2Sam. 11: 26 - 12: 13a

[-14, suggested]

This is a sad and depressing story. It paints a picture of the glorious and revered King David who is all too human in his selfishness and evil intent. The only decent thing he did was to allow the widow-- of the man he had had killed-- the customary time for mourning. On the day after that period ceased, he sent for her. Not to comfort her or to seek her forgiveness, but for his own delight. Truly, not a mirror we enjoy looking into.

But that is not the worst of it. The most distressing part is the portrait that it paints of YHWH God. It begins: But the LORD was displeased with what David had done (11: 27), then continues with Nathan's parable and its interpretation in current events, resulting in the king's contrite confession. And Nathan replied to David, "The LORD has remitted your sin; you shall not die." (12: 13b)

At this point we take heart, for God's grace and mercy have come to the fore. Which means that we-- even you and I-- stand a chance of having our sins forgiven. But then Nathan goes on, speaking God's Word: "the child about to be born to you shall die." (12: 14)

I want a God of grace, mercy and peace to believe in, and such a God is evident in this text. I also want a God of righteousness and justice, but such a God is glaringly absent here. Instead of righteousness being upheld and justice meted out, the perpetrator gets off, and the poor, innocent, unborn child is condemned to death. Righteousness? Justice? Where, God?

The lectionary wants to avoid this disquieting question, so it cuts the story short. "Let's end on a happy and moral note, with David's confession." But how happy and moral is that ending, lacking as it does YHWH's response? Can you preach a sermon on the value of confession if you neglect to speak about the effects, the results? Why should one bother to confess, if there is no response from God?

So we have a dilemma, a difficult choice: either omit, or face, YHWH's response. Obviously, it is easier for us to skip it, as if it did not matter, it was not important. But that thought disturbs us, because it is important, it does indeed matter very much. What to do?

To begin with, we ought to start thinking with our hearts, instead of just feeling with them. We also need to read the rest of the story, for therein we find another way to approach the problem. For who was it that really suffered? The unborn child, who never drew the breath of life? Or David, who knew and cherished life, and who knew and dreaded death?

You see, God graciously forgives us the sins we confess. But the child still must die.

Psalm 51: 1 - 12 [3 - 15, TNK]
David's grief is evident in his lament of confession. Yet he does not despair, despite all that he has done. Rather, he turns to YHWH in hope, he looks to God for mercy.

David trusted in YHWH's cleansing and forgiveness; later Prophets repeat God's gracious promise:

If we acknowledge our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. (1Jn. 1: 9) For, you see, the Child has died.

Eph. 4: 1 - 16

Yes, Jesus died for us, so that we might live for Christ. (2Cor. 5: 15, 1Ths. 5: 10) But God did not permit Jesus to go to the cross to suffer and die for our sins, merely to be nice to us. No, God has a purpose in mind: to create a unity among people, Jew and Gentile, the Church and the whole world. God's purpose in Christ is reconciliation, and not just between God and us, but between Jews and Christians, between the Church and the world, between each person and everyone they encounter. God's purpose is unity, not just in the Church, but in the world.

And so Christ died and was raised, not just for our benefit and enjoyment, but rather so that we, having experienced forgiveness and reconciliation, might go into the world offering forgiveness and reconciliation to everyone else. But, in order to do that, to follow Jesus, we must give up our selfishness, our pride and prejudice, our arrogance and conceit, our preferences and desires, our personal agendas. Yes, even give up our freedom.

I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace (1-3). God's purpose in Christ is the reconciliation of the world, to God and to each other. (2Cor. 5: 18ff) We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2Cor. 5: 20) Is it not instructive that the Apostle so pleads with the Church?

John 6: 24 - 35

It is interesting-- almost amusing-- that the crowds, in asking for a sign from Jesus, recite: "'[God] gave them bread from heaven to eat'" (31), forgetting that, just the day before (22), Jesus had given 'them bread... to eat'. Or, perhaps, they thought that one day's feeding is not a sufficient miracle; they wanted 40 years' of it. Forgetting-- again-- that it took only a few weeks before their ancestors became tired of it and clamored for meat. Oh how human, how like us they are! Yes, even us who believe: the redeemed, the saved.

They began on the right journey: they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. (24) So did we-- once. But what happened when they found Him? They asked: "Rabbi, when did you get here?"(1) (25) Distracted by curiosity or, perhaps, trying to open a conversation politely. If and when we bother to go looking for Jesus and happen to come into His presence, what question will we ask?

The NAB footnotes to 6: 6 that, "in this gospel Jesus is never portrayed as ignorant of anything." Mark exhibits Jesus' "omniscience" through His response, which goes right to the heart of the people's concern: their desire to continue to be fed. But they deftly try to evade that truth by asking a question that is almost on target: "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" (28)

This question can be read in two ways, but our Lord's reply shows that they were not seeking instruction on how to carry out missions, but were asking: "What must we do to be saved?" The same question that Nicodemus was trying, but unable, to ask. It is a question that the Church continues to hear, and often responds to incorrectly.

Listen to Jesus' answer: "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one [God] sent." (29) That's all there is to it, folks. There is only one "work" that God requires: believe in Jesus. So simple, so easy, that we cannot accept it. We want-- we feel compelled (by guilt, shame and pride)-- to be obligated in some way, to have to pay a price, to have to do something(2) in order to accomplish the works of God, in order to be saved. We think that we-- and everyone else-- need to earn God's love, that we all must deserve God's grace.

But Jesus says: "Not so." The only thing anyone has to do is to "believe in the one [God] sent." We do not have to perform any difficult, meritorious works of righteousness; we do not need to flagellate our egos with full public confession or loud lament of repentance for sins committed. Contrition, confession and repentance are not keys to the kingdom, for God has lifted up the gates and flung wide the doors so that all may freely come in to the banquet, the wedding feast of the Lamb. The only ticket required is to "believe in the one [God] sent."

Cheap grace? For us, most assuredly; but for God, most definitely not, but the direst, most expensive imaginable-- far beyond our vain imaginings. For the Child has died. YHWH's righteousness has been honored and justice upheld in that act; when God took the world's guilt and punishment upon God-self and suffered, and died-- for you and for me. Thus have we been washed in the blood of the Lamb; our crimson sins have become whiter than snow.

Cheap grace? For us, yes, because God in Christ Jesus has paid the full price for us. All-- the totality-- of what we must do is to "believe in the one [God] sent." Accept it, Christian; that is God's Word to you and for you, and the Good News which you are to take to the world. Now read the Ephesians lesson again.

1. 1 Their question is more (but not wholly) understandable if we read vv.16, 17 and 22.

2. 2 Usually expecting-- demanding-- that it be onerous, costly, painful: thus worth our while.

(comments to Phil at ENAPXH@aol.com )