I was trying to write a blog post about this parable - but I don't need to finish it now, because you've already said what I was struggling to say, and more, and all of it far better than I would have said it. Thank you.
Just finished Al Kimel's "Destined for Joy." Not the first book on the subject I've read. I've decided that affirming universalism is not for me to judge. How much don't we know? Obviously, we don't know the answer. God's the Judge. I desire all to be saved; as St. Siluoan said, "love could not bear that (the everlasting damnation of anybody)." I also can't see why anyone wouldn't know if they were doing the kind of compassionate things that characterized Jesus. But I also know the gate is narrow and I have not died to self consistently, nor can I claim to have sowed bountifully. Therefore I cannot claim with St. Antony that I no longer fear God. I ask myself, "am I clothed in my wedding garment, or am I only imagining that I am? Can any of us ever claim an answer to this question? St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy did, but that's St. Paul. The Church, though it's ruling out of purification after death is presumptious, is right to direct us to grapple with these things in Great Lent. Even St. Isaac directs us to purify ourselves NOW rather than afterward, which will be harder than we can possibly imagine.
I think no matter how you regard universalism in this life and knowing one’s self there must be a tension between audacious hopefulness and fear of falling into inattention to what we ought to be becoming. Absolute Certainties about eternal things are the provences of God and fools.
I have always been troubled in reading the Parable of the Last Judgement, mostly because I have never been sure it was even a parable. I have always seemed to take it quite literally, and to take it quite for granted. I have always read it as me being on the side of the goats, with little hope otherwise. My troubles have been such that I will generally acknowledge the parable once a year at the end of the Triodion, then put it out of mind the rest of the year, resigned to not arguing against what will happen on that Great and Dread Day. Parable or not, I try to let it say what it says, be what it is, and not get into any heated arguments over its interpretation or its impact on the doctrines derived from it. I can sit quietly and let it go by me like a leaf on the wind. That is not to say that I don’t have an opinion on the text. However, I will only ask these questions: What is the glory of the Son of Man? What is the throne of his glory? What happens at his right and left in front of his throne? How does a shepherd separate sheep from goats? Not so different from your questions, eh? It seems to me that to carefully and thoughtfully answer these questions will help me to better understand. I will leave it at that, for now.
Yes, those are all good questions that, depending on your framework, you'll come up with different answers. It is harder to examine one's assumptions than to even question one's conclusions sometimes.
I read the article quickly when I first saw it and laughed out loud now and then. Today I read it more carefully, and it brought me to tears. God is so good. And I'm not. But He loves me and I've got to hold on to that for all I'm worth. I love Chrysostom's sermon in the Paschal liturgy. "You who have not kept the fast, come for the feast is made ready." That's when my tears flow in gratitude and wonder. Thank you for writing this G.O.A.T. article.
I was trying to write a blog post about this parable - but I don't need to finish it now, because you've already said what I was struggling to say, and more, and all of it far better than I would have said it. Thank you.
Thank you! Blessed Lent!
Just finished Al Kimel's "Destined for Joy." Not the first book on the subject I've read. I've decided that affirming universalism is not for me to judge. How much don't we know? Obviously, we don't know the answer. God's the Judge. I desire all to be saved; as St. Siluoan said, "love could not bear that (the everlasting damnation of anybody)." I also can't see why anyone wouldn't know if they were doing the kind of compassionate things that characterized Jesus. But I also know the gate is narrow and I have not died to self consistently, nor can I claim to have sowed bountifully. Therefore I cannot claim with St. Antony that I no longer fear God. I ask myself, "am I clothed in my wedding garment, or am I only imagining that I am? Can any of us ever claim an answer to this question? St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy did, but that's St. Paul. The Church, though it's ruling out of purification after death is presumptious, is right to direct us to grapple with these things in Great Lent. Even St. Isaac directs us to purify ourselves NOW rather than afterward, which will be harder than we can possibly imagine.
I think no matter how you regard universalism in this life and knowing one’s self there must be a tension between audacious hopefulness and fear of falling into inattention to what we ought to be becoming. Absolute Certainties about eternal things are the provences of God and fools.
Sooooo helpful today, Steve! Thank you for pulling this together. Puts much in perspective.
Thanks, Steve. Bears re-reading every Judgment Sunday.
Dana
"evil has no objective substance" 😌 ⚖️ 📯 ✔️
I'm not aware of any place in Scripture where it speaks of an **eternal** goat pen.
I have always been troubled in reading the Parable of the Last Judgement, mostly because I have never been sure it was even a parable. I have always seemed to take it quite literally, and to take it quite for granted. I have always read it as me being on the side of the goats, with little hope otherwise. My troubles have been such that I will generally acknowledge the parable once a year at the end of the Triodion, then put it out of mind the rest of the year, resigned to not arguing against what will happen on that Great and Dread Day. Parable or not, I try to let it say what it says, be what it is, and not get into any heated arguments over its interpretation or its impact on the doctrines derived from it. I can sit quietly and let it go by me like a leaf on the wind. That is not to say that I don’t have an opinion on the text. However, I will only ask these questions: What is the glory of the Son of Man? What is the throne of his glory? What happens at his right and left in front of his throne? How does a shepherd separate sheep from goats? Not so different from your questions, eh? It seems to me that to carefully and thoughtfully answer these questions will help me to better understand. I will leave it at that, for now.
Yes, those are all good questions that, depending on your framework, you'll come up with different answers. It is harder to examine one's assumptions than to even question one's conclusions sometimes.
Right. It seems that my assumptions are the issue. Go figure.
I read the article quickly when I first saw it and laughed out loud now and then. Today I read it more carefully, and it brought me to tears. God is so good. And I'm not. But He loves me and I've got to hold on to that for all I'm worth. I love Chrysostom's sermon in the Paschal liturgy. "You who have not kept the fast, come for the feast is made ready." That's when my tears flow in gratitude and wonder. Thank you for writing this G.O.A.T. article.
Lord have mercy!
Thank you Steve
❤️🩹 🐐 🪞 🐑 🎪 ♾️
Lord, have mercy....
After this post and your last one, I have to de-lurk to thank you and say: damn, Steve. Don’t ever stop writing.