Doing What is Right
Good Morning Friends,
When faced with taking a stand for what is right, our greatest temptation is to remain neutral, to forfeit moral leadership for the sake of popularity, comfort or worse greed. Certainly, we should choose our battles wisely and be sure of our motives before we take a stand. But part of the way men are made is our desire to kick butte when challenged. Part of us suppressed or repressed just loves a Dirty Harry response to evil. But before you reject this comparison outright remember that Jesus was a man and had manly feeling. Remember that Jesus will bring a sword as well as love. Like Jesus, we must stand up for the truth, even if we suffer for Doing What is Right.
Scripture: “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household! “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:24-39 (NRSV)
And then, to top it off, came this: Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel that bordered the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. One day Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard so I can use it as a kitchen garden; it’s right next to my house—so convenient. In exchange I’ll give you a far better vineyard, or if you’d prefer I’ll pay you money for it.” But Naboth told Ahab, “Not on your life! So help me God, I’d never sell the family farm to you!” Ahab went home in a black mood, sulking over Naboth the Jezreelite’s words, “I’ll never turn over my family inheritance to you.” He went to bed, stuffed his face in his pillow, and refused to eat. Jezebel his wife came to him. She said, “What’s going on? Why are you so out of sorts and refusing to eat?” He told her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite. I said, ‘Give me your vineyard—I’ll pay you for it or, if you’d rather, I’ll give you another vineyard in exchange.’ And he said, ‘I’ll never give you my vineyard.'” Jezebel said, “Is this any way for a king of Israel to act? Aren’t you the boss? On your feet! Eat! Cheer up! I’ll take care of this; I’ll get the vineyard of this Naboth the Jezreelite for you.” She wrote letters over Ahab’s signature, stamped them with his official seal, and sent them to the elders in Naboth’s city and to the civic leaders. She wrote “Call for a fast day and put Naboth at the head table. Then seat a couple of stool pigeons across from him who, in front of everybody will say, ‘You! You blasphemed God and the king!’ Then they’ll throw him out and stone him to death.” And they did it. The men of the city—the elders and civic leaders—followed Jezebel’s instructions that she wrote in the letters sent to them. They called for a fast day and seated Naboth at the head table. Then they brought in two stool pigeons and seated them opposite Naboth. In front of everybody the two degenerates accused him, “He blasphemed God and the king!” The company threw him out in the street, stoned him mercilessly, and he died. When Jezebel got word that Naboth had been stoned to death, she told Ahab, “Go for it, Ahab—take the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for your own, the vineyard he refused to sell you. Naboth is no more; Naboth is dead.” The minute Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he set out for the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite and claimed it for his own. Then God stepped in and spoke to Elijah the Tishbite, “On your feet; go down and confront Ahab of Samaria, king of Israel. You’ll find him in the vineyard of Naboth; he’s gone there to claim it as his own. Say this to him: ‘God’s word: What’s going on here? First murder, then theft?’ Then tell him, ‘God’s verdict: The very spot where the dogs lapped up Naboth’s blood, they’ll lap up your blood—that’s right, your blood.'” Ahab answered Elijah, “My enemy! So, you’ve run me down!” “Yes, I’ve found you out,” said Elijah. “And because you’ve bought into the business of evil, defying God. ‘I will most certainly bring doom upon you, make mincemeat of your descendants, kill off every sorry male wretch who’s even remotely connected with the name Ahab. And I’ll bring down on you the same fate that fell on Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah—you’ve made me that angry by making Israel sin.'” As for Jezebel, God said, “Dogs will fight over the flesh of Jezebel all over Jezreel. Anyone tainted by Ahab who dies in the city will be eaten by stray dogs; corpses in the country will be eaten by carrion crows.” Ahab, pushed by his wife Jezebel and in open defiance of God, set an all-time record in making big business of evil. He indulged in outrageous obscenities in the world of idols, copying the Amorites whom God had earlier kicked out of Israelite territory. When Ahab heard what Elijah had to say, he ripped his clothes to shreds, dressed in penitential rough burlap, and fasted. He even slept in coarse burlap pajamas. He tiptoed around, quiet as a mouse. Then God spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: “Do you see how penitently submissive Ahab has become to me? Because of his repentance I’ll not bring the doom during his lifetime; Ahab’s son, though, will get it.”
1 Kings 21 (MSG)
Message: In our text today we combine two storylines. Understand that the context is different but the message is related. In one, Jesus tells us what to do in the face of opposition in this world. He tells us to stand our ground, follow His lead and not panic. The story is about trusting God. The second passage is about Naboth. Now that is a story to get our emotional juices flowing. The connection with the first passage is the ongoing story of how the poor end up paying for the damage wrought by the corruption of the powerful. Greed leaves the poor without the things they need and to which they have a right. This sad story seems to repeat itself in the lives of those who wield power whether it is material, political or spiritual. It is the poor who pay the price. It is they who are exploited. The poor pay and we do so want God to serve up some revenge. Friends, Naboth stood up for the truth and was taken down for it. He was stoned to death like Stephen. We too are to stand up for the truth but also we are to choose our battles. Friends, until Jesus comes back to kick butte, service to others that purifies the heart is the only way for us to really defeat the sin of corruption. Let God serve up the revenge cold. Remember what happened to Jezebel. Her last act was to dress in all her finery, make-up and jewelry, indicating her dignity, royal status and determination only to be thrown out a window and meet a gruesome death of being eaten by dogs.
Pray we realize that it is not about us but about least and last. Pray we improvise, adapt and overcome the desire to take vengeance into our own hands. Pray we stand our ground, follow His lead and not panic. Pray we offer heartfelt service and trust God to take care of the rest. Pray we do not allow the approval of others to outweigh faithfulness to God and the truth He loves so much. Pray God makes our day.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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