2 Kings 10:7 When
the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets
and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
It’s one of the bloodiest moments in
the Bible and it’s done in the name of God. Seventy young princes are beheaded
by their guardians simply because their father’s enemy Jehu believes that he is
fulfilling God’s prophetic word of condemnation upon Ahab and his descendants.
It seems that men way back then, just like now in the Middle East, justified their
most gruesome and inhumane acts through the trappings and convenience of religion.
When I read of those macabre events,
as well as the cruel beheadings of innocents that are taking place today, it
causes me to both despair of religious humanity, as well as to ask serious
questions about God. If the slaughtering of people is the means by which God’s
promises are fulfilled, does that mean that we are following a capricious deity
who could wipe out the entire planet on a whim? I feel uneasy about asking that
question because it may appear to others that I am casting doubt in the true
existence of God. Be assured that I am not - what I’m really exploring is the
sinful human ability to use God as the means of justifying wicked acts.
This reminds me of what happened to
Jesus. Religious people conspired against Him and used their scriptures to
justify the decision to destroy Him. Jesus was conveniently killed by a
political capital punishment process, but make no mistake about this, it was
God-fearing servants and clergy who put Him on the Cross. The irony of it all
was this: the people who believed that they were following and fulfilling God’s
will were actually killing His Son. The wickedness and defiance of religious
people against embracing God’s Son revealed the absolute depths of brutality,
vehemence, and sin that people of faith will often justify, even today.
So what’s the lesson in all of this?
What can we glean and apply in our own lives? I think that the answer is one of
self-awareness. Our zeal for God can destroy our love for one another. Our
religious stances can obliterate our Gospel witness. Our strong faith can
overpower and oppress those who are weak, vulnerable, and alienated – the very
people that Jesus meant for us to tolerate, support, and love.
Questions for personal reflection
Have I ever used
my faith to put down or humiliate someone else? If so, have I sought Christ’s forgiveness,
or do I still justify my sinful action?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, protect us from our
self-righteousness and religious bigotry. Open our hearts and minds to Your
loving teachings that continually challenge our passions and principles. Keep
us on Your faithful path and protect us from our unjust ways. In Your Holy
Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If
you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s passage, please send
him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of my latest Halloween drawings, made with crayons and paper
sculpting. It’s called “Halloween Hoot.” If you would like to view a larger
version, please click on the following link: Owl.
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