Psalm 119:145-176; 2 Samuel 18:19-33; Acts 23:23-35; Mark 12:13-27
What is Ahimaaz thinking to want to be the one to tell David that Absalom has been killed? Surely he has heard, at least from his father, what David does to those who give him bad news. David has a soft spot for Absalom and has given an order to all the commanders that the young man be dealt with gently, clearly intending that he not be killed if possible. Joab sends a foreigner, a Cushite, who likely has no idea what he is facing when he delivers this news. Joab knows what is likely to happen and wants no part of the son of the priest being the one to suffer for Joab’s decision to kill the king’s son. Ahimaaz prevails on Joab to allow him to run after the Cushite and after warning him, allows him to run after him but Ahimaaz wins the race to the king. What was his motive for getting there first and telling a lie? The Cushite unwittingly is the bearer of bad news, which he believes is good news. David’s initial reaction is grief for his son. Will that be the final word?
If Caesar’s image is on the coin and Jesus says to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s, are we reminded that we are created in the image of God? Our lives are owed to Him, we belong to Him. The Sadducees ask this ridiculous question concerning marriage after the resurrection because they don’t believe in resurrection from the dead anyway and they have the mistaken belief that this life is an analog for the life to come. Jesus disabuses them of the second notion by saying that in the next life we won’t be married at all, we will be “like the angels.” What exactly is meant by that statement is unclear as we won’t “be” angels. Perhaps it means that there is no need to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and therefore there is not partiality in love among those in the kingdom. The second question, whether there is a resurrection, is easily dealt with linguistically. He was not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He “is” the God of these men and the verb tense is important, they continue to live although they have passed from this life.
Fortunately for Paul the plot to kill him is exposed and he is sent to Felix, the Roman governor under heavy guard. The tribune determines the best thing to do is to pass the buck to the governor with a letter that says there is no charge against Paul that has anything to do with Roman law. Apparently Claudius didn’t understand Judaism and the charges that were being made against Paul. Paul is able to appeal to his citizenship in Rome for a trial rather than an ecclesiastical trial. These lessons all demonstrate the dual nature of citizenship, we are citizens of two kingdoms, the kingdom of men and the kingdom of God and each has its claim on our lives. We do well to understand both and how to reconcile the two, one is temporal and the other eternal.
God, my King, thy might confessing,
ever will I bless thy Name;
day by day thy throne addressing,
still will I thy praise proclaim.
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