Tag-Archive for » thelo «

The Game Plan

Sunday, August 21st, 2011 | Author:

And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good?  There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”  Matthew 19:17  NASB

To enter into life – So what do you want out of life?  What are the things that really, really matter?  If The Man came to you to grant one wish, and only one, what would it be?  Such a man came to Yeshua.  This man appeared to have it all.  He was young.  He was righteous.  He was wealthy.  But he asked for one more thing.  “What one thing should I do to guarantee my eternal well-being?”  He had it all here.  What he wanted to know was how to have it all there too.

In our Christian world, we think that this young man’s request must be answered by a statement of the gospel.  We think that what he really, really needs is forgiveness and a personal relationship with Jesus.  Then he will have the guarantee he seeks.  But a deeper look at Yeshua’s answer suggests that this is not the needed response.  Yeshua does tell him how to have “eternal” life.  He tells him what he needs to do to enter into life itself.  The Greek phrase is eiselthein eis ten zoen.  The verb is eiserchomai (to go or come into, to enter).  In Yeshua’s statement, it is preceded by the Greek word thelo (to wish, desire).  Some grammar is needed before we examine the actual meaning.

First, let’s look at thelo.  It’s a present tense, active verb.  That means Yeshua recognizes the immediate expression of desire.  But we know that both boule and thelo mean “to wish or desire.”  The difference is that boule means to desire and plan something but not necessarily to carry it out while thelo means not only to desire but to accomplish, to make it happen.  Yeshua indicates in His answer to the young man what it will take to make it happen, not just to wish that it would happen.  “Here’s what you need to do right now,” is the sense of it.

Now we encounter something odd about the next verb, “to enter into,” is not in the present tense.  It is an aorist verb, a tense form that has no real English equivalent.  It means something that has been completed in the past but without specifying whether the action was completed in a moment or over a long period.  This verb is also an infinitive.  That means it doesn’t tell us if it applies to one person or many.  In other words, the Greek text indicates that Yeshua’s answer was something finished in the past but we don’t know how long or who or how many were involved.  But this just doesn’t make sense.  Here is the young man waiting for an assignment that he is ready to accomplish; an assignment that will insure eternal life.  There is no question that this man used the Hebrew expression olam ha-ba, life in the world to come.  Yeshua doesn’t seem to answer this question at all.  Instead, He directs the man toward life that has already come.  The young man is looking toward the future.  Yeshua points him toward the past.

What?  You mean this isn’t about entering into a life in heaven?  Look what Yeshua actually says.  He says, “If you desire and are ready to bring about life.”  Notice that He does not qualify the word zoe (life) with the adjective aionios (eternal, everlasting).  Yeshua talks about life itself, not about life in the olam ha-ba.  Yeshua’s answer implies that whatever zoe aionion is, it is found in the past, already finished.  Life has already arrived.  If you want to enter into it, then there is something you can do.  What is that?

Keep the commandments.

That’s right.  The young man asks about his future well-being.  He is told to look at what God has already done.  If he wants to enter into the life God has already provided, a life that implies continuance in the olam ha-ba, then all he has to do is keep the instructions God has already given.  The manifestation of “eternal” life is to be found in the Torah life.

Topical Index:  life, eternal, enter in, eiserchomai, desire, thelo, olam ha-ba, Matthew 19:17

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Friendly Reminder (1)

Saturday, July 09th, 2011 | Author:

Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4 (almost NASB)

Wishes to be – What do you long to be?  What desire do you hold in your heart?  James’ comment is not about active expression and outward progression.  James uses the Greek verb boulomai, a verb that denotes only the passive desire or propensity toward something.  Its counterpart, thelo, is a verb of deliberate action toward a goal.  In other words, James does not require us to actually do anything about befriending the world’s values.  He suggests that all we need is to wish we could have what the world offers!

James’ suggestion is right in line with the Hebrew idea of the yetzer ha’ra.  It isn’t necessary to actually give expression of the evil inclination.  It is enough to simply encourage the propensity and the predisposition for passion without piety.  I don’t have to use the world’s methods to obtain a fortune for my own purposes.  All I really have to do is passionately desire such a result.  That is enough to keep the fires of the yetzer ha’ra sufficiently fueled in my life.  That is enough to become an enemy of God.

Too often we think that being a friend (philos) of the world means living the lifestyle of selfish consumption.  Too often we measure accommodation to the world’s values by the actual behavior of the person.  We look for the signs of materialism, commercialism and immorality.  It is true, of course, that the eventual expression of unbridled passion directed by the yetzer ha’ra will result in such outward actions, but this is not James’ point.  Given time and circumstances, a man controlled by the yetzer ha’ra will be uncovered, but James is concerned with the beginning of the process, long before the actual behaviors are manifest.  The beginning of making an enemy of God is the removal of willful restraint of the thought of having what the world offers.

Scripture is the only legal system that provides consequences for inappropriate thinking.  No other ancient or contemporary ethical structure prescribes such behavior.  Outside of the Bible, Man is free to think as he wishes.  But inside the fence of Scripture, Man is not so free.  Some things are not to be thought of.  Some things must be brought into captivity even in their conception.  Sometimes it’s necessary to have thought police.  Dealing with the power of the yetzer ha’ra is one of those times.  While no court in the world will convict a man of simply desiring to have the wealth, health or influence God has given to another, God’s justice will condemn such a man.  The desire to remove the restraints incumbent upon the yetzer ha’ra is sufficient to deny God’s sovereignty and to rebel against contentment.  Perhaps that’s why the Psalmist asks God to replace his desires with God’s desires (“Delight yourself in YHWH and let Him give you the desires of your heart”  Psalm 37:4).

So here’s the question:  What are you wishing for?  If you had the means, what would you bring to fruition?

Topical Index:  wishes to be, boulomai, thelo, yetzer ha’ra, desire, James 4:4, Psalm 37:4

 

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All Aboard

Friday, February 18th, 2011 | Author:

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12  NASB

Press On – How do I change boule into thelo?  When we discovered yesterday that “will” is the translation of both boule and thelo, we were confronted with the difference between good intentions and actual execution.  I believe that everyone who has determined to follow the Way and has committed himself to Yeshua experiences boule.  We want to do what is right.  But there is a big difference between good intentions and right action, and most of us know all too well the terrifying gap that separates the two.  How do we cross over?  How do our desires and plans and hopes for obedience actually become obedience?

The common answer points toward will power.  “Just do it!”  Just start acting the way you should.  You know what to do.  Now get to it.  If you have lived long enough, you will know that will power can’t be cured with Viagra.  Will power is impotent in the face of human frailty.

The second answer usually involves the work of the Spirit.  “You just need to let the Spirit have more control over your life,” or something akin to this.  God will do it.  Step out the way.  Let go and let God.  Have more faith.  If faith came in a bottle this might work.  But faith for those of us struggling with thelo often seems as tangible as rainbows.  We can see the reflection, but we just can’t get our arms around it.

We need to take a look at Paul’s solution.  Press on!  If Paul can say, “I have not arrived.  I am not perfected,” then what makes us think we have to get to the destination before we can be whole.  Paul’s solution assumes that the answer is found in the direction we are traveling.  The “Just do it!” or “Have more faith!” answers often imply completion, not direction.  If I can look back over my life and notice that things are changing, that my relationship with Yeshua is stronger now than it was a year ago, that I am more obedient than I used to be, that my understanding of the Father has grown and my actions are coming into alignment with His instructions, then I can say with Paul, “Hey, I haven’t arrived, but I am pressing on.  I am turning boule into thelo one day at a time.  Some of what used to be just wishful thinking has become active practice.  I’m moving.”

The Greek verb dioko is an unusual choice here.  It means to pursue in the positive sense, but it is also associated with persecution and prosecution (see Matthew 5:10-12).  Perhaps Paul chose this verb on purpose (thelo) knowing it would stir his readers with images of intense action and unrelenting hostility.  Paul presses on with the same zealousness that once characterized his persecution of believers.  Paul’s solution is not simply direction.  It is  ferocious direction.  Converting boule to thelo is like pursuing an enemy.  You’re going to keep after him until he is caught, no matter what gets in the way.

Topical Index:  thelo, boule, dioko, pursue, press on, Philippians 3:12

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Active Obedience

Thursday, February 17th, 2011 | Author:

“For I have come down out of heaven, not that I should do my will, but the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38  NASB

Will – There are two words in Greek that are translated “will.”  Knowing the difference between these words is crucial.  The first is thelo. It means intending to do something and carrying it out.  It is purpose plus performance.  The second word is boule.  This version of “will” means to intend, to design or to decree, but not necessarily to press into action.  Unfortunately, our translations of the New Testament rarely if ever distinguish between these two.  Take a look at Ephesians 1:11.  Which Greek word do you suspect you will find there?  Is God’s will irresistibly pressed into action or is it His intended purpose still requiring execution?  Look at Mark 15:15.  Which word do you think describes Pilate’s desire?  Now look at Romans 9:22.  Is God’s willing described by thelema or boulomai?  In English it is often very difficult to know.

When Yeshua says that He has come to do the will of the Father, the Greek word is thelo.  This implies that Yeshua has not come simply to indicate, plan, pronounce or reveal the Father’s design.  He has come to execute it.  Yeshua is the one who delivers God’s message in active, living reality.  He is the message in the flesh.  His purpose is to accomplish all that the Father planned.  “For this reason I have come into the world,” is not a doctrinal statement.  It is a declaration of action.

Let’s step back and consider what this means.  We often hold up Yeshua as the standard of Christian behavior, and rightly so.  He is the incarnated vision of God’s intention.  But we also tend to think that Yeshua’s role was so different than ours that there can be no comparison.  He came to save the world.  We are just tagging along behind Him.  In order to overcome this subtle deception, we need to realize that thelo applies to every disciple.  We can’t die on the cross as the perfect sacrifice, but we can do the will of the one who sent us.  What is that will?  If we look at the life of Yeshua, we see that the will of the one who sent Him is the perfect execution of Torah obedience.  It is active agape toward both men and God.  Notice that Yeshua says He did not come to do His will.  His plan doesn’t matter (as we see in the Garden).  What matters is the will of the Father.  But the will of the Father has been expressed since the opening of Genesis.  To do the will of the Father is not merely to die on the cross.  It is to do all the will of the Father revealed in God’s interaction with Israel.  If Yeshua died on the cross but failed to embody the rest of God’s instructions, He would not have done the Father’s will.

The Bible assumes we can do all the will that the Father revealed to us.  That’s what Torah is all about.  God’s intention (boule) must become our purpose (thelo) just as the Father’s intention became the Son’s purpose.  The only question we must answer is this:  When Yeshua looks at us, does He see boule or thelo?

Topical Index:  thelo, boule, will, purpose, John 6:38, Mark 15:15, Romans 9:22, Ephesians 1:11

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The Difference

Friday, August 21st, 2009 | Author:

 

“How often I desired to gather your children in the way a bird gathers her chicks from under her wings.And you did not desire it.”Matthew 23:37

Did Not Desire – My wife and I had a 3AM conversation.Obviously, it was serious.She pointed out, rightly so, that I struggle with the willingness to remove those fall-back habits in my life when I am under severe stress. I am most vulnerable when I feel I am not up to the job or I am not good enough. She pointed out that this has been an issue all my life.Of course, she’s right.I have struggled with perceived inadequacy as long as I can remember.But at 3AM in the morning, it isn’t about childhood. It’s about hypocrisy. My ‘ezer observed that I have a difficult time living up to the stuff I write. She was doing her job as the grinding wheel. 3AM conversations are the application of serious grit, not easy polishing. She said, “Until you really want to change, it just won’t happen.” Jesus said the same thing. In translation, the Greek word points out the difference between saying I want to change and being totally committed to making the change happen.

Matthew uses the Greek verb thelo. It’s translated “to will, to wish, to desire.” There’s another Greek verb that means almost the same thing. It is boulomai. But there is a difference. Thelo implies the action necessary to accomplish the desire. I don’t just want something. I go after it and get it. It is purposeful action toward a goal. Boulomai also means desire, but it does not imply I actually do something about it. There is no consequent action. I often say I want to play the blues, but if I don’t pick up the guitar, take the lessons and fight my way through the riffs, my desire is boulomai, not thelo.

Jesus desired to draw the children of Jerusalem to Himself. The word is thelo. He did something about His desire. He died. But the children of Jerusalem did not desire (thelo) to be gathered. They expressed religious sentiments. They attended to the ceremonies and the rituals. They spoke the right God-language.But they fell under boulomai – their desire was never converted into action.

This small shift in meaning is the essential core of a lot of repetitive sinful behavior. Those of us who have been awakened to the realm of the Spirit know the difference between good and bad. We don’t usually sin in ignorance. We sin in defiance. We simply aren’t willing (thelo) to give it up. Yeshua has done all that needs to be done to rescue us from our tragic state of existence, but we aren’t buying. Why? Because we really aren’t willing to change. We want the benefits of grace without the pain and suffering of repentance. We want the Messiah without the blood. As Albert King used to say, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.”

Yeshua spilled His blood so that I would be able to spill mine. That’s right. He didn’t die so I could skate into Paradise. He died so I could endure the agony of redemption. He died to show me the way through the pain. When I accept His gift, my standing before the Judge of all Mankind is changed. I am forgiven. But I must still be transformed if I want to know what it’s like to have the Spirit living through me. And that will hurt. Jerusalem will not give up its children without a fight. It is blood sport. For those who have been redeemed, the victory is guaranteed, but that doesn’t remove us from the battle, does it? Are you willing?

Topical Index:desire, will, thelo, boulomai,transformation, Matthew 23:37

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Do You Want To Be Well?

Monday, February 09th, 2009 | Author:

John 5:6

Jesus is making his way through the crowd at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. To do so he has to pass by a pool. Today, just like every day, it is surrounded by those who cling to life by a thread of hope. Legend says that this pool sometimes becomes the channel of God’s grace. Legend has it that the first one to enter the water after an angel stirs it up will be cured. So the square is full. There are blind, lame, diseased, dumb, paralytics, amputees. The vestiges of an occupied society. The outcasts, the homeless, the beggars. All there waiting for a chance at new life, to be freed of their special form of imprisonment.

Jesus and his disciples step carefully across the plaza. On every side are living reminders of the ravages of a fallen world. The air reeks of impending death, that particular scent of bodies unable to care for themselves, sitting in the shade or the sun, hoping against hope that today will be the day. The crowd following Jesus picks its way through the lumps of humanity. Suddenly the Master stops. There is no particular reason to stop; in fact, there is every reason to get through this jumble of decrepit human waste as quickly as possible. But there Jesus is, bending down talking to a man. Some of the followers think to themselves, “Not again. Why is it that he seems to always find places and people who are so disgusting? I’m nearly dying from the stench. Why can’t we just get out of here?” Others think, “What’s going on? Did that paralytic say something? I didn’t hear him? What’s happening? Let me push forward. I want to see.”

They were used to His penchant for associating with the dregs of life. This man was just Jesus’ type. He might have been in his forties but he looked as ancient as Methuselah. The sun had faded what was left of the rags he called clothes. He obviously had not eaten well in a long time. His skin had that pale sickly transparency that comes with a prolonged state of being bed-ridden. He smelled of sweat and urine.

He was no better or no worse than many others at the poolside. But for some reason, Jesus is focusing on this individual.

The Master asks only one question. “Do you want to get well?” Those closest to him hear the softly spoken inquiry. “What did he say?” They are incredulous. It seems to be the most pointless question that anyone could possible think to ask of those crowed in the plaza.

The thoughts of the hearers sprint through their minds. “Do you want to get well? What do you mean, do you want to get well? Why in God’s name do you think he’s sitting here, day after day, enduring the push of other stinking bodies, going without food, having no place to care for himself? How could anyone not see that they are all here to get well? How stupid can you be? Why else would he be here?”

The paralytic answers. But he doesn’t actually answer Jesus’ question. The man offers only an explanation for his inability to recover. “Sir, I can’t get to the pool fast enough. I have no one to help me and before I get there, someone else is always first”. This man catches the meaning of Jesus’ question. Jesus does not ask if this crippled man desires to be well. Jesus asks if he is willingly pressing toward being well, if he is presently ready to do whatever it takes to be well. The Greek word is thelo. It is distinguished from another Greek word with similar English translation, boulomai. Where boulomai means to intend, the design, to purpose, thelo is stronger. It means not only to be entirely willing, but also to press on to acting on that willingness. Jesus doesn’t ask this man if he has the passive desire to recover. Jesus asks this man if he is totally and completely ready to do whatever it would take to be restored. And this man replies, “Yes, I am willing. But I need help. This is something that I cannot do alone. And my personal tragedy is that I am alone.”

There is more to Jesus’ question than a qualification of willingness. The Greek makes it clear that Jesus does not ask simply if the man wants to be healed. The question really says, “Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be generated whole?” The word translated “become” means “to begin to be” or “to come into existence”. We would recognize it from its transliteration – genesis. Are you completely willing to begin to be? Are you totally committed to a new existence – a genesis – a beginning that will begin right now? And what is this the new beginning of? Of being whole. The Greek word means “healthy” or “sound”. Although the New Testament does not place the same emphasis on health that the Greek world did, the fact that Jesus brought wholeness to many as a sign of God’s grace and power underlines Jesus’ role as the liberator of a new life that embraces the whole man, body and soul. Jesus asks this man about his motives, his passion and his commitment to restoration. But Jesus may well have intended more than the obvious recovery of this man’s health for the question reaches far below the surface. Just how ready are we to do whatever is required to begin our own rebirth?

The cripple correctly answers Jesus. “I cannot do it on my own?” In that reply he states all the motivation necessary. That reply is the answer of one who is able in his inability. “Yes, Lord, I am willing, so willing that I beg for what ever help I need. I want to live again. I want life. But I, alone, am unable. Help me.”

And that willingness is enough for Jesus to say, “Then trust me. Follow through right now. I am here, now, in this moment, to help. Take the action of your desire and . . .

Rise up and walk.”

The crowd gasps. A man paralyzed for thirty-eight years stands up. In confusion and amazement, people back up, fall over others, sit down in disbelief. Some are frightened. Some offer prayers. A miracle occurs in this most wretched of places. But most miss the real miracle. It is so subtle, so invisible. The real miracle happens before the conversation even begins. Jesus, the man who is God, seeks out the man who is no longer a man, who is broken, alone, hopeless. Jesus bends down to confront, converse and convert. The real miracle is that without asking, without even knowing or imagining, God visits this victim of the world and asks him to be reborn. God initiates. God searches. God authors the contact. It is Jesus’ intention to bring this man to wholeness before the paralytic even knows Jesus is there. The Great Hunter seeking us out.

The miracle is that God cares enough to bend down, seek out the broken and lost, and offer genesis. The rest is just consequences, the result of being drawn into communication with God. God cares nothing about ability. God cares about motivation in the midst of inability.

The scene moves on. The man is so excited that he does not even get Jesus’ name. Only much later does he learn who it is that touched his whole being in that moment. Jesus proceeds through the crowd, His direction set through surrender to the Father’s will. But on this day, in this place, we know this: God visited one of our own – and he was remade.

Do you want to be well?

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