Monday, November 9, 2020
2 Samuel 11 and 12 and Psalm 51
Sin and Parable – Part II
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
The story is a famous one: David succumbs to human lust and he takes something which belongs to another. When Bathsheba conceives, he tries to trick her husband Uriah into a scenario in which the king’s child can be passed off as Uriah’s. When Uriah’s purity and faithfulness to Yahweh get in the way, David arranges the murder of this good and loyal man. A terrible tale. Nathan brings David the parable of a man who steals a beloved object from another. David at first is angry, then admits his guilt and expresses regret and grief for the damage he has done.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Lust, Adultery, Murder. These are all acts of selfishness, of obliqueness, of anger. There is nothing direct here, nothing open or honest. These acts take place in shadow and in deep places. There is no light. There is no truth.
Let us consider the sins we have committed either actively or by leaving undone an action we have been called to complete. Let us consider how these commissions and omissions separate us from all that we are meant to be and do. And let us consider what these sins have to say about who we are.
Let us consider how many parables Jesus teaches us with his words. Let us consider how many parables Jesus teaches us with his actions. And let us consider how many parables our own lives teach.
Visit one of the Gospels and choose a parable that Jesus teaches us. Spend time with it today reflecting on how we might teach others through our actions rather than our words.
Tomorrow we consider the sacrifice God asks of us.
Adapted from a reflection written on February 13, 2008.
Image from: https://www.theleidencollection.com/artwork/david-and-uriah/
The Noontimes 