.
That’s right. You’re gonna sit on these twelve thrones.
That’s right. That’s exactly the point here. It isn’t that they have made it into the kingdom. It is that they have endured with Him. You are those who have endured or stayed with Me in My trials. You remember the statement in 2 Timothy, “If we endure we shall also reign with Him.” 2 Timothy 2:12.
If we endure we shall also reign with Him.
That’s right. Yeah. Also the statement that Jesus makes in Revelation 2:26.
He who keeps My works until the end and overcomes him I will give power over the nations.
Yes. Right. “He who keeps My works until the end and overcomes him I will give power over the nations.” He’ll rule them with a rod of iron as I have received from My Father.
So you’re saying then this reclining at table that we see here in Luke 22 is something that’s reserved for the people who are going to be in authority in the kingdom.
Therefore going back to Matthew 8 the same thing.
Exactly. So these are the people. And that also would mean that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are going to be some of the rulers in the kingdom.
That’s right. And it also helps to identify the sons of the kingdom who were cast out. If those who are sitting there are those who have endured with Him. Oh the others are those who didn’t.
Exactly. So they’re sons. They’re sons of the kingdom. They’re children of the kingdom. They’re getting into the kingdom. But they’re not co-reigning in the kingdom because they didn’t endure. And probably the endurance, the key part of the endurance is in their confession. Like, “He who confesses Me before men him will I confess before My Father. He who denies Me before men him will I deny.”
The fact that comes up in 2 Timothy 2:12, “If we endure we shall reign with Him. If we deny Him He will deny us.”
If we endure we shall reign with Him. If we deny Him He will deny us.
Yes. But it also involves lifestyle. Because the statement that you quoted from Revelation He says, “My words to the end he that overcomes and keeps My words to the end.” So we’re talking here obviously about maintaining our confession of Christ but also maintaining our obedience to Him.
Yes. Now there’s one other passage that would be worth turning to. No that’s Hebrews chapter 12.
Hebrews 12. Okay. Yes. Uh-huh. And in particular I’m thinking of verse 23. But let me read from verse 22. What the writer is doing here is talking about the benefits of the new covenant. What we have come to when we’ve come to God through the new covenant.
And so in chapter 12 verse 22 He says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.” He has talked already about the fact that God has prepared a city, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels.
And here’s the phrase I’m interested in at verse 23, “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven.” Let me talk about that for a minute.
First of all the term that is used in the Greek term is used here for general assembly could be translated, and this is suggested in the new edition of the lexicon, as the festival celebration or something akin to that. In other words isn’t it a festive occasion on which the individuals in question are gathered together?
All right. And we probably have and the word church here of course doesn’t mean a building. It’s the Greek word ekklesia and just simply means an assembly. So we could translate this to the festive celebration and assembly of the firstborn ones.
Okay. That those two words are probably a hendiadys. Indatus is to now that are connected. And they serve the function of a noun and an adjective. The famous illustration they drank out of cups and gold means they drank out of gold cups.
Right. So what we’re probably talking about here is the celebratory assembly of the firstborn ones.
Now now why the firstborn? Because here they’re good. You’re a step ahead of me on this. This term firstborn here prototokos refers to those who have a firstborn status. And the cognate word firstborn what we might call firstborn rights is used by the author just a few verses before in describing Esau.
That’s there. Be any fornicator verse 16 or profane person like Esau who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. But that’s the firstborn rights.
Ah. The firstborn inheritance rights. Now in the Old Testament as we know the firstborn son had special inheritance rights. And the firstborn son received twice as much as the other sons.
And Esau and Jacob of course were twins. But Esau was born slightly before Jacob and therefore the firstborn rights went to him. But on the occasion being referred to he comes out of the field. He’s famished. And Jacob’s got some stew there and he wants some stew. And Jacob like a younger brother haggles with older brother trades him the stew for the firstborn inheritance rights. And so he gets it. He gets it.
But later on of course Jacob feels he needs to deceive his father Isaac in order to get it too. But but he winds up with the firstborn inheritance right. So that’s why in Matthew 8 it’s not Abraham, Isaac and Esau.
That’s right. Which it would have been if Esau had held forth it.
Yeah. Uh-huh. So Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. They’re kind of tangent. But Jacob of course did wind up as a victorious man of faith. But the point is that in this context the birthright refers to the firstborn rights. And the cognate word is used in verse 23. So we’re talking about the celebratory assembly of those who have the firstborn inheritance rights.
And in other words we’re talking about and they’re registered in heaven. They’re duly inscribed in heaven as those who are entitled to this privilege.
And within the context, the larger context of Hebrews, these are the partners of the king. These are those with whom the king shares His royal authority. They are the partners. It is right.
In fact at the end of this statement at the end of this chapter He says that we are receiving an eternal kingdom that cannot be shaken. And by the way the terminology uses receiving the kingdom is terminology used of somebody who came to the throne. When a person ascended the throne and assumed power he received the kingdom. That was the way this was said.
So the writer is concerned in Hebrews with the inheritance rights of the firstborn sons who will co-reign with Jesus Christ and who receive an unshakable kingdom along with Him. He receives an unshakable kingdom of course. And in chapter 1 we’re told His throne is forever and ever. And God has anointed Him with the oil of joy above His partners. Hebrews 1:9.
Your throne O God is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You’ve loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God Your God has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your partners.
That’s right. His partners share the joy of an eternal throne. And they don’t share it to the same extent that He does because He’s supreme. The kingdom is basically His. But others enter into the joy of reigning that belongs to Him.
So what we see in the Hebrews passage as well as in the passage we looked at in the Gospel of Luke is this suggestion there is a literal celebratory feast or occasion in which the firstborn heirs, the co-reigners, participate. And others do not.
Wow. So it seems to me that that is exactly the occasion Jesus is referring to here. Now He is suggesting that when the time for this banquet comes in here. Because we’re dealing with a literal situation we probably should think of some immense banqueting hall somewhere in Jerusalem. Maybe it’s connected with the palace or something like that.
And when the time for the banquet arrives everybody who has no right to be in the banquet is told to leave. And they have to depart. And only the firstborn heirs participate in this.
So are you getting to this point about the casting out then? Because it specifically says in Matthew chapter 8, “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out.”
I am definitely getting there.
Okay. Yes. Well tell us more about this casting out. What’s up with that?
Well the Greek verb is ekballo. And it is translated here and in the other passages related to the outer darkness as cast out. But it is a mistake to think that the Greek word has that kind of violent negative overtone to it.
And it is of interest to people to find out I think that the word is used in James 2:25 where it says Rahab received the spies with peace and she sent them out. She ekballo them out.
Another one. Yeah. Obviously she didn’t throw them out. She sent them away. That’s what ekballo means in that context.
Now there’s a sense of haste involved in it. But there’s certainly not a sense of violence or disapprobation. She says, “Get out of here you know. Run for your life.” That sort of thing.
Right. So she sent them out another way.
Another passage in which this verb is used is Mark 1:12 where the New King James Version has the Holy Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. Ekballo. But the New King James has some doubts about the suitability of so they have an alternate translation sent Him away into the wilderness or something like that.
The idea that I’m getting at here is that the Greek word ekballo did not in and of itself suggest violence or negativity. Obviously the person has to go.
Right. Right. For one reason or another. But that may or may not be negative.
So we get a negative cast if we translate by cast out. We could translate it like this. And the sons of the kingdom will be sent out into the outer darkness.
Right. Yes. That’s a lot softer.
Now having said this I mean this still is not a good thing. To just be sent out into the outer darkness when there’s a big feast going on. You are there weeping and gnashing your teeth.
That’s right. But the point is this isn’t imagery related to the lake of fire. No. And it’s not imagery that suggests that the individuals are grabbed and thrown like somebody getting kicked out of a saloon or something.
That’s wrong. Remember in all the westerns they throw them through the door and they land on their behind. Stay out.
That’s right. Yeah. Well this is not like that. And what we have to recognize is that the Greek verb ekballo is very fluid and flexible. And has to be measured and weighed in the context.
All right. Let’s get back to the actual imagery here. In ancient times it was customary to hold feasts at night.
Right. So the likelihood is that in the kingdom this is going to be a nighttime celebration. So here we are in the brightly lighted banqueting hall that is designated on this particular occasion for the firstborn heirs.
Right. Right. But people are milling in and out of the palace. Eight people who understand. And then I’m just using my imagination a little bit here. An announcement is made. Will everyone who is not part of the firstborn heirs’ banquet please leave the premises? Kind of like the announcements that make it in libraries you know. Fifteen minutes till closing. Return your books.
In this case some people get to stay. Some people leave.
That’s right. And that announcement for this the means by which they’re sent out. They’re cast out. When they walk out of the brightly lighted banqueting hall it’s dark outside. Brightly lighted because night.
That’s right. And but they realize that this is a very wonderful occasion for the people who are staying. Right. And that they are not staying because they haven’t been. They’re not faithful. They didn’t endure. They didn’t keep His words to the end.
So when they move out into the darkness outside they’re weeping and gnashing their teeth. That’s again an oriental way of expressing extreme sorrow. You would weep and gnash your teeth if your beloved wife had died.
And so what we are to think of here, what I’m pointing out here and I think it’s important, is that the literal picture here is very believable and realistic. In other words we have an actual banquet about to be held. All these certain people are qualified. The unqualified people are sent out of the banqueting hall into the darkness that’s outside.
As we point out not only here but also in the other two passages there are not an array of torturers standing outside ready to torment these people. They’re just excluded. But they realize the significance of their exclusion. And they deeply regret being excluded. And they weep and gnash their teeth.
But the regret really goes back to their life then.
That’s exactly right. Because that’s what led to their being sent away from this firstborn assembly experience.
Exactly. Exactly. It’s kind of like the Mavericks are into playoff mode right now. So it’s kind of like a rabid Mavericks fan who thinks he has a ticket for the final crux game of the playoffs.
Right. Right. And when he presents the ticket at the ticket taker the ticket taker says that was for yesterday. You have to be so. You can be partially humorous here. But you can imagine the Mavericks fan there weeping and gnashing his teeth only because he does not get to see the crux game. He doesn’t have a ticket for it.
Right. He’s cast out into the dark. This is a bright lighted gym. I’m being carried away by my illustration. But you get the point.
Absolutely. That if this is meaningful, if this experience inside is meaningful to the person, then to be expelled from that experience is something that will be deeply and profoundly regretted.
And that’s I think the point and of the passage for Jesus.
And your point is in Matthew 22 and Matthew 25 where we have references to the outer darkness those are not literally like this one talking about a literal feast. Those are using parables. But this there’s nothing to suggest this is a parable. Everything suggests this is literal. And when you tie it in with Luke 22 and Hebrews 12 both of them show this is going to take place in history. Jesus has told us that in Luke 22 and the author of Hebrews has told us in Hebrews 12.
Exactly. And that’s well put Bob. And the way I would want to say it but you’ve said it well. The first instance here the literal instance which talks about a literal event is what I would call the foundation on which He constructs a parabolic image. Where the literal becomes the parabolic message about the entire truth.
Yes. In other words there is a literal firstborn celebratory assembly. There is a literal banqueting occasion from which people will be literally excluded. But this reality leads to parabolic teaching about the truths that are involved in this.
In fact as we have talked about the literal system but we’ve talked about those truths.
Right. Right. The necessity to have great faith like this centurion’s. The necessity to endure. To keep His word. The sadness and disappointment that comes in being excluded from so wonderful an occasion. And so on.
So it’s not at all surprising that Jesus takes the literal side of this truth and magnifies it into a parable that presents the whole truth. So that we can understand the truth from various perspectives.
So Matthew 22 looks at it from the standpoint of a parable about a wedding feast. Matthew 25 looks at it from the standpoint of an accounting by servants who have been charged with the financial responsibilities. But notice that Jesus the underlying and tying all three of these passages together is the terminology that He has used in the literal presentation.
Yes. And so He is able by means of elaborating the literal presentation into parabolic messages to communicate this truth more effectively than if He had just told three times about the literal event.
That is very good. Now is there any significance to the fact that Jesus doesn’t end this account there? But He then turns to the centurion and says, “Go your way and as you have believed so let it be done to you.” And then we’re told by Matthew and his servant was healed that same hour.
In other words Jesus could have said this before He went and spoke to the followers. So it seems like Jesus intentionally says this to the followers. But yet He ends talking to the centurion. And it seems to me that the point here is that Jesus is saying you see this kind of faith counts and has good results.
In other words He has embedded into His exchange with the centurion the importance of having great faith.
Right. That was the launchpad on which He begins to pursue this idea of the festive occasion where people join Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. But they have they joined that festive occasion because of their great faith.
That’s it here. Because the connection between the centurion’s faith and the needed faith for people like that. So then after He’s finished the story He says to the centurion for his benefit and so the audience can hear it for theirs, “Your faith has has done what you expected it to do. Your servant is healed.”
So in a sense the healing of the servant is a proof of the of basically the doctrine of eternal rewards and being the firstborn and rulership with Christ. Being His companions from Hebrews you know His partners as metochoi. All of that is sort of tied up with the miracle here. That’s not particularly designed to teach the promise of eternal life although it’s under there. But more than that to teach the promise of ruling with Christ and having this special experience.
Absolutely. And in my opinion this is one of the major thrusts of the Epistle to the Hebrews. That is the writer of Hebrews wants the readership to continue to believe in this promise that God has made. A promise of eternal inheritance to those who persevere. Who hold fast their confession to the end. If they give up their confidence in that promise they’re going to give up their confession.
Right. So they have to continue to believe in the reality of the promise even when the experiences they are going through and in their case particularly opposition it seems from their fellow Jews. Even when the experiences they’re going through are negative they have to keep their eye on the promise.
Yes. Now He says that in Hebrews. And I’m glad you brought that up in the passage where He says that is run with patience the race that is set before us.
Yes. Looking unto Jesus the founder and completer of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before Him. What was the joy that was set before Him? It is the joy of an eternal throne.
You know when God promises Him an eternal throne God says, “I will anoint You with the oil of joy or gladness above Your fellows.”
So who for the joy that was set before Him. In other words for the joy of an eternal throne endured the cross despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
What does that mean to the writer of Hebrews? Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies the footstool of Your feet. You sit here. You’ve won the race. You sit here. And I’m going to give You the kingdom when the right time for that.
Well that’s like Revelation 3:21. “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit on My throne just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit on My throne just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
That’s right. So as you can see the that’s the way in which the Christian experience is epitomized by the writer of Hebrews. Jesus has run this race. He’s won His kingdom.
Right. What we have to do is keep our eyes on Him and run it as He ran it.
Yes. Victoriously and with endurance. So that we maintain our partnership with Him. But that involves and as you can see maintaining our faith in the promise.
Okay. Look I don’t want to get off into the big tangent. I do tend to do tangents. But let me just throw this out. You hit the issue right here. Perseverance.
Right. Right. Isn’t it interesting that both Calvinism and Arminianism both say perseverance is the condition of kingdom entrance? They both say. One says if you don’t persevere you lose eternal life. That’s the Arminian. The Calvinist says if you don’t persevere you’ve proved you never had it in the first place. Which by the way I’ve never seen real comforting. I mean they didn’t seem too comforting to me. It’s like oh thank the Lord that I didn’t lose eternal life. I just never had it in the first place. So now I can face the lake of fire with joy that I really proved it. Doesn’t seem much better.
But but this perspective is perseverance is not a condition of kingdom entrance. It’s a condition of reclining at this table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Of being a part of this festive assembly of those who have the firstborn status.
That’s right. And the loss of this privilege is a serious loss. But it is not to be compared with going to hell.
Yes. I mean I can walk out of the Mavericks game and weep that I didn’t get to see it.
Right. And I’ve suffered a real loss. And of course that’s trivial by comparison with this. You can walk out of this banqueting hall and realize this is an absolutely splendid privilege that I have missed. I’m torn up inside by the fact that my infidelity caused me to miss it. But I’m saved forever.
Yes. And even the writer of Hebrews says He Himself hath said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So even if the readers of Hebrews forsake Him which is what He’s warning them not to do He doesn’t forsake them.
Yeah. And of course that’s also stated in 2 Timothy, “If we endure we shall also reign with Him. If we are faithless He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13.
If we endure we shall also reign with Him. If we are faithless He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself.
That’s right. In other words we have to understand as as significant and profound as the co-reignship truth is. And as significant a loss as the loss of co-reignship would be. Nevertheless undergirding that is the fact that Jesus is totally faithful to every believer and to the promise of eternal life that He has given to every believer. And for Him to be anything other than that would be to deny Himself.
If we are faithless yet He abides faithful. He cannot deny Himself. It is inconsistent with His character and His fidelity to retract unconditional promises that He has given to us. So these unconditional promises remain true for us. But co-reignship is a conditional promise. And the places where it’s presented make it perfectly clear that it’s conditional. He that overcomes that keeps My works to the end. That’s the person who gets this. And so on.
I was gonna say when you talk about co if I was in a Bible study and I talked about airship and several of the people there had never heard the expression and they thought I was talking about a blimp. They started laughing falling on the floor. What’s airship? And I said no H of e I are gonna be an heir of God. But well fortunately they didn’t confuse it with you because you have a very.
Well let me just throw this out then. There are lots of warnings all through the New Testament. Even this is a sort of a warning.
Yes. Absolutely. Okay. So we have all these warnings. The warnings are not warnings about spending eternity in hell. At least the ones directed to believers. These are warnings about the fact that there is accountability. And that those who are faithful to the end, those who continue in their service for Christ to the end, they’re gonna hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.” They’re gonna have His approval. The thing Paul wanted so much. The others are not.
And so it seems to me there are like two extremes to avoid. One extreme would be the strong Calvinist or Arminian perspective that these are warnings about hell. That’s not right. But the other warning would be an extreme free grace person that would actually go to the point and say there is no accountability. We’re all gonna reign. We’re all gonna rule. There’s nobody’s gonna be ashamed of themselves. Nobody’s gonna have tears.
I mean that doesn’t fit my understanding of my loving Savior. He is my loving Savior. But He’s also my soon returning judge.
Right. I mean that’s the theme all through the New Testament.
Exactly. You put that well. And I don’t want to add to anything that you’ve said because I think you’ve summarized what’s crucial but important here.
Okay. Any final comments then on Matthew 8? And just the fact that it is a literal context and it sets the tone for the other two passages on the outer darkness.
That’s right. It lays the foundation on which the parabolic structure of Matthew 22 and 25 can be filled with comprehension and clarity.
Okay. One final question. Even the expression the outer darkness is a little misleading isn’t it? In other words this isn’t like Detroit or Siberia or something. Many times this is maybe we should translate the darkness outside.
Yes. That would be a very good translation of the expression here. As we pointed out this expression occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. All except in the three passages in Matthew. All connected in some way with the idea of celebration that goes on inside and the darkness outside.
So the person who heard these parables and this teaching this literal teaching a man who ate originally could have placed it immediately in the social context in which they lived. If we’re thinking of a banquet we’re thinking a nighttime.
Right. I’m thinking of being kicked out of the banqueting hall. We’re thinking about going out into the darkness outside.
Right. It’s as simple as that. But it’s sobering too.
Yes. It is sobering. If something could be simple but quite profound which is what this is.
That’s right. If it were a trivial or unimportant banquet who cares? I’ll go find something else to do. But in this case it’s a profoundly significant and marvelous banquet. And to be sent outdoors into the darkness outside is a tragedy for the individuals who experience it. It’s not an alterable tragedy in the sense that it affects their eternal destiny. But it is something lost and lost forever.
And this is the only time we have to prepare to be a part of that assembly.
That’s right. Why we should think that we are entitled to reign if we do not go through any suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s that’s unthinkable really.
Sure. I must the songwriter said, “It’s hard I say sure I must fight if I would reign.” Increase my courage for it. Some writer understood that if you’re going to reign with Christ you have to struggle to the end of the line.
Yeah. We don’t use the imagery of being a soldier in the Lord’s army anymore. But I like it. Sometimes we sing the children’s song I mean I’m a soldier in the Lord’s army. Yes sir.
Yeah. And so we are serving the King of Kings.
That’s right. And we are engaged in a war with the world the flesh the devil.
That’s right. And by the grace of God we can be victorious. And we can co-reign with Him. But it’s not automatic.
Not automatic.
That’s great. Well thank you so much Zane.
You’re welcome. And by the way I didn’t mean anything negative about Detroit.
All right. Something about Cincinnati. We know because you love the Reds.
That’s right. Thank you so much Zane.
You’re welcome.