Ancient Anglican

The sheep is effectively dead and the shepherd gives it life, and he gives it freely and fully on no conditions whatsoever.

It is only through Jesus’ death and resurrection by which death is defeated and we are liberated from its power. God’s Grace works when we die to ourselves and our merit and get out of the way.

In his explanation of the parable, Capon hypothesizes that Jesus gives his disciples only what they can handle. He gives them a dog biscuit. (see, Mark 7:27-28).

The great mystery of this parable is that we are not to engage in right-handed power when confronted with evil.

The Kingdom is a like a Mustard Seed. As Capon tells us, the kingdom is the very thing sown, not something that results from the sowing of a seed other than itself.

Within the Parable of the Growing Seed, Jesus drives home the simplicity and sovereignty of the Kingdom.

In this chapter, Capon explores the themes of Catholicity, Mystery, Actuality, and Hostility and Response that are present in the Sower and that we will be discussing throughout his book.

Jesus speaks in parables because he is aware that his teaching ministry has failed. Everyone is looking for a Messiah to reestablish David’s kingdom under God’s Law. Jesus has failed to overcome and correct his audience’s grossly mistaken expectations of who he is and what he is proclaiming.

Capon sets out his goal for his work which is to provide us a fresh, adventurous look at the parabolic words and acts of Jesus in the larger light of their entire gospel and biblical context.

John has a vision of the final reconciliation of all creation. For God is making (present active indicative) all things new. Rev. 21:5

This is the promised reality for us, the Bride of Christ. John gives us a vision of a redeemed and transformed creation from which all manner of evil and ungodliness are absent and the church is that beautiful, life-giving, at-one-ness with God.

I want us to remember and review the arc of Scripture and the arc of Revelation so that we better understand the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem, and the new Eden when we conclude next week.