David’s mourning for Absalom dishonored the men who had
fought for David’s return as king. Joab confronts
the king and demands that he go out and honor these men by being in the gate of
the city when they return from the battle.
Indeed, why did David mourn so over this son who had caused so much
trouble and who wanted his father dead? The
soldiers felt guilty about the victory they had won for David because he seemed
to care more about this son than for them.
Joab was right but, when David began re-gathering a team he promised the
role of commander to Amasa, who had been commander of Absalom’s army and who
was, like Joab, David’s nephew. I assume
David had had enough of Joab confronting him.
Additionally, all those who had treated David shabbily on his way out
now come to pay respects and obeisance to the once and future king, including
Shimei who had cursed him and thrown stones at him as he left Jerusalem. On this day, David is magnanimous, the time
to divide is past but, as Shimei will learn, it is also future. (see 1 Kings 2
for Shimei’s fate)
The question of which is the greatest commandment was a
typical question of a Jewish rabbi who delighted in simplification like
this. Jesus goes back to Deuteronomy 6,
to the Shema, the declaration of monotheism and the command to love the One God
with all the heart, soul, mind and strength. If you love someone with all those
aspects, what is left for anyone else? If
there is a second commandment to love, what would be the source of that love if
all these were given to someone already?
The brilliance of the answer to love the neighbor as the self is that we
are going to love ourselves one way or another but also that my neighbor is
created in the image of God, so loving the neighbor is like unto that first
commandment because I am commanded to love God and the image of God, they are
connected to one another. His interlocutor
and all the rest are impressed with this answer and no one had anything else to
ask, He clearly understood the Law.
The charges against Paul are religious in character
only. He is accused of causing Jews
throughout the world to riot, being a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarene
and attempting to profane the temple. Paul’s
defense is that he had been in Jerusalem twelve days, had stirred up no one,
believed all these accusers believe and then some, and made no attempt to
profane the temple at all. It is solely
with respect to the belief in the resurrection of the dead that he is on
trial. He is still attempting to divide
his accusers although he is indeed on trial because of his claims re the
resurrection of the dead, in particular the resurrection of Jesus. Felix had a knowledge of the Way and so it
seems he understood the issues at stake.
There will be a hearing, but it will wait. Apparently he didn’t think Paul to be a
problem, as he gave him great freedom while he was in his custody.
No comments:
Post a Comment