Thursday, June 10, 2010

e-vo for week of June 9

Dearest e-votees-

This Sunday’s appointed Old Testament is the confrontation of David by Nathan after his affair with Bathsheba. Our sins have real and grave consequences on us and on those we love.

May God bless us all as we work out our salvations with fear and trembling knowing that God’s mercies are new every morning and that God will bring to completion the work that was started in us.

Peace,
Karl

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26 When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. 27 When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord,1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him." 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." 7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8 I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. [11 Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. 12 For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun."] 13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan said to David, "Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die." 15 Then Nathan went to his house. The Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became very ill.

2 Samuel 11:26-12:10 [11-12] 13-15, NRSV

In the text above you might notice that verses 11 and 12 are bracketed off. This is because they are not included in the assigned reading but I have them there to give the entire account of the confrontation by Nathan.

Psalm 51 is explained as resulting from this confrontation of David. David writes in verse 4 “Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight…” while speaking to God. I wonder if Uriah might have a different take on David’s culpability. Bathsheba might have something different to say if we were to give her a voice (she doesn’t even have a name in our assigned text). The baby born of Bathsheba and David lived for seven days (not even old enough to be named and circumcised as that happens on the eighth day) might have had something to say about all this had he the ability to speak. If you read the bracketed verses David’s wives who were to endure public shame as a result of David’s more private indiscretions might too want to weigh in about David’s sinning only against God.

The point is that David’s sin had deep and lasting repercussions on the lives of many. Ours do too. David knew what was right as evidenced by his response to Nathan’s parable of the rich man and the one little ewe lamb. Nathan’s “You are the man!” must have kept ringing in David’s ears.

We too know what is right much of the time. Yet we choose what is comfortable or amusing or fun or expedient or safe. Because of our choices we cause deep and lasting repercussions on ourselves and the lives of those we love. For those of us that have ears to hear we have “You are the one!” ringing out.

God’s mercy is for us and for all. God’s mercies are indeed new every morning. We have some opportunities to make amends. One of the holy grounds that pastors at time stand upon is helping people with step 5 of the 12-step program where people seek to make amends with God, ourselves and others for the wrongs perpetrated. Confession and absolution is a deep and powerful spiritual practice. Luther talked about mutual consolation of the saints as a possible third sacrament (in addition to baptism and communion). What holy ground it is when we are able to confess and when we are able to absolve with one another.

What we can take from the tragic and profound sin of David is that our sins can wound and maim people deeply. We can also take away that God doesn’t give up on people very easily—which assures us and calls us to not give up on others easily either. We should abide in these truths deeply.

God, guide us and lead us that we steer away from sin. Help us to be people of mercy and love and grace when we and those we love cause injury to each other and ourselves. Help us extend your mercy and love and grace to those we don’t love as well. Bring healing and pour out your grace. Amen.

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