“And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!” (ESV – Read the chapter)
David handled the whole affair of Abner’s death in a way that was politically very smart. But, morally speaking, things aren’t quite so cut and dried. In our image-obsessed culture today, this story should really resonate. Today, the optics of our responding to injustice is often thought to be more important than its actual substance. But for David and also for us, God’s concern is just the opposite. If the substance isn’t there, the optics are irrelevant. Read the rest…
“Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Put yourself in Hannah’s shoes for a moment. If you are a woman there is a chance you can. She had been barren for years. In spite of much effort, childbearing remained painfully elusive. Meanwhile the woman she was forced to be with all the time seemed to be able to get pregnant at the drop of a hat. They each had the thing the other desired most, though: Peninnah, children, and Hannah, Elkhanah’s heart. Peninnah could at least take solace in her many children. Hannah merely endured the constant scorn of her rival and wondered why God hated her so much. And then she was pregnant. Read the rest…
In this second-to-last installment of our series, Hard Sayings, we wrestled with the power of the cross. Just how big is the grace Jesus won for us there? It can save a normal sinner, sure, but can it save the worst of them? We’re actually faced with a harder question here: Do we want it to? Is Jesus’ offer of life to anyone fair? Keep reading to see the answer.
The Man Who Got It
Do you remember your parents ever doing something for your brother or sister that they did not do for you? What was your immediate complaint? That’s not fair! Actually, you probably said it with a bit more…emotion in your voice. That’s not faaaaaaiiiir!!! Worse yet, do you remember your brother or sister or cousin or a friend or, really, just about anyone, getting something you were convinced in your heart of hearts they didn’t deserve? What did you say then? About the same thing: “That’s not fair!” Read the rest…
In this final part of our Esther teaching series, Stand Up: How to Fight Injustice, we are reminded that since injustice never sleeps, we can’t either. Over the course of this conversation I offer four ways we can make sure our lives are always ready to fight injustice. Keep reading to find out what they are.
Keep Standing
Last weekend was the annual Relay for Life Walk event. While it has gotten pared back a bit over the years, the original vision for the event was for it to last for a full 24-hours. One of the original slogans that accompanied the all-night walk was that we could walk throughout the night because “cancer never sleeps.” The big idea here is that cancer is always on and so we must be also. We must be ever vigilant to halt its life-stealing advance. Because it never takes a day-off, we can’t either. This kind of militaristic sentiment works for a while, but eventually people start to get tired. Sometimes the very advances to which their support of cancer research has contributed allows some folks to relax a bit and let up on the pressure. It’s tough to stay motivated to support a single cause for a long period of time. Read the rest…
In this fourth part of our series in Esther, Stand Up: How to Fight Injustice, we finally get to the action Esther takes to battle the gross injustice facing the Jewish people in Persia. But, the exact nature of her action really isn’t all that important. Rather, it’s how she goes about it that matters most. Keep reading to see just what it is she does that makes her plan so effective.
Stand with Humility
I was born in what some would call the Golden Age of cartoons. While they weren’t making new episodes, I had all the classic Looney Toons shows available to me. But I came of cartoon age with the truly classic versions of Batman, Superman, Justice League, the X-Men, and Spider-Man. I grew up loving superheroes—a love that is now being richly rewarded on the big screen. The rewards are coming mostly from Marvel Studios which by next May when the fourth Avengers movie releases will have given us 25 movies over the span of 11 years, all telling one, big, overarching story. It’s a little like the comic book world’s film version of the Bible. And indeed, the latest Avengers movie has crossed the billion dollars in ticket sales mark faster than any other movie. I’ve seen it: It was amazing. It is not a standalone film, however, so I am eager as can be to catch part two next May. Read the rest…
The Nexus 