viewoutsidethepew

King David committed grievous sins. He lusted for his neighbour’s wife. He committed adultery. He tried to get Uriah to break his warrior vows in order to cover for the fact that David had made Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, pregnant. When that failed he ordered his field commander, Joab, to conduct a fake military manoeuver to ensure that Uriah was killed in action, again with the purpose of hiding his adulterous behaviour. He implicated Joab in sin and murdered Uriah and unnumbered other soldiers. (Read 2 Samuel 11)

Surprise! God noticed.

Nathan advises King David (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So a prophet came from God to confront King David (2 Samuel 12:1-15), who had the power of life and death over his subjects. Through a parable Nathan exposed King David’s crimes and sins.

And then the royal court fell into a hush. Would Nathan die?

No.

King David admitted his sin. Nathan lived. King David lived. But the child died.

When I was persecuted/prosecuted by religion I never stood before a King David. It was always a Pharaoh.

The more I pointed out that the process against me was unbiblical and the behaviour unchristian, the more entrenched the process became and the more contemptuous the behaviour.

If only religious humans who get power would be motivated by the deep compassion of Jesus rather than the self-preservation of the religious council.

“Many Jews who had visited Mary and had seen what Jesus had done believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council. They asked, ‘What are we doing? This man is performing a lot of miracles. If we let him continue what he’s doing, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will take away our position and our nation’ ” (John 11:45-48 God’s Word ©).

Some people don’t see God at work; they see religion at risk. The religious leaders were, and are, concerned about their politics of power, and not the will and covenant love of Almighty God.

When a faithful servant of Christ is being crucified, are you in the crowd calling for death, or on the council scheming brutality, obeying the immoral orders of political authority, hiding to preserve your own life, wringing your hands that there is nothing you can do…?

Serving Jesus is not a cop-out from colleague keeping, but an opt-in to stand supporting.

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This Lent I am being led on a pilgrimage. I do not yet know if it is from persecution or to suffering or through both. Nevertheless the journey has begun.