TRUE WORKS AND HUMAN PRIDE, JOHN 3:20-21

Back-to-back opposite statements in John 3:20-21 speak to me about the nature of truly good “works.”  Verse 20 states:

For those who practice base [common, worthless] things hate the light and do not come into the light, so that their works might not be exposed.

Comments:  1) The word for “practice” (prasso) tends to emphasize something that is repeated as opposed to a specific act.  2) Several translations call the practices “evil,” when the term here (phaula) is not the word for “evil” (poneros) as in v 19.  Since v 20 picks up on that thought about evil deeds and light, the author could be using phaula as a synonym for “evil;” however, my guess is that the author has broadened the category.  Something that is phaula is rather base, common, worthless.  “Evil” would be a subset.  4) The word “exposed” (elencho) has the sense of being exposed in a negative way for reproof.

The way verse 21 starts, the reader expects it to give a parallel but opposite balance about those come into the light:

But the one who does the truth, comes to the light, so that that one’s works might be revealed…

However, the parallel balance does not stop there.  “Works” is qualified by the clause, “that in/by God they are produced.”  Verse 21 might awkwardly be translated:

But the one who does the truth, comes to the light, so that that one’s works (because they are produced by God) might be revealed.

Comments: 1) “Does” (poieo) may be used generally, but in distinction from “practice” (prasso)  in v 20, it can speak of something new, specific.  2) “Does the truth” is an interesting idiom.  Truth (aletheia), in John’s gospel is something that comes to be in Christ (1:14, 17; 14:6) and characterizes the Spirit (14:17; 15:26; 16:13).  It is of the divine realm.  It is absolute.  3) The word for “produced” (ergazomai) emphasizes effort and indicates here where the locus of the effort or labor is, "in/by God."

Main point: The qualification of one’s works/deeds in v 21 by “that in/by God they are produced,” places the credit for acts of truth in the hands of God.  When the contrast is fully made between these two lines, the reader sees that our base, worthless, deeds are our own doing (v 20); however, the deeds “we” do in the truth are actually produced by God (v 21).  God gets the credit, not us.  If we were to apply this to our concepts of success in life, the lesson would be: Worldly “success” is a product of our efforts.  Moreover, when it is brought into divine Light, it is exposed as worthless.  To the contrary, success that matters eternally – perhaps a gracious word or an act of righteousness – is done by God through us.  There is no room for pride.  In fact, we might not even see it as divine “success.”

My following thought is not said in this text, but I think that although there is no room for pride, there is room for joy – joy that God condescended to use us for eternal purposes.  That is amazing!  Perhaps one could read this thought into John 15:1-17.  There we learn that abiding in Jesus and his love allows Jesus’ joy to be in us.  When we participate in what Jesus is doing, we participate in Jesus’ joy.

Lord, shine your Light on my prideful heart that likes to give me credit for doing “good.”  Help me to see that all that is of eternal value is wrought in/by You.  It would be an honor to be used by You for Your glory and Your joy.  May it be so.  Amen.

BOOK OF RUTH: RIGHTEOUS SPEECH AND ACTION

The Book of Ruth has much to say about the people of God.  (You may wish to read it before reading the following reflections.)  Here are some of the key motifs to notice in the book.

The first named character is Elimelech, whose name means, “My God is King.”  That name sets the tone of the book.  One of the narrative ironies of the book is that there is very little overt activity of God mentioned, but the audience still has a sense of God’s hand at work behind the scenes.  For example, the narrator tells us in 2:1 that Naomi (mother-in-law) of Ruth has a relative from her deceased husband’s side named Boaz in the area.  We watch as Ruth goes out to glean in a field and discovers “her happenstance happened” [trying to catch the word play of the Hebrew] that she was working in the field of Boaz.  The audience sees God’s hand at work on behalf of the key characters Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz.

But why is God at work for them?  The first defining personal quality of the main Israelite characters of Naomi and Boaz is that when they speak, they speak blessing.  For Naomi, see 1:8-9; 2:19.  For Boaz, see 2:4, 12; 3:10.  Ruth, a foreigner, manifests her character by making an oath in the name of Yahweh in which she gives up all of her family rights and attaches herself to Naomi to care for her (1:16-17).

The second defining feature of these characters is their righteous behavior.  Naomi is concerned about the well-being of her widowed daughters-in-law (1:8-13).  Ruth is concerned about the well-being of her mother-in-law (1:16-18), laboring for her (Ch 2), and proposing marriage to Boaz not for her own sake, but to carry on the lineage of her deceased husband (3:1-10).  Their circumstances set them apart as the epitome of the needy.  They are both widows, “orphaned” from their families, and are poor and homeless.  Ruth, moreover, is a foreign immigrant.  That is: together, they almost fully represent the class of people whom God cares most about.  One of many such commands that are found in the Law, the Prophets, and the Wisdom literature about caring for the needy is Deut 10:17-18):

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God who is unbiased and takes no bribe, ¹⁸ who does justice toward the orphan and widow, and who loves resident foreigners, giving them food and clothing. (Deut. 10:17-18) 

Boaz demonstrates his righteousness by caring for Ruth and Naomi (2:8-16) and serving as the kinsman-redeemer (4:9-10) so that Elimelech’s family lineage could carry on.  [The kinsman redeemer married the widow, with the result that the first-born son would carry on the deceased husband’s line and not his own.]

The closing surprise to the Book of Ruth is that the son who is born to Ruth and Boaz is the grandfather of David (4:16-22).  Without the righteousness of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, there would not have been a King David.

Applications:
First, what are the words that come out of my mouth?  Out of the same mouth comes cursing and blessing (paraphrase of James 3:10).  Decades ago, an impact the Book of Ruth had on me was to encourage me to bless people.  I try to do it both openly with people and silently when I see people in need.

Second, am I practicing righteousness?  There is popular notion among some Christians in our culture that righteousness is a judicial matter.  That is, they rest on a teaching that Christ’s righteousness is legally imputed to them so that God sees them as righteous.  That notion fails to understand what the Bible explicitly teaches about righteousness.  When someone entrusts themselves to God through faith in Jesus, that person is now “right” with God.  Moreover, someone who is right with God will then act rightly in God’s sight (e.g. Matt 25:31-46, James).  They will practice righteousness.  And, throughout the Bible, the people who deserve righteous treatment are the needy: the widow, the orphan, the poor, the foreigner, the prisoner, the naked, the oppressed, etc.  My eyes are to be looking for them; my feet are to walking toward them; my hands are to be acting for them.  Righteous behavior comes from those who are right with God.

The message of the Book of Ruth can be summarized thus: speak blessing and act righteously!  Such are the people of God.

May it be so in my life.  Amen.