When drama erupts in David’s family – 2 Samuel 9, 13, 14, 15, Part 4

Tamar sees the lust in her half-brother Amnon’s eyes, and she feels his tight grip around her. She is scared and as we learned in the previous post, Tamar makes a desperate plea for marriage.  Does it work?

In 2 Samuel 13, verse 14, we read “But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.”

It’s horrific.  Just awful. 

As soon as it’s over, reality hits. 

Did you ever long for something for a long time, and you can’t have it, and thus your longing grows.  You want it so bad.  Could be a new job, a new car, a vacation, or a relationship.  Then you finally get it.  Maybe after years of working or waiting or praying.  Finally, you get what you want.  It’s is exciting and fulfilling

And surprise, surprise, the fulfillment doesn’t last.  You have built something up in your heart and mind, and frankly it becomes nearly impossible for that thing to meet the unrealistic expectation your have created.

In Amnon’s case, what he wanted so badly, his sister, required him to act selfishly, sinfully, and deeply hurtfully against his sister.  When he finally does it, something snaps inside Amnon.  Maybe it is guilt.  Maybe shame.  Maybe it is fear of punishment.  Look at verse 15.

“Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”  “No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.” But he refused to listen to her. He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.”  So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore.” 

Amnon is super selfish and dishonorable.  Not only does he rape his half-sister, he then kicks her out.  In the Mosaic Law when two people had intercourse, that was an act of marriage consummation.  It was not God’s best or preferred way for two people to get married.  God wanted people to have a marriage ceremony, as described in the OT Law.  But in order to protect the woman who was now not a virgin, God said that the act of intercourse declared the couple as married in his eyes.  Why? 

To care for the woman. Once she had lost her virginity, she would be in danger of never being married, and thus destitute for the rest of her life.  But Amnon ignores that.  He goes from lust to hatred, probably because of his shame and guilt and emotional immaturity.  Frankly, I’m surprised that Amnon, because he was firstborn and thus heir to the throne, did not murder Tamar, and make it appear like an accident.  He had to know that she was going to tell someone.

The amount of drama in this story is off the charts.   The drama is about to skyrocket.

In verse 19 the account continues, “Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went. Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you?”

Absalom is her full brother.  Same mother; same dad, David.

Absalom continues, “Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman. When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.”

So David finds out, but there is no indication that David did anything. Think about the stark difference in these two stories we’ve studied so far this week.  In chapter 9, when it comes to Mephibosheth (post here), David takes amazing action to decrease the drama.  But in chapter 13, when it comes to his own child’s terrible sin, he does nothing.  David should be decreasing the drama here too.  He should be confronting the sin of Amnon.  

Let me summarize the rest of the chapter.  Absalom bides his time. Two years go by.  Is Absalom a drama decreaser or drama increaser?  Has two years given him enough time to cool down and forgive Amnon?  Not even close. 

Absalom cajoles David to send people to a feast, including Amnon.  David asks, “Why should Amnon go with you?”  It seems David is suspicious of Absalom’s intentions.  David agrees, but only if David’s other sons go along too.  Likely David thinks that Amnon will be safe in a crowd.  David is wrong. Right in the middle of the feast, Absalom instructs his men to kill Amnon, and they do it.  Think about the treason and sinfulness of that.  Of course, the other brothers flee.  It would be totally normal for them to think Absalom is starting a coup.  Meaning they think that Amnon wants to kill them all so he can take the throne from David. 

Messengers tell David the news before his sons return to the palace. But the messengers have bad info.  They say Absalom killed all David’s sons, and as you can imagine, David is wrecked.  But then Jonadab speaks up.  Remember him?  The guy who pumped up the drama in the first place?   This time though, Jonadab has good info.  He says, No, only Amnon is dead.  Not all the sons. 

Still, Amnon is dead.  The firstborn, the heir to the throne.  Also, the rapist.  But he is dead.  Parents, if you’ve ever had a child make a terrible decision, you still love that child.  You can imagine how David feels.  Yes, his son is a rapist, and that is awful, and now his son is dead at the hand of another son, also awful.  I wonder if David remembered the prophet Nathan’s words that the sword would never depart from David’s house.  Think about the level of drama David is faced with.

But there’s more.  Absalom, having just committed murder, flees to his grandfather in the neighboring land of Geshur.  When the rest of the sons return to David, there is great weeping and mourning.  David mourned for Absalom every day while Absalom was gone for three years.

In chapter 14, Joab, David’s general, essentially tricks David that enough time has passed, and David should let Absalom back to Jerusalem.  David acquiesces, but only if Absalom is not allowed an audience before David.  And that is what happens.  Absalom returns to Jerusalem, but is not allowed to see David.

In 2 Samuel chapter 14, verses 25 and following to the end of the chapter, though, we learn that Absalom is unsettled about his situation.  People in the land admired Absalom. He was a dashing character.  For two years in Jerusalem, David did not allow Absalom to see him.  So Absalom now manipulates Joab to get Joab to convince David to allow Absalom an audience.  The problem is that Absalom is a murderer, and thus David should not give him an audience.  Of course Absalom doesn’t appear to see it that way.  He is not repentant.  Absalom likely thinks of himself as correctly applying the death penalty to a rapist, something that David should have done.  But David didn’t punish Amnon. 

Still, Absalom successfully convinces Joab, and Joab convinces David, and finally after five years, David invites Absalom and reunites with him.  At the end of chapter 14, it seems like things have settled down. 

Things have not settled down, though.  Not even close. We learn about the explosion of drama in David’s family in tomorrow’s post.

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What not to do when you are sick with desire – 2 Samuel 9, 13, 14, 14, Part 3

This week on the blog, we’re learning how to resolve family drama by observing how King David responds to drama of his own. I’ve said that David, throughout the entirety of his life, seemed to be a drama magnet. But in the previous post, David makes a generously sacrificial gesture to decrease drama. Turn to 2 Samuel chapter 13, and get ready for the drama ramp up significantly. The story begins like this:

“In the course of time, Amnon firstborn son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom third born son of David.”

Wait.  A brother fell in love with his sister?  Yes.  Amnon and Tamar were half-siblings.  Same dad (David), different moms.  Are you thinking, “Maybe societal norms about marriage were different then. Maybe half-siblings fell in love and got married regularly.”?

Maybe in some cultures, but not in Israel. What Amnon envisions is condemned in the Mosaic Law. Leviticus 18:9-11: “Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere…Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife, born to your father; she is your sister.”

But Amnon, perhaps taking a page from his father’s playbook, does not let the Law get in the way of his lust.  Continuing in 2 Samuel 13, “Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her. Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.”

Amnon is sick with lust over his half-sister.  So he goes to Jonadab, his cousin, for advice.  This will turn out to be a bad move.  Jonadab is a schemer.  Not to be trusted for giving wise advice.  Let’s find out, as we keep reading:

“Jonadab asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” “Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’”

Talk about pumping up the drama.  Jonadab is a master drama inflater.  Not someone Amnon should be going to for help.  Amnon needs someone to tell him, “Stop it!  You cannot have your half-sister.  You need to repent of your lust and make a change.  You are sinning.”  That would be deflating the drama.  That would be doing the right thing.  The God-honoring thing.  But instead Jonadab is all about the drama.  Will Amnon listen to Jonadab’s advice?

“So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.” David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.”

Does anyone else feel like this is a strange situation?  Jonadab and Amnon’s idea seems really sketchy.  So sketchy, in fact, that we wonder how David would ever go along with it.  Maybe David is just concerned that his son is sick, and thinks, “Yeah, let’s get his sister in here to cheer him up.”  Maybe David thinks it is innocent. 

It is the furthest thing from innocent.  Here’s what happens, “So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. “Send everyone out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone left him. Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.” “No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.”

Whoa.  Marriage between half-siblings? In our eyes, we would think “No way.”  Both Amnon and Tamar should have been thinking “No way” also.  In Leviticus 20 verse 17, the Mosaic Law clearly states, “If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They are to be publicly removed from their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.”

Yet Tamar is desperate to try anything, even breaking the Mosaic Law, to keep her insanely lustful brother from forcing his way on her.  Perhaps Tamar knows that their father David would never approve of a marriage, and thus she would be free from her brother’s clutches.  Tamar is hoping for anything that will get her out of there.

We see in this story the precarious position of women in this society.  They served the men; were dominated by the men.  Tamar knows this.  She knows that she has very little leverage.  So she makes a desperate plea for marriage.  Does it work?

We find out in the next post.

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People of God act to decrease drama – 2 Samuel 9, 13, 14, 15 – Part 2

In some cultures, particularly in the ancient world, kings sometimes purge their nations of any contenders to the throne.  Some even have members of their own extended family killed, just to preserve their lineage.  That kind of purge is the epitome of family drama. 

In 2 Samuel 9, however, David does the opposite. David is extravagantly generous and kind to a person that could be perceived as his enemy.  Enemy?  Yes, Mephibosheth is King Saul’s heir.  If David wanted to, he could have Mephibosheth killed to make sure that there is no claim to the throne. 

Instead David shows kindness and lavish generosity to not only Mephibosheth, but also to Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba and Ziba’s family.  David’s action to give them land and to give Mephibosheth a place at the king’s table is lavish.  Overnight Mephibosheth becomes wealthy and an insider to the powerful. 

Do you see what David is doing?  He is decreasing the drama.  People of God actively decrease drama.  We don’t go looking for drama.  Even if we find drama interesting, we work hard not to start it, fixate on it, gossip about it or pump up the drama.  

David decreases the drama by searching for ways to be kind. David decreases the drama by being sacrificially generous. 

David the warrior king is a man after God’s own heart.  But scan ahead to the next few chapters.  We already studied chapters 10, 11 and 12.  In chapter 10 David battles the Ammonites, then in chapter 11, when he was supposed to be finishing the war with the Ammonites, he was at home lusting after Bathsheba, committing adultery against her, and killing her husband.  Then in chapter 12, God sends the prophet Nathan to confront David.  Look what God says to David in 2 Samuel chapter 12, starting in the middle of verse 7,

“‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’  This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ”

Yikes.  Talk about drama.  God is basically saying, “David, I delivered you from massive drama in your life.  Remember how Saul was chasing you to kill you all those years?  I gave you victory, peace and prosperity.  Now you are the source of terrible drama.  You committed adultery, lying, murder.  So much unnecessary, awful drama.  Now there will be drama in your house for the rest of your life, and it will be public to all.” 

God forgives David for his sin, but there will be consequences.  In the next post we turn to 2 Samuel chapter 13. Get ready for the drama. 

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Can the Bible help us resolve family drama? – 2 Samuel 9, 13, 14, 15, Part 1

Do you have drama in your family?  I’m sure we could all tell stories. 

The family member that no one talks to. 

The family member that is difficult. 

The family member that, when you are together, spends the whole time talking about themselves, and then just as they are about to leave says, “How are you doing?”  By that time you are so exhausted from their nonstop stories that you say, “I’m fine.  I’m good.  Seriously.”  And you just want them to leave. 

The family member that is asking everyone for money, says that this time they have a clear plan for paying it back, and you know that if you give them money, you cannot see it as a loan, because they will not keep their word. 

We all have family drama. 

So far I’ve only mentioned the other people in our families.  Because it is only the other people that bring the drama, right?  Or is it?  None of us are ever drama magnets are we?  No, can’t be.  Except that we can be! 

What can be difficult, very difficult, is seeing that we ourselves are sometimes dramatic.  It can be very humbling and require loads of self-awareness to admit it publicly.  What is worse is when we are drama magnets, and we do not see it, while nearly everyone else in our lives sees us that way. 

How can that be?  How can someone be so obviously dramatic to just about everyone in their lives, and yet that person does not see it in themselves?  My wife says that I am a heavy breather.  It does not seem to me that I am a heavy breather.  I truly cannot hear it or feel it.  My impression of myself is that I am a quiet breather. 

So what about you?  Are there ways that you are responsible for pumping up the family drama?

We are nearing the end of the Life of David.  As we’ve seen, David is no stranger to drama.  Much of it has been imposed on him by other people.  Sometimes David pumped up the drama by his choices.  This week and next, we’re going to learn about drama in David’s life.  This week focusing on his family.  Next week his friends. 

Turn to 2 Samuel chapter 9.  In chapter 9, life for David has finally settled down.  God has given David victory over his enemies.  Yet, peace is sometimes the very thing that leads to drama.  Have you ever experienced that in your family, in your marriage?  When you have a common enemy, it is amazing how unified you can be in dealing with the enemy.  But when the drama from the enemy is dealt with and you are left with each other, what happens?  You start fighting with each other.  You remember the things that bother you about each other. 

Before you didn’t think about those things because you were focused on your common enemy. Now that it’s just the two of you, you start to get bothered again by how the other person breathes too heavy.  Or how they chew their food.  Or the way they say that one word that makes your spine crawl.  In those moments, you might think, “We need a new enemy.”  Cynical?  Maybe.  It’s very real.  David’s enemies are vanquished, and that while that sounds like very good news, can a warrior king ever truly settle down?  What I’m getting at is that we’re about to see some drama explode in David’s home.

Maybe when he doesn’t have any battles with his enemies, the warrior king will start picking fights at home.  Some people just can’t stop themselves from fighting battles or creating battles out of thin air when there were none.  How about David?  Look at 2 Samuel 9, verse 1,

“David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

That doesn’t sound like picking a fight, does it?  That’s because it’s not.  David settles down and remembers the covenant he made with his best friend Jonathan who had passed away in battle years before.  I discussed David and King Saul’s son Jonathan’s friendship in the series of posts starting here.  In 1 Samuel 20, they made a covenant, and Jonathan said to David this, “Do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”  And also: “Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’”

Even after decades had passed, David remembers his covenant with Jonathan and keeps his word.  The warrior king doesn’t want to fight with the descendants of his previous enemy, Saul.  He wants to bless Saul’s family, out of love and respect for his best friend who was also Saul’s son, Jonathan.  Maybe David isn’t going to pump up the drama after all. 

Let’s closely observe David’s actions in 2 Samuel chapter 9.  He serves as a wonderful model for how to handle family drama.  In tomorrow’s post, we find out what David does.

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King David was a drama magnet – 2 Samuel 9, 13, 14, 15, Preview

Are there people in your life who seem to attract more than their fair share of sickness, accidents, strange situations, or relational brokenness?  Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s me.”  Whether you or other people, some people seem like magnets for drama.  When I think of a drama magnet, I think of King David, who is famously known as a man after God’s own heart.  So if drama seems to follow you around, perhaps you’re in good company.  

But hold on a minute.  David is a drama magnet?  We’ve been studying the life of King of David for months now, and think with me about what we’ve seen in his life.  The very first time we meet David, though he is the youngest of eight brothers, he is chosen by God to be the next king, and yet it happens in a secret ceremony.  Dramatic?  Very dramatic.  

Then in the very next episode in David’s life, he is bringing food to his brothers who are serving in the military, when he sees the enemy giant Goliath defying the army of God.  David decides to step in there and do something about it.  High drama.  Good drama.  But drama nonetheless

Let me list in rapid succession more events in David’s life, and you see if they prove my claim about David being a drama magnet: (1) he becomes the king’s music therapist and marries the king’s daughter, (2) he also serves in the military and becomes very successful, which makes the king jealous, (3) the king tries to kill him twice, (4) David flees the palace, becomes a fugitive and is forcibly divorced from his wife, (5) the king chases David all over Israel, (6) David and his men eventually live in enemy Philistine territory, (7) David becomes king of Judah, then Israel, through civil war and military intrigue, (8) David marries numerous wives and forcibly takes back his first wife, (9) David commits adultery and murder. 

Have I proved my claim that David is a drama magnet? Those nine points are just a summary.  We’ve seen a lot more drama than that, haven’t we?  Grab a bible and skim through 1st and 2nd Samuel and you’ll see what I mean.  

This coming week, we are going study 2nd Samuel chapters 9, 13, 14 and 15.  David has rest from his enemies, and he is aging, so perhaps the drama in his life is finally a thing of the past? 

No…not even close.  And yet, there is more to David than just simply being a drama magnet.  He truly is a man after God’s own heart.

We’re going to watch David as new drama erupts in his life.  Maybe the worst kind of drama, family drama.  My guess is that all of us have some examples of our own family drama.  We’re humans after all, and family drama is the norm for humans.  How will David handle family drama?  Read the passage ahead of time, and then check back here on Monday as I begin to discuss those chapters.  There are important principles in this passage for how to handle family drama…and how not to.

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Why the Oklahoma mandate to teach the Bible in public schools is contrary to the mission of Jesus – Q & A Oct 2024, Part 5

Recent legislation in Oklahoma requires the teaching of the Bible in all public schools.  What should Christians think about this? 

What are the specifics of the Oklahoma mandate?  Starting fall 2024, all Oklahoma public school classrooms, grades 5–12, must have a physical copy of the Bible, and the teachers must teach it. 

The Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools, Ryan Walters, said this, “The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone. Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.”

On Oct 4, the Associated Press reported “Walters is seeking to spend $3 million in state funds to purchase 55,000 Bibles for public schools and specifying that each copy contain the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.”  It has been reported that these are King James Version Bibles. 

Since the beginning of the school year, some Oklahoma school districts have chosen not to comply with Walters’ mandate, and a group of educators, ministers and concerned citizens have sued Walters. 

My opinion is that Walters’ mandate is not a good idea.  Not just because he desires the King James Version, when there are much more readable, accurate contemporary versions.  My opinion that Walters’ idea is not good has nothing to do with the word “Bible” at all.  I am all for teaching the Bible.  If my local high school offered a Bible elective and was seeking local pastors to teach it, I would sign up.  But I am not for mandating the teaching of the Bible or mandating that copies of the Bible be placed in every classroom, even if those copies were in a contemporary version. 

This question is very similar to the previous question here about the separation of church and state. When we start talking about the mixing of church and state, we are going down a road that is very dangerous to the mission of the Kingdom.  Christians should never attempt to force people into relationships with Jesus.  We do not want Bible study, Bible reading or church attendance to be compulsory.  We believe in free will. 

Jesus teaches something incredibly important in Matthew 7:6 that might help us understand why mandated Bible teaching in public schools is such a bad idea.  In Matthew 7:6 Jesus says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”

The surrounding context here is Matthew 7 verses 1-12.  Jesus’ goal in this section is to eventually teach the Golden Rule in verse 12, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  So verse 6 must relate in some way to the Golden Rule.  Since the verses before and after it are some illustrations about how the Golden Rule can be applied, it is highly likely that this too will be an application of the Golden Rule.

The verse mentions dogs and pigs.  These were two very, very unpopular animals in ancient Israel.  When I was a missionary in Guyana and Jamaica, I dealt with plenty of street dogs.  They were often out of control, barking and fighting constantly. One scholar I read says this, “Pigs and dogs were considered unclean animals, which had no appreciation for valuable things. Pigs typically ate the vilest foods, and dogs were scavengers, consuming even human blood. Stray dogs were known to growl at those who tossed them food as well as those who ignored them. The image would thus be forceful and beyond dispute for ancient hearers.”[1]

Jesus is not saying that we should evaluate people, and if we think they are not worthy of Bible teaching, we should withhold it from them.  Another scholar, Dallas Willard, writes: “Jesus is not suggesting that certain classes of people are to be viewed as pigs or dogs.  Nor is he saying that we should not give good things and do good deeds to people who might reject or misuse them.”

What Jesus is saying: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Do you want any teaching shoved down your throat?  No. No one likes that. That isn’t how Jesus worked, and it is not how any thriving relationship grows, whether a relationship with God or humans. 

Jesus is saying that so often we have precious things that we want to give to people that they are not ready for.  The problem is that we are not listening to these people.  We might have good intentions, but our good intentions make little difference when people don’t want what we are offering. 

Think about how Jesus interacted with people.  He built relationships.  He invites us to follow his way, not forcing himself on others.

Forcing religion on young is why so many leave the church.  Mr. Walters’ mandate is misguided, therefore, and it seems he does not understand Jesus’ heart or Jesus’ method of making disciples.

But Walters says he is just trying to introduce students to the theological beliefs of our founding fathers, a theology that was important to their creation of our nation.  He believes students need to know the Bible in order to understand the history of the founding fathers. 

Which founding father?  Thomas Jefferson?  Jefferson, a deist, famously disagreed with the supernatural, and made his own Bible that removed the miraculous.  Can you see the potential problem there? 

And that leads to numerous questions.  Is Oklahoma using a Bible curriculum? Who will create it?  What theology will it teach?  Will teachers who have not studied biblical interpretation teach the Bible?  Will teachers who are not Christians teach the Bible?  Walters’ idea is a recipe for all sorts of problems.

Here’s what I think would be a far better approach. As with any Christians, Christians in Oklahoma should do what Jesus did, and what Jesus taught us to do: make disciples, teaching them to obey everything he taught.  We do not go around neighborhoods or schools attempting to force anyone to be a follower of Jesus.  We invite them with love and care, demonstrating the Fruit of the Spirit to them.  Sure we have a story to tell.  But we do not ever try to mandate that they hear that story. 

In my local school district students can voluntarily go to Bible to School during the school day through the release time program.  Students can go to Good News Club after school.  Students can go to Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Focus.  All of these groups are opportunities for students to study the Bible.  I support these Bible study opportunities because they are not mandatory.  These are free will opportunities for students to learn God’s Word and build relationships. 

I call on Walters to revoke his mandate.

[1]Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. 1993. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament . InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, Ill.

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There is no one obvious biblical way to vote – Q & A Oct 2024, Part 4

Is it acceptable for a Christian to vote one way on a measure, not because they think it is biblical, but because they think it should be a function of government?

Because we are citizens of the Kingdom of Jesus, my opinion is that there could be many ballot measures for which it could be very difficult or impossible to say, “I am casting the biblical vote”.  As if there is obviously only one way to vote.

Instead, numerous votes for ballot measures and candidates are not clear cut. We Christians try to apply biblical principles and wisdom to a vote. That is not always easy to do.  What that has meant over the centuries is that Christians will often view things differently because they are applying the same biblical principles in different ways.  Sometimes this is because they interpret the Bible differently. Which is totally normal. 

This is why there are Christians who view the idea of pro-life in very different ways.  This is why there are Christians who believe the right to bear arms should be unrestricted, and there are Christians who believe the right to bear arms should be restricted.  We could talk about all sorts of issues that Christians disagree about.  That is normal.  That has always been the case.  And yet, we are a part of the same family of God, and we love each other.  Jesus is our king.  We all are to be seeking to understand his Jesus’ ways and heart more and then act accordingly.

The result is that when it comes to ballot measures, or many other facets of government, we should be very careful not to say that one political party has the one obvious biblical position so we should only vote according to that party’s interpretation.  Rather, we should do the work of learning why the other party believes the way they do, asking God for wisdom, all the while not having our hope in any government.

That leads to another: Are there good bible verses to understand this?  I think the verses about our citizenship in heaven are very important.  Here are three passages about it:

“But our citizenship is in heaven.” Php 3:20

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Eph 2:19–20

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Pe 2:9–10

All earthly nations are temporary. The Kingdom of God is eternal.  Christians should be passionate about the advancement and mission of God’s Kingdom.  Because we are also citizens in an earthly nation, it is right to want that nation to be good.  It can be very helpful, then, for Christians to engage in politics to help lead the nation to be good.

Just remember to carry your political opinions with grace.  There are Christians all over the country voting differently from you, and they believe their vote is the hope for a better future for our country.

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What Jesus says about paying taxes and separation of church and state – Q & A Oct 2024, Part 3

In light of upcoming ballot measures in some states, is Matthew 22:18-21 actually arguing for a separation of church and state? Is it acceptable for a Christian to vote one way on a measure, not because they think it is biblical, but because they think it should be a function of government? Are there other good Bible verses to understand that further?

Three questions there, all about religion and government. In this post, I’ll try to answer the first question. The next two questions will be in tomorrow’s post.

First of all, what does Matthew 22:18–21 say? 

“Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.”

What the Pharisees are doing here is trying to create an impossible situation for Jesus.  If he answers that the Jews should not pay the Imperial Tax, he would be expressing loyalty to the Jews, and he would be implying that it is okay to break Roman Law.  If he says that they should pay the Imperial Tax, he could come across as disloyal to the Jews.  Of course, he gets out of the tricky situation by saying that it is important to both be generous to God and pay your taxes, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.”

Is Jesus here arguing for a separation of church and state?  It does not seem to me that separation of church and state is what this passage is about.  I think Jesus is saying that taxation is not enough to justify rebellion or civil disobedience.  Pay your taxes.

What if you disagree with how the government spends its money, or if you disagree with the taxes it imposes? Not all taxes are good taxes. Some taxes are unjust. When you disagree with taxation, use the appropriate channels of government, voting and the justice system, to try to make changes. 

But we haven’t answered the question: what about separation of church and state? Is it good? Bad?

This question reminds me of the passage we studied in 2 Samuel last week when God gave David victory as David and the army of Israel conquered all of Canaan.  I talked about how Israel was a covenantal theocracy. As long as Israel kept the terms of the covenant, God would bless and protect them.  If they broke the terms of the covenant, God would allow them to face curses.  They chose rebellion, broke the covenant, and God removed his protection.  But things changed with Jesus. God entered into a new covenant through Jesus’ blood, through his death and resurrection. So God’s new covenant is not with any geographical region or ethnic people group.  Contrary to ideas of manifest destiny, the USA is not special in God’s eyes.

Consider how different the new covenant is from the old.

In the Old Testament, through the Old Covenant, there was no separation of church and state.  When I mentioned above that ancient Israel was a theocracy, it was a nation formed and governed by a religious system, with God as king.  In the New Testament, however, God’s new covenant is not with any nation or ethnicity. God’s new covenant is an invitation for all people, all nations who choose him.

This is why I believe Christians can see separation of church and state as vitally necessary.  Every time throughout history when Christians have attempted to harness the power of the state for the mission of the kingdom, it has gone very poorly.  Separation of church and state is a very good thing. 

I believe our American forefathers were wise when they enshrined freedom of religion in the Constitution.  The state, the nation, the government, needs to be a place where all people can freely practice religion without fear of recrimination.  Therefore Christians are not nation builders, we are Kingdom builders, because our hope is not in earthly leaders, but in Christ.  We usher in the Kingdom of Jesus, conveying the Good news and good deeds of that Kingdom through the use of the Fruit of the Spirit. 

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Why Catholics pray to Mary, but Protestants don’t (and is it a sin to pray to Mary?) – Q & A Oct 2024, Part 2

Catholics deeply respect Mary, the mother of Jesus, in a helpful way that many Protestants and evangelicals do not, and that is to our detriment.  Mary is a wonderful example of a heart for God.  But should we pray to her, and does she pray for us?  How do Catholics come to that conclusion?

It is for Catholics an argument by theological extension.  The historical theological understanding of Jesus is that he is perfect.  Some ancient theologians presented a rebuttal to this, saying, “How can Jesus be perfect if he was born of a sinful human?”  All humans are sinful.  Mary included.  Wouldn’t Mary’s sin be passed on to her son?

So, those theologians reasoned, to avoid Jesus gaining a sinful nature through birth from a human, God had to do some kind of miracle. Those theologians decided that the miracle had to take place before Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit.  If Jesus was conceived into a sinful womb, they believed, he would inherit that human’s sinful nature, just as all humans inherit a sin nature from their parents. 

In their view, God must have done a miracle in Mary before she became pregnant with Jesus.  That miracle made Mary sinless.  That is what Catholics call The Immaculate Conception.  They are not talking about the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb.  The Immaculate Conception is a speculative idea that Mary’s parents miraculously conceived her in perfection.  They believe that when Mary was conceived in her mother’s womb, it was immaculate.  Sinless.  Thus Mary was born sinless.  That, the Catholics say, is how Jesus could also be born sinless.

So Mary was not only a virgin, Catholics believe; she was sinless.  This idea of the Immaculate Conception, of Mary being a sinless virgin, elevates her significantly in the mind of Catholic theology, to the point where she holds a unique role, the sinless Mother of God.  Catholics believe that though Mary is mother of God, she is not equal to Jesus.  Mary is still fully human, whereas Jesus is 100% God and 100% human,

In the Catholic view, while Mary is not deity, Mary is in a class of humanity all by herself.  No other human, Catholics say, had that kind of miraculous conception and sinlessness, and thus, Catholics believe humans can pray to Mary, such that she has Jesus’ ear, just like she did at the wedding in Cana. 

But generally, Protestants, and especially Evangelical Protestants, disagree with this. Mary was human, just like the rest of us, conceived in sin, and living a life that included sinful actions and thoughts.  She needed salvation just like the rest of us.  There is no teaching in the New Testament that mentions anything about praying to Mary or about Mary interceding.  Therefore, while we can very much respect Mary and see in her a great example, we do not pray to her. 

That brings us to the second part of this question about Mary: Is it a sin to believe that anyone other than Jesus can intercede on our behalf? My opinion is No, it is not a sin to believe that others can intercede for us.  Intercessory prayer is the act of going to God on behalf of other people.  We are to be interceding for others.   There are loads of passages in Scripture that teach us to pray for one another. 

But let me make a clarification, though: we Protestants do not believe that dead humans are interceding on our behalf.  Thus we do not pray to dead humans.  We pray directly to our trinitarian God.  Father, Son and Spirit. 

In Romans 8:26–27, Paul writes that the Spirit intercedes for us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

In what I just read, both Jesus and the Spirit intercede for us.  1st John 2:1 and Hebrews 7:25 also describe Jesus interceding for us.  My conclusion to this group of questions: we should respect Mary and even look up to her as example of a faithful disciple, but we do not pray to her. Is it a sin to pray to Mary? I don’t believe we should call it sin. Misguided? Yes. But sin? No. Instead we should pray to Father, Son and Spirit, and the Son and Spirit intercede for us. We also pray for one another.

In the next post, I try to answer a question about the separation of church and state.

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When it comes to Mary, Protestants and Catholics agree on a lot – Q & A Oct 2024, Part 1

What does the Bible teach about Mary as intercessor?  Let me give me you a one word answer: nothing. The Bible teaches nothing about Mary as intercessor.  So why do Catholics believe that people can pray to Mary and Mary will intercede for them?

Have you ever heard the phrase “Hail Mary?”  In our culture that refers to a last-ditch effort of any kind, an attempt that has very little chance of working. Most commonly we think of the Hail Mary play in football, which is when there is only a couple seconds left on the clock, and a team needs a touchdown to tie or win, but they are really far away from the end zone.  So they send a bunch of receivers on a sprint, 50, 60 yards to the end zone, and the quarterback launches a long bomb pass, desperately hoping one of his receivers will jump up and grab it for a touchdown.  It almost never works.  Except yesterday. Check out this clip:

That football play is called a Hail Mary because of the Catholic prayer that goes like this, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”  That prayer can, like the football play, be thought of as a last-ditch effort. If we’re desperate and God doesn’t seem to be answering our prayers, maybe Mary can talk to God for us. Can she? Let’s talk about that.

Let me start by saying that we Protestant evangelicals have loads of common ground with Catholics.  Have you ever heard that there are Christians and there are Catholics, as if they are two unrelated groups?  That separation is false.  I am a Protestant, an evangelical Protestants to be precise.  Catholics are Roman Catholics.  Protestants and Catholics can all be Christians.  A Christian is a follower of Jesus, choosing to give their life, habits, and hearts to his ways. You can do that as a Catholic or as a Protestant. I’m bringing this up to say that Protestants and Catholics are both historically Christian, and we agree on far more than we disagree. 

That goes for Mary too.  Protestants agree with Catholics about Mary in many ways.  But let me back up.  Who is Mary?  There are a number of people named Mary in the Bible, but the Mary this question is referring to is Mary, the Mother of Jesus, as we heard in the Hail Mary prayer above.  So of course, a person who is the mother of Jesus is someone who was unique and special in history.  No other woman was chosen by God to be the mother of God the Son, the Messiah. 

We read about Mary the mother of Jesus in numerous places in the Gospels.  Of course, Mary is perhaps the central figure in the story of Jesus’ birth.  There is only one story about Jesus’ childhood, when he was twelve years old, and Mary is there too.  During a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, when it was time to go home, he seems to have lost track of time because he was having some theological conversations with religious leaders at the temple. His parents realize Jesus is not in the group traveling back to their home, and they get scared, as any parent would, retracing their steps.  When they finally discover him, Mary is not happy. 

The next time we encounter Mary is eighteen years later, when Jesus has just returned from being baptized by John. We read about it John chapter 2, verses one through eleven.  Jesus, his disciples and Mary are at a wedding together in the town of Cana, which was just down the road from his and Mary’s hometown of Nazareth.  During the wedding reception, when she finds out that the wine has run out, Mary looks at Jesus and simply says, “They have no more wine.” 

I would love to have seen the look on her face, the twinkle in her eye, the playful tone in her voice, because that simple remark from his mom produces in Jesus the most interesting response.  I also wish I could see the look on his face, the tone of his voice when Jesus says to Mary, “Dear woman why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.”

It really seems they have a wonderfully close relationship, almost as if Jesus and Mary are teasing each other.  Mary knows what Jesus is capable of, and Jesus is perhaps slightly embarrassed, or maybe he is teasing her right back.  Just like mothers and sons can do.  I see it with my wife and our sons frequently, particularly because Michelle has such a good sense of humor. 

In this case, Mary makes a shocking response to Jesus’ comment.  Mary totally ignores Jesus.  He has just said, “Why are you bringing this up to me, Mom?  It is not my time yet.”  She doesn’t answer him.  Instead, she turns away from him, and she speaks to nearby servants saying, “Do what he tells you.”

There is only one person in the Gospels who ignores Jesus’ words and gets away with it.  His mom.  Mary has just overruled Jesus.  A human has just overruled God, and God acquiesces!  It is an astounding encounter.  It is only Mary who ever does this.  Jesus ends up doing what Mary said, famously changing the water to wine, in what is his first, or one of his earliest, miraculous signs. 

We will see Mary only rarely in the rest of Gospels, with her most notable remaining appearance at the foot of the cross.  So think about her relationship with Jesus at the wedding at Cana. Mary’s character and stature is obvious.  She is quite an amazing person. 

Catholics see that in her in a helpful way that many Protestants and evangelicals do not, and that is to our detriment.  Mary is a wonderful example of a heart for God.  But should we pray to her, and does she pray for us?  How do Catholics come to that conclusion?

We find out in the next post.

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