A group of rebels chooses pacifism on the Sabbath when the
king's army comes against them and all die.
They are concerned with Sabbath regulations against work and fighting
and so refuse to break Sabbath even to protect themselves. It is an honorable and noble display of
faith. Another group of rebels led by
Mattathias hears of this and determines that they will choose another path, the
path of resistance, even on Sabbath.
Jesus re-interprets for the people a view of Sabbath that is less
restrictive in the service of life preserving, improving or saving
activities. He heals on the Sabbath on
multiple occasions in plain sight of those who oppose Him and at least once
compares His activities on behalf of humans, those created in the image of God,
to permitted activities on behalf of other animals. I believe that the case can be made for
conscience on both sides of this issue, the tension produced by differing
opinions can be a good corrective to warring impulses. We should think at least twice before going
to war and the pacifist voices among us should call us to always examine
ourselves in these matters.
This parable continues to puzzle me a bit although I think I
have a good handle on it. The figure of
the master in parables is more or less always God so I have to believe the
master is a good guy. He discovers that
the steward is wasting his possessions and what happens after the steward is
told to bring the account books seems to be a further wasting of those assets
in order for the steward to ingratiate himself with the clients. Surely none of the clients would hire him but
it seems possible that what is happening here is that the client is either
paying a kick back to the steward in return for a longer term markdown of
amounts owing or he is simply taking off his commission. He is said, however, to have made dishonest
gain so it would seem that he is receiving some compensation for what he has done. The commendation he receives is in the line
of one who has been outwitted rather than a "well done." Now, being received into the "eternal
dwellings" by friends made via dishonest wealth is something I don't
pretend to understand. At the end of the
day, we are to be faithful in either much or little and material things are to
be held lightly.
When Paul gets to Rome he is basically under house arrest,
only a soldier guards him and he is not in a jail. He reaches out to the Jewish community lest
he be tried in absentia by the court of popular opinion. They have apparently not heard anything about
him at all, no one has sent letters from Judea warning them about him. They are willing to hear him out on this "sect
we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”
You can be sure Paul's reaction to that sentiment was "By
whom?" Paul was a faithful man, no
matter what his circumstance he always preached the Gospel, fighting the fight
for truth.
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