Psalm 61, 62; 1 Kings 21:17-29; 1 Cor. 1:20-31; Matt. 4:12-17
Ahab moves with the wind. We saw how, after the Lord brought down fire from heaven and the prophets of Baal were defeated then slaughtered, Ahab seemed to have been chastened and Elijah had to encourage him to eat and drink. When Jezebel told him what to do he did that as well and now he is in the vineyard of Naboth which he has claimed for his own after allowing Jezebel’s plot to kill Naboth. When he greeted Elijah last he referred to the prophet as the “troubler of Israel” and now Elijah is greeted as the enemy of the king. At the end of the passage, after only a word of prophecy from Elijah, the king is in sackcloth and ashes. Is Ahab an evil character or simply a pathetic one? He is weak and vacillating, he has no faith to speak of, and he allows himself to be driven by the wind. Because of these characteristics, he caused the people to stray from Yahweh and that cannot be excused.
Jesus withdraws from Jerusalem when John is killed by Herod, the time has not yet come for His own date with destiny. Matthew, as always, tells us that even this action was to fulfill prophetic words concerning Messiah’s movements. From that time we are told that Jesus’ message was the same as John the Baptist’s, a message of repentance in preparation for the coming of the kingdom of God. The words are the same but the coming of the kingdom is not quite the same as John’s vision. John saw Messiah coming in judgment and Jesus came to save not destroy. His life and death are judgment on sin but salvation for sinners. Jesus’ retreat from the center of things is not a sign of weakness but a movement in line with the plan of the Father for the timing of the final confrontation. There was much work to be done before that hour.
The cross makes no sense to the world. Paul tells the church at Corinth that it is a stumbling block to the Jews, it flies in the face of Deuteronomy 21.22-23 that says that a man who has done a crime punishable by hanging on a tree is cursed by God and pollutes the land. How can Messiah be cursed by God? To Greeks, it was folly to believe that a man who had been crucified on a cross as a criminal could be considered Messiah. Our story, the Gospel, Jesus as an innocent man dying on a cross for our salvation, risen from the dead three days later, makes no sense. If someone came up with that story today and began to assert it publicly or even privately it would not take long before he or she was determined to be mentally ill and they would be committed to a mental hospital. That is has persevered is a testimony to its truth. We do have a message of judgment but it is a message of judgment on sin not sinners, it is a message of hope for sinners with the caveat that repentance is the first step, agreeing with God about the nature of sin by confessing it and turning away to another way of life, literal sackcloth and ashes not required, but humility is necessary.
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
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