Sometimes
when we are in a position where we don’t know what to do, we listen to the wrong advice instead of listening to a voice
of reason. In the case of Ahab, he knew what he wanted, he just didn’t
know how to get it, which lead to the same outcome, and he followed the wrong advice.
As we heard last week, Ahab was a terrible king and he made it all the worse by his choice in wives. How often have we heard the name Jezebel used as derogatory? As
in you Jezebel, how could you act so deceitful? Well, this is where that entire
connotation comes from. For jezebel acted cruelly and wrongly for the sake of
her husband. An idea of the ends justifies the means, but in this case, things
didn’t go according to plan.
Our story tells us that King Ahab wanted a vineyard, and as king he thought he was entitled to all. So he went to Naboth and said hey, let’s make a pretty fair trade, I’ll give you more than
it is worth or give you a different vineyard for yours. Truly, the deal the king
tries to make is fair, but that isn’t the point. As Naboth tells us, the
Lord said to me, not to give you the land of my ancestors. A simple response,
God told me not to. But this isn’t good enough for Ahab.
Have you ever been in a position where you were being pressured to do something, even though you knew it wasn’t
what God wanted for you? It’s an interesting place to be in. For our relationships with God are all so different, we pray differently, we interact differently and we
hear God differently. So when someone says, God spoke to me, how quick are we
to truly believe them. I hear often the question, well what happened to all the
prophets, did God just stop working through the voices of people? No, definitely
not, but we live in a time where hearing God isn’t always socially acceptable, and beyond socially, within the church,
we have become cynical and disbelieving. Perhaps because we don’t hear
God that same way or because we don’t believe that God works as strongly though people.
It is a hard place to be in to try to understand Naboth’s command from God, to not give his ancestral land away. He knew that the Lord God told him not to, and as we learn further in the account,
he knew this so strongly that it ultimately cost him his life. That alone could
cause us to ask questions from our cynical side, well if God were truly behind Naboth, would he ask him to hold on to his
land even though it would lead to his death, or perhaps Naboth just said that to get Ahab off his back? This is where our disbelief in how our God did and does interact with the world can cause us to stumble.
We ask questions trying to disprove what is happening, that idea of Naboth dying for his land gets in the way of how
we might picture God defending one who was being obedient. But perhaps our story
goes deeper, perhaps Naboth’s death was inevitable regardless of Jezebel’s interference. What more came from this account?
We see Ahab as a whiney leader who wanted something he was told he couldn’t have.
So he stopped eating and threw an all out tantrum, trying to get what he wanted.
In comes Jezebel, a woman who some might say was just trying to help her husband.
Imagine back when you read Macbeth, can’t you hear lady Macbeth’s cries of, “out, out (blank) spot,”
as she tries to wash her hands clean of the blood that was spilled in her efforts to make her husband king. Sometimes someone else’s ambitions deeply affect our lives, whether or not they act trying to help
someone, if we allow their wrong actions to take place, we might as well have committed the crime or offense ourselves.
Jezebel tells Ahab, don’t worry honey, go eat, I’ll get you the vineyard.
Ahab asks no questions, seeks no information he just goes and eats. Do
you think he thought Jezebel was going over there to say hey, it would be really nice if you would give this land that has
been in your family for generations to my husband the spoiled rotten king? I
don’t think Ahab thought that was what she was going to do. But our story
doesn’t mention whether or not he cares what she would do to get the land. Instead,
we hear how she would acquire the land.
She writes on Ahab’s behalf, again he asks no question, to the elders, and sets up this deceitful encounter where
Naboth would be stoned. And the elders ask no questions, they know Naboth hasn’t
done anything wrong, perhaps they even know that the King was denied his land. But
they do nothing except follow orders. Again I ask, how often do you stand up
against what you know is wrong even if it goes against those in power around you? It
is a hard thing to do, something that requires courage, strength, conviction, peace knowing that what you are doing is truly
right. But how often do we second guess ourselves, thinking, well maybe I don’t
know all the details, perhaps this person really is wrong? How many opportunities
to help others, or do the right thing, do we let pass us by because we don’t trust our own instincts?
The elders of the city did nothing to help an innocent man; they followed orders and put him to death. How many opportunities did people have to listen to God and do the right thing? Ahab could have responded immediately and said ok, if that’s your command from God I will respect
that. Jezebel could have said to Ahab, if that is what God said, then we have
to obey too. The elders could have said, what crime has this man committed, and
where are those who wish to accuse him justly? No one stood up for what was right
except Naboth. Everyone else allowed
someone’s greed to trump what God had commanded.
It’s almost shocking to think about that many people missing an opportunity to do the right thing. And of course that kind of response is still going on today, people stand by while someone is robbed, residents
living in fear don’t come forward with information about a crime. We mock those who claim to have heard from God, cause usually the ones who are saying
it, are homeless and holding up signs saying the end is near. We miss God moments
every day. We let them slip by and sometimes we think, man, I wish I had done
something, but it’s too late.
Our passage from Luke offers us some hope. A woman who sins are great;
perhaps greater than we can imagine, pours her heart, her soul and her tears
out for Jesus. Although socially unacceptable, she goes where she is unwanted,
and washes Jesus’ feet with her tears. Imagine all the wrongs you have
ever done spilling out through your tears on to the feet of Jesus. All the emotions, the pain, the humiliation, the hurt, just pouring out on the one who can truly understand
your pain, that acceptance which makes the tears come even more freely, covering the feet of your messiah.
That is what one woman did in a house of those who would never have even looked at her, let alone offered her a seat
in their home. Here she was on her knees in front of all these people who despised
her, and she could care less. For, finally, she could be understood and forgiven. And when they can’t take it anymore, Jesus says, “Therefore, I tell you,
her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But
the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Then he said to her,
“Your sins are forgiven.”’
We miss the mark often, just like those gathered around Jesus that day. We get caught up in what’s acceptable, what’s correct policy; are we allowed
to do this? Instead of seeing people
for who they are, who we all are, broken sinful and needing that forgiveness that Jesus so openly offers. We get lost in our heads, and stop listening to our hearts. We
allow the pressures around us to suffocate that little voice inside us that says, that almost screams, do something.
We are so beaten down by rules and practices, doubts and insecurities that we can’t hear God pushing us forward,
giving us the strength to stand up for those who can’t stand, to help those who are in desperate need. We lose ourselves within ourselves. Our own pains outweigh
our ability to see the hurt in others. Instead, we head to the response of, well
if they knew what I was going through they wouldn’t be acting that way, instead of hearing, maybe they also are hurting
so bad, that this is the only way they can interact with me.
We so often get lost in our own lives, that we forget that everyone we encounter is also living a life that might be
filled with pain and uncertainty. How much greater would it be if we could approach
everyone with a sense of our own brokenness, our own called life through God. A
God who loves us even when we act so despicably; why can’t we attempt to love others that same way, with our tears evident
and our hearts ready to truly hear the life of another?
We have stopped listening. The silence of our lives has been replaced
by Bluetooth, twitter, cell phones, texting, the voices of those we shouldn’t be listening to. We are filled with the wrong voices. If only we could find that strength of Naboth, that strength to listen to our God and to follow where he
leads, no matter where it takes us. Or the strength of the woman at Jesus’
feet to realize that there is no better place to be in all the world than at the feet of our Savior with our true selves on
display.
Be encouraged by these examples; allow them to influence you as you seek to strengthen your relationship with your
God. Take time to listen, to truly listen because your God, the one who sent
his son for you is speaking. Take time to hear, for those around you are hurting
and need you, just like you need people to hear you. Take time to respond, for
you will find yourself in a position where someone will be facing injustice unless your voice is heard. Take time to be, to simply sit in the presence of your God with no expectations, just an open heart.
