the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Dictionaries
Pleasure
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or PLEASURE.—Not passing pleasure but true happiness is to be sought by the disciple of Christ. Pleasure as such is transitory, but Christian joy and peace are continual and eternal. This life is a preparation for the fruition of eternal happiness, and not merely a series of opportunities for gratification to self and others (Luke 12:37). In itself pleasure is not evil, for all things were made by God through His Son (John 1:3). He sanctioned and sanctified social festivity in due season (John 2:1-11), and said of Himself, in contrast with the ascetic John the Baptist, ‘The Son of Man came eating and drinking’ (Matthew 11:19). But pleasures are not always expedient, and may work eternal mischief (Luke 8:14). The days of Noah and Lot were days of pleasure and self-indulgence, when God’s visitation fell suddenly on the devotees of eating and drinking and marrying (Luke 17:27-28). Such sensual pleasure absorbs too much of man’s limited effort to be truly profitable (John 6:27). The sons of this world lead effortless lives (Luke 20:34), but Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). The citizens of Christ the King must beware of careless indulgence in pleasure, being ready for His sudden presence (Luke 21:34; Luke 12:36). Yet, far more than all this, the pursuit of pleasures is disloyalty, because it is the following after will-o’-the-wisps (as it were) instead of the steadfast regard to the Light of the world (John 8:12; John 9:5). It is really a folly to accumulate the means of pleasure (Luke 12:15; Luke 12:19); but for the Christian it is treason to pursue pleasure instead of leaving all and following Him (Luke 5:11). In return, the Lord has unfailing promises of blessedness here and hereafter (Luke 18:29-30, Mark 10:29-30); but the true disciple must renounce everything this world offers, to be counted worthy of the eternal joy (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23). The sensuous or sensual life of the soul (ψυχή) must not be striven after (Matthew 16:25; Matthew 10:39, Mark 8:35, Luke 9:24; Luke 17:33, John 12:25). All the pleasure the world can afford will never compensate for what is lost in such a pursuit (Matthew 16:26, Mark 8:36, Luke 9:25). In this comprehensive statement even intellectual and aesthetic forms of pleasure are included. The habit of daily self-denial is to be adopted (Luke 9:23). No delight in business, however laudable in itself, must rival the call of Christ (Luke 14:18). A dreadful reversal awaits the Dives who clings to the pleasures of this age (Luke 16:25). Thus the rich are terribly handicapped in their heavenly course (Matthew 19:24). The pleasures of this world may secure the horrors of hell (Luke 6:25). No, the disciple must be as his Master (Matthew 10:25). The Master’s prayer was always, ‘Not what I will, but what thou wilt’ (Mark 14:36). The pleasures of popularity (John 12:43) and of ostentation (Matthew 6:1-18, Luke 20:46) are to be avoided. Hand or eye may well be sacrificed for the sake of faithfulness to Christ in the hope of eternal salvation (Matthew 5:29-30, Mark 9:43; Mark 9:47). The blessed are those who ‘hunger and thirst after righteousness,’ not after pleasure (Matthew 5:6). The faithful disciple shall find tribulation rather than pleasure (John 16:33), inward peace but an outward sword (Matthew 10:34), joy rather than enjoyment (John 15:11; John 16:20-22; John 17:13).
W. B. Frankland.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Pleasure'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/p/pleasure.html. 1906-1918.
