Psalm 30, 32; 1 Samuel 22:1-23; Acts 13:26-43; Mark 3:19b-35
Saul is spiraling completely out of control in his jealous rage towards David. Anyone presumed to have helped David in any way is considered to be an enemy of Saul’s and for this reason the priests at the city of Nob and the people of that place are put to death. Does Saul believe this will somehow endear him to the people? His statements to his soldiers are also telling, he believes himself to be their benefactor and provider, taking the place of the Lord. People may fear Saul but they will hardly trust him. David, in the meantime, begins to build his own army out of volunteers but I wonder how thankful most of us would be to plant a church with 400 people who are described here as those who were in distress, in debt, and bitter in soul. These same men become David’s mighty men and he their leader. We see David’s heart in these passages, first in finding safe haven for his mother and father in Moab and then for Abiathar the priest and in his taking responsibility for the massacre at Nob. The contrast between the two men who would be king could hardly be sharper.
Why exactly is Jesus’ family so concerned about Him that they believe Him to be out of His mind? It looks like it is connected to the crowds gathering around so that He and the disciples could not even eat, He is failing to properly care for Himself because He is doing so much for others. This passage is full of people trying to figure out Jesus and coming to their own conclusions for their own reasons. His family has the concern of a family so they worry about Him and seek to take Him away from all these people who are taking whatever they can get from Him. The leaders can’t do what He does so they assume His power comes from another source but Jesus logically disproves their assumption and accuses them of a monstrous sin, attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to satan. Finally, He says that His true family is made up of those who know and do the will of God, there is where family resemblance truly is found. The only one in the scene who is caring for anyone but Himself is Jesus who is being poured out for others.
Paul focuses on an interesting thing, corruption of the earthly body. He compares the resurrection of Jesus to those who have gone before, those whose bodies have indeed seen corruption or the return to dust. Jesus’ body was resurrected from the dead after three days and thus never saw corruption. Will our heavenly bodies bear the scars and marks of this life? I don’t believe they will, but Jesus’ body bears the marks of His death as we see in the Gospels in the post-resurrection appearances and in the book of the Revelation as He appears before the throne, the lamb looking like it was slain. Those are marks of love, the proof of the depth of God’s love for us. We are indeed, as Isaiah wrote, engraved on His hands forever, how could He forget us? What Jesus did He did for love of the Father and love for us. He was obedient unto death for love of the Father and it was the Father’s love for us that demanded such sacrifice on the part of the Son. How can we show our love for the Father as we live in this world today?
In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment