Screwtape Letter #3 – Discussion Guide

We know that ever since the fall, things aren’t the way God intended.

So – no surprise that things on the “outside” would be a target of Screwtape. The world was corrupted by “His Father Below” – Satan – so it’s a natural to try to get us to view those corrupted things as the way it ought to be.

However – we also have what Jesus says about His Father, The Holy Spirit, Himself, and us – from John 14:15-21 –

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

Jn 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.  16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

Jn 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

Jn 14:20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

What we have then is a corrupted world – but God in us.

What we have then is a corrupted world – but God in us.

Screwtape definitely gets this one right – “The Enemy” will most definitely be working from the centre outwards. He’s already there.

And so we have what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 –

Treasures in Jars of Clay

2Co 4:1 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

2Co 4:13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

2Co 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul writes that corruption has reached even our bodies – but what’s inside –

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body –

that’s where God lives.

Spiritual growth is important. Just as we are born babies – and grow into adults – hopefully maturing all along the way – we must do the same with our spiritual lives. A baby cannot be a CEO of a company. Neither can a spiritual baby deal with advanced things.

Among examples of this are:

— Paul, writing to the Ephesians –

Eph 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

— Peter – the same Peter whom when he was with Jesus, was always the take charge guy reaching beyond what he was really prepared for – later wrote this in a section subtitled “Be Holy” –

Be Holy

1Pe 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1Pe 1:17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

1Pe 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,

1Pe 1:25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.

1Pe 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Self examination – while popular with things like new age “religions” and even some old ones – doesn’t put the emphasis in the right place.

Looking back at the earlier question on “The Enemy” working from the centre out – we saw that He is in us. Self examination then isn’t about us – it’s about Him. Paul writes about this in 2 Cor 10:1-11 – as he does his own “self examination”.

Paul’s Defense of His Ministry

2Co 10:1 By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

2Co 10:7 You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he. 8 For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” 11 Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

When Paul looks at himself – it’s not actually himself that’s he concerned with.
Rather – it’s what <more correctly Who> is in him.
He tells us to not just look on the surface –
but to look at whether or not we realize – and live like – we belong to Christ.

And then in a letter to the Colossians – Paul combines both of these thoughts –
growth and self examination – the perfect answer to both questions at one time –

Col 2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

It’s about our connection to God –
our growth with Him –
our connection with the body – the church –
and the growth of both us in the church and the church as a whole.

For some insight to this, one need look no further than Jesus’ own words.

For instance – in Matthew 6:5-8 – Jesus says –

Mt 6:5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

BTW – Jesus doesn’t tell us what not to do without also providing the answer as to what we should do.

The next verses in Matthew continue with –

Mt 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

Mt 6:10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Mt 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

Mt 6:12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Mt 6:13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Well – that’s not so bad.
Shouldn’t be too hard to do that, right?

(BTW, if you’d like to take a deeper look into the Lord’s Prayer – check out my study on it here.)

But – there’s more.

Earlier in Matthew, Jesus also said –

Mt 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

So – maybe what Screwtape says is more subtle that what Jesus says in these passages.But –
those subtle little things that Screwtape is urging his nephew to push the patient towards –
if he is successful –
they will lead to the very things that Jesus warns us about.
And that’s why listening to the words Jesus has for us on how we should pray are so important.

Think not?
Consider Screwtape’s closing remark in this paragraph –

I have had patients of my own so well in hand that they could be turned at a moment’s notice from impassioned prayer for a wife’s or son’s ‘soul’ to beating or insulting the real wife or son without a qualm.

You may remember the saying – familiarity breeds contempt. This saying has its origins in one of Aesop’s fables:

When first the Fox saw the Lion he was terribly frightened, and ran away and hid himself in the wood. Next time however he came near the King of Beasts he stopped at a safe distance and watched him pass by. The third time they came near one another the Fox went straight up to the Lion and passed the time of day with him, asking him how his family were, and when he should have the pleasure of seeing him again; then turning his tail, he parted from the Lion without much ceremony.

This was the original version. Somewhere along the line – “Familiarity breeds contempt” got attached to this story. Eventually, someone apparently realized that contempt wasn’t actually shown in the story. So – people added various endings to it. The one I saw that most fit contempt – especially these days – has the lion eating the fox.

How far can it go?
We only need to revisit Screwtape’s boast from the previous paragraph –

I have had patients of my own so well in hand that they could be turned at a moment’s notice from impassioned prayer for a wife’s or son’s ‘soul’ to beating or insulting the real wife or son without a qualm.

We see another example of how far it can go in the Bible – from Matthew 13:53-58 –

A Prophet Without Honor

Mt 13:53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? 55 Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

Mt 13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Familiarity – although incomplete & incorrect – with Jesus –
leading to contempt for Jesus –
resulting in refusal to believe He is the Son of God –
leading to failure to be saved.

That’s going really far.

Screwtape says – the words are not offensive – and just maybe they aren’t, to start with.
But there’s the tone of voice – the look – the intent –
and they are offensive.

And those are the times when we can try to convince ourselves that we aren’t being offensive.

Somewhere along the line –
we go beyond trying to not be offensive –
and reach the point where we don’t care if we’re offensive or not-
and eventually –
if not corrected –
we try to be offensive.

There’s a section in the NIV sub-titled “Taming the Tongue” – in James 3:1-12 –

Taming the Tongue

Jas 3:1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

Jas 3:3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Jas 3:7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Jas 3:9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

This one part pretty much says it all –

Jas 3:8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

It’s not that hard to progress from self-centeredness and “mild” irritation to feeling totally justified in offending someone.

Fortunately, there is an alternative.
James talk about how the tongue can be used to praise God and / or to curse men.

Paul – in Colossians 4:2-6 – says this about what we should do –

Further Instructions

Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Col 4:3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

Col 4:4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Col 4:5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

Col 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

The more time we spend praising God –
the less time we have –
and the less inclined we will be –
to curse each other.

Cain and Abel – in Genesis 4

Ge 4:1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Ge 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Ge 4:8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Ge 4:9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Ge 4:10 The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth. ”

Had Cain actually listened to what God said in verse 4 –
taken it to heart and learned from it –
the outcome would have been very different.
But – he didn’t.
He killed Abel – and paid the price.

Jacob and Esau – also in Genesis, chapters 25 +

Ge 25:27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Ge 25:29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom. )

Ge 25:31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright. ”

Ge 25:32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

Ge 25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

Ge 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.

There’s a whole lot of stuff that went on with these two. The passage here is but one example. There was always conflict.

The parable of the lost son – In Luke 15

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. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Lk 15:17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Lk 15:21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Lk 15:22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Lk 15:25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

Lk 15:28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

Lk 15:31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Like the first two examples – more conflict.

As I said – Screwtape could have been referring to a number of “older brothers” from the Bible.
The result from these three is the same regardless –
conflict.

In one case – the older brother kills the younger.

In another – the older brother gives up his birthright – and that was just the beginning.

In the last one – the older brother has been living with his father all along – but not really – and then is jealous when the younger one gets what the older one could have had all along.

Whatever the case is – which ever old brother she is talking about – Screwtape want some conflict going between mother and son.