Saul had already been rejected by God, told that he would
lose the kingdom because of his failure to obey the Lord's voice with respect
to the Amalekites. Even though he had
heard this judgment he held onto the throne so in his mind perhaps there was
hope that the judgment was not final.
David, then, is a threat to his kingship because the Lord was with him
and not with Saul and because the people, including the servants of Saul, were
delighted with David and enthralled with David's achievements as commander of
an army of a thousand men. Where once
David's playing of the lyre was the tonic for Saui's fits of rage, now they
were opportunities to kill David. Saul
allowed what he saw and what he heard to push him to the brink concerning
David. His jealousy was simply another
sign of his weakness as a leader. Too
often leaders are threatened by the success of others rather than celebrating
what the Lord is doing through them.
Jesus instructs the leper to show himself to the priest in
accordance with the Law which required a person with leprosy to be an outcast
until the condition was healed. A priest
had to inspect the diseased skin and certify it was now healed and the person
could be restored to fellowship in the community. Did the leper need to show himself to certify
that he was healed? The command was
given in order that the priests might have a witness to the power of Jesus, the
same as He gave those who questioned whether He had the power to forgive sins. There was to be plentiful evidence of Jesus'
messiahship. The judgment concerning the
claim was to be based on the evidence, not Jesus' claim. The leaders, however, allowed their jealousy
to blind them to the evidence laid before them and come to a wrong
judgment. Like Saul, they zealously guarded
their thrones whereas in the Revelation we see those around the throne casting
their golden crowns down in recognition of Jesus' overlordship.
Barnabas is an amazing man.
In the beginning the missionary work of the church was focused solely on
Jews. In Antioch, however, some began
sharing the Good News with gentiles and found a fruitful harvest, a great many
we are told came to faith. Barnabas was
dispatched and his ministry resulted in another "great many" coming
to faith. His response was to go and
find Saul, the man he had introduced to the apostles and supported when
everyone else was afraid and doubtful about this persecutor of the church. Barnabas wasn't threatened to have a man of
Saul's ability alongside him in ministry, it wasn't about Barnabas and his
becoming known as a great leader in the church, it was only about the kingdom
of God. When leaders understand this
basic truth everything changes. There is
no room for jealousy in the church, ultimately the only possible success is due
to the work of God and His blessing, not the work of man.
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