Written Will

Verna Brady constructing one of her painting suites

John 6:37-40

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

I have featured plenty of representational artists on this blog, both painters and photographers. By "representational" I mean art that depicts things close to how they appear in real life. This may have caused me to shortchange some Abstract artists worthy of note (except for a few sculptors). Art that is truly "abstract" (as opposed to "abstracted") can speak to some of the most important issues of the human experience. This is because many of the weightier matters in life deal with abstract ideas. Abstractions such as justice, meaning and even love are the things that religion and philosophy have grappled with for millennia. The greats have struggled with how to "picture" these virtues and ideals in the everyday, tangible world. Representational art may picture the ideal but Abstract art describes the here and now, where we attempt to visualize the abstract truths of life but all to often fall short. In all honesty, Abstract Art is the more realistic art. Verna Brady was an American Abstract Expressionist painter who produced much of her work in the latter 20th century.  Her (often multi-canvas) oil paintings explore the push-pull dynamic formulated by the great Hans Hofmann. Yet she accomplishes it with a more painterly expressive soft edge. At points elements of her compositions allude to the color field painters as her darks bleed into ochres and pastels. Even these moments of fluid color can be interrupted by drips of action painting, textural change by additional canvas that has been added or the compositional breaks created by using multiple picture panels. I have considered Verna Brady's work much because two of her works hang in my home... as well as my father-in-law's home and most of my other in-laws. This is because Verna Brady is my wife's grandmother. Part of her Will was that all of her children and grandchildren would receive at least one of her artworks. In passing these treasures along to her children she has also transmitted a sense of family identity. These abstract paintings have become realistic representations of her love for her family. The abstract ideal of love became a tangible thing through her will. I possess these beautiful paintings as an extension of Verna Brady's love for her children. That gets me thinking on a related topic. What is God's will? If you frequent religious circles then you may have heard people speak of the "will of God" or "discerning God's will." As you may have gathered from this blog post there are several definitions of will. Several of these definitions are significant in understanding what is meant by the will of God. That is what this week's Scripture reading is about. In John 6:37-40 Jesus discusses the will of God in it's varied meanings. In it we find that God's will concerning our lives is tied to His will concerning His Son Jesus.

Apollospire, Verna Brady

The First Definition

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

Merriam-Webster.com begins its definition of will with the following:

Will: verb

 3 —used to express futurity <tomorrow morning I will wake up in this first-class hotel suite — Tennessee Williams> 4 —used to express capability or sufficiency <the back seat will hold three passengers> 5 —used to express probability and often equivalent to the simple verb <that will be the babysitter>

These are a few definitions but they all point in one general direction. They define will as communicating a fulfillment, intention or reality that has yet to be seen. It is a reality that exists in the future. Yet it is not a thing that one wishes for but rather a thing that one is assured of. It is the difference between hope and confidence. It is something that will happen. It is with this confidence that Jesus assures his listeners that "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." Jesus reveals that he is confident in two things about the future: 1) God will save those who are to be saved. and 2) He will show mercy to asks him for it. Jesus is certain that these two things will happen. But this is where the problem of language comes in. I probably  don't have to tell you that the Bible wasn't written in English. That being the case if one is to understand the intention of Jesus in this text then it might be a good idea to consult its original Greek form. The good folks at BlueLetterBible.org break down the verse for us in both English and Greek:

6:37  Πᾶν ὃ δίδωσίν μοι ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς ἐμὲ ἥξει καὶ τὸν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς μεοὐ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω

 

English (KJV)   [?]		Strong's	Root Form (Greek)		Parsing
All		g3956	πᾶς pas
that		g3739	ὅς hos
the Father		g3962	πατήρ patēr
giveth		g1325	δίδωμι didōmi
me		g3427	μοι moi
shall come		g2240	ἥκω hēkō
to		g4314	πρός pros
me;		g1691	ἐμέ eme
and		g2532	καί kai
him that cometh		g2064	ἔρχομαι erchomai
to		g4314	πρός pros
me		g3165	με me
I will		g1544 ↓	ἐκβάλλω ekballō
in no wise		g3364	οὐ μή ou mē
cast		g1544 ↑	ἐκβάλλω ekballō
out.		g1854	ἔξω exō

I am usually not a stickler on this point but doing so reveals an important fact. The definition of "will" in this sense isn't literally in the Greek text. As you can see there is no word that literally translates "will." However, it is insinuated. The other verbs that are used are in there future tense, so the "will" is understood. Just by saying them it is assumed that they "will" happen. Once again Jesus' confidence about what will happen reveals to us God's notion of the future.

The Fifteenth Station 1988, Verna Brady

The Second Definition

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Merriam-Webster.com continues its definitions of will with the following:

Will: noun

1 :  desire, wish: as a :  disposition,inclination <where there's a will there's a way> b :  appetite, passion c:  choice, determination 2 a :  something desired ; especially :  a choice or determination of one having authority or power b (1)archaic :  request, command (2)[from the phrase our will is which introduces it] :  the part of a summons expressing a royal command 

Once again we are confronted with multiple definitions of will. They all convey that the will is the internal intention longing to be expressed in an external manifestation. Like an abstraction the will is never fully understood unless it is exerted upon the tangible world. At this point Jesus tells us the purpose of his mission: the very reason for his coming to Earth. The purpose of his time among us was to the will. The will that he came to exert was that of the second meaning of will. The will that he died to fulfill was not his own but the will of God. True to the definition, this will was a passionate, determined, desire of one possessing authority and power... royal authority and power from the King of Heaven...all power from the All-Powerful One. But what about the original Greek texts? Does it support this definition of will?   Once again BlueLetterBible.org dissects the verse for us:

 

6:38  ὅτι καταβέβηκα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸνἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με

English (KJV)   [?]		Strong's	Root Form (Greek)		Parsing
For		g3754	ὅτι hoti
I came down		g2597	καταβαίνω katabainō
from		g1537	ἐκ ek
heaven,		g3772	οὐρανός ouranos
not		g3756	οὐ ou
to		g2443	ἵνα hina
do		g4160	ποιέω poieō
mine own		g1699	ἐμός emos
will,		g2307	θέλημα thelēma
but		g235	ἀλλά alla
the will		g2307	θέλημα thelēma
of him that sent		g3992	πέμπω pempō
me.		g3165	με me

As you can see, this definition of will actually is present in the original text. The Greek uses the word "thelema" θέλημα. It speaks of God's notion of eternity. Eternity is that space outside of time yet in the future to us where God's desire and Jesus' mission is fulfilled. Everyone who calls out to Jesus for mercy will graciously receive their desire. It is in this eternity that His will will be done.



Moonlight Seranade, Verna Brady

The Third Definition

This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Merriam-Webster.com's last usage for will is summed up in a single definition:

 

Will: noun

 6 :  a legal declaration of a person's wishes regarding the disposal of his or her property or estate after death ;especially :  a written instrument legally executed by which a person makes disposition of his or her estate to take effect after death

So this last understanding of will is where I have been leading us to all along. It is a will as a proclamation of one's inheritance. In a sense it is a gift that beneficiary obtains through the death of the payer. The only problem with this analogy is that the payer here is God and the beneficiary is Jesus (and then us). God the Father is eternal and can never see death. So it appears that God's will is a kind of reverse will that pays out the payers' policy based on the beneficiary's death. The inheritance that God has for Jesus is the People that God will give to him (and seek mercy through him). Yet the way that Jesus obtains mercy for this People is through his own sacrificial death. Likewise the People that Jesus has saved receive their reward upon their own death. Herein lies the reward, Christ raises them from the dead unto himself. This is the inheritance that God has provided for all of His children (Christ and Mankind). He has given Christ a People and He has given Christ's people an eternal life in Christ. But by this point you are probably asking if the original texts supports this idea. This usage of "will" is not present in the Greek or English text. It actually just continues to use the second definition. This is how verse 39 appears:

6:39  τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με πατρός, ἵνα πᾶν ὃδέδωκέν μοι μὴ ἀπολέσω ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃἡμέρᾳ

 

English (KJV)   [?]		Strong's	Root Form (Greek)		Parsing
And		g1161	δέ de
this		g5124	τοῦτο touto
is		g2076	ἐστί esti
the Father's		g3962	πατήρ patēr
will		g2307	θέλημα thelēma
which		g3588	ὁ ho
hath sent		g3992	πέμπω pempō
me,		g3165	με me
that		g2443	ἵνα hina
of all		g3956	πᾶς pas
which		g3739	ὅς hos
he hath given		g1325	δίδωμι didōmi
me		g3427	μοι moi
I should lose		g622	ἀπόλλυμι apollymi
nothing,		g3361	μή mē
↑		g1537	ἐκ ek
↑		g846	αὐτός autos
but		g235	ἀλλά alla
should raise		g450 ↓	ἀνίστημι anistēmi
it		g846	αὐτός autos
up again		g450 ↑	ἀνίστημι anistēmi
at		g1722	ἐν en
the last		g2078	ἔσχατος eschatos
day.		g2250	ἡμέρα hēmera

And verse 40 yields more of the same:

6:40  τοῦτο δὲ ἐστιν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντος με, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ θεωρῶν τὸνυἱὸν καὶ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον καὶ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐγὼτῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ

 

English (KJV)   [?]		Strong's	Root Form (Greek)		Parsing
And		g1161	δέ de
this		g5124	τοῦτο touto
is		g2076	ἐστί esti
the will		g2307	θέλημα thelēma
of him that sent		g3992	πέμπω pempō
me,		g3165	με me
that		g2443	ἵνα hina
every one		g3956	πᾶς pas
which		g3588	ὁ ho
seeth		g2334	θεωρέω theōreō
the Son,		g5207	υἱός huios
and		g2532	καί kai
believeth		g4100	πιστεύω pisteuō
on		g1519	εἰς eis
him,		g846	αὐτός autos
may have		g2192	ἔχω echō
everlasting		g166	αἰώνιος aiōnios
life:		g2222	ζωή zōē
and		g2532	καί kai
I		g1473	ἐγώ egō
will raise		g450 ↓	ἀνίστημι anistēmi
him		g846	αὐτός autos
up		g450 ↑	ἀνίστημι anistēmi
at the last		g2078	ἔσχατος eschatos
day.		g2250	ἡμέρα hēmera

Yet the whole of this reading has the intention of the third definition of "will." The third definition of will is just enactment of the second definition. It is the physical manifestation of the internal intention. It is the future enforcement of one's desire through one that has power to enforce it and through a written document. Jesus' word is the revealing of God's will that was committed to writing in Scripture. God's will is that we would be the beneficiaries of His grace through Christ Jesus.



Verna Brady, Firebird Suite

Love That Is Definitive

Verna Brady did not always have the liberty spend all of her time focused on developing her art career. Her husband Hugh was a successful aerospace engineer who was heavily involved in the Apollo program (among other missions). As he toiled away trying to bring Tom Hanks back to Earth, Verna managed their home and four kids. Since she devoted so many years to supporting the development of his dreams, Hugh Brady would spend the second half of their marriage supporting Verna's artistic development. He even created many of the wooden frames that adorn the multi-canvas compositions. The combination of her paintings and his frames are a lasting testament to a love that created and displayed this artwork. The abstract ideal of love became a real and tangible thing through a relationship. That is the nature of the inheritance that we all have received from God. Oftentimes Evangelicals like myself explain salvation as occurring after one has established a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is very true, but maybe not in the way that we think. The personal relationship that begins salvation is not between me (or you) and Jesus, but rather between God and Jesus. It is God who first loved Jesus and through His love for His Son Jesus (who died for all those who believe in his mercy) He saves us into eternal life. It is that personal and relational love in the Persons of the Trinity that saves us. It is not based on anything that we did or any love that we had for him first because "while we were yet still sinners Christ died for us." This is the gift that we have inherited through the will of God. This is the will that saw our future with God. This is the will that desired to reunite us with our loving Father. This is the will that makes us heirs of eternal life. This is the definition of love...and love can never die.