Screwtape Letter #13 – Discussion Guide

We can look at David – after Nathan rebuked him for what he did with Bathsheba – Psalm 51 was David’s prayer for restoration with God. See verses 10-12 –

Ps 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Ps 51:11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Ps 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

It’s likely that something happened that got the patient to ask for a renewal of his relationship with God.

As to why this could be a defeat of the “first order” – see the next verse of Psalm 51 –

Ps 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

Not only is David’s relationship with God renewed – he’s going to be renewed in bringing others back to God as well. A very powerful witness.

When we do mess up – God is quick to forgive us – and with the blood of Jesus our sins are washed away as if they never existed.

When Wormwood messes up – The situation is very grave, and I really see no reason why I should try to shield you from the consequences of your inefficiency – he’s in big trouble and there’s no offer of redemption.

If we look at the definitions of joy and pleasure – there’s an interesting difference:

Joy – a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated.

Pleasure – enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one’s liking; gratification; delight. Also – worldly or frivolous enjoyment.

There’s the element of valued / appreciated in joy – in this case something / someone valued by God. There’s no valuing of us by Satan – other than maybe as a tasty morsel for dinner.

On the other hand – pleasure – what one “like” or is frivolous – that’s more like Satan.

By using the words “positive pleasure” – C. S. Lewis takes the walk out in the country out of the realm of frivolous pleasure and turns it into joy. 

If we don’t take the time to actually notice the difference between the two – and to see which of them fits the things we spend our time on – we can easily be misled. Screwtape is telling Wormwood that he should not have let the patient realize this.

From Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary:
Joy is the fruit of a right relation with God. It is not something people can create by their own efforts. The Bible distinguishes joy from pleasure. The Greek word for pleasure is the word from which we get our word “hedonism,” the philosophy of self-centered pleasure seeking. Paul referred to false teachers as “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Tim. 3:4 HCSB).

And

Luke 15 is the most famous biblical reference to God’s joy. The Pharisees and scribes had criticized Jesus for receiving sinners and eating with them. Then Jesus told three parables—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The explicit theme of each parable is joy over one sinner who repents.  ¹From Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. 2003 (C. Brand, C. Draper, A. England, S. Bond, E. R. Clendenen, T. C. Butler & B. Latta, Ed.). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Of these three, especially the lost son parable is right on target for this discussion, since the son who was lost left the family and went after pleasure –

Lk 15:11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.  12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

Lk 15:13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”

From Jeremiah we see –

Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  14 I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

God will bring us back from where Satan will take us – if we ask.

For one thing – Screwtape is suggesting trying to return the patient to the darkness – to take him out of his moment of reality where he sees the difference between what’s being offered by God and Satan.

From what we’ve read so far – depends on the patient –

How strong is his desire to return? We saw that God can really use this re-rebirth. If it’s genuine.
What will happen with his friends? Will he go towards his church friends – or towards his “perfect joke” friends?
Will he focus on the reality of a good book or a walk in the countryside – or will he go back to the joke and thinking he’s better than everyone else?
The re-rebirth is a time of great possibilities and high activity for both God and Satan.

Will God really take him back – again – and maybe again and again?

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Mt 18:21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Mt 18:22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”