Seeking Substitute for Loss of Temple, 1 Kings 12:25-29

Jeroboam was in residence in Israel, but didn't feel safe. The place of worship for them was still in Jerusalem. If the Israelites continued to travel to Jerusalem, they might transfer their loyalty to Rehoboam.

He felt his own rule and life were in danger. On advice, he had two gold calves constructed. He said, "Now you don't have to go all the way to Jerusalem to worship. Look, here are your gods that brought you out of Israel." Read Exodus 32:1-8 for background of how this was really a bad idea.

When any of us feel the loss of God, do we seek tangible substitutes?

Split, a reflection on 1 Kings 12:18-24

When all Israel (that is, the northern tribes) saw that Rehoboam wasn't going to listen to their request to moderate work demands, the response was, "Why should we care about David? We have no stake in Jesse's son!" The workers then stoned the work gang leader to death. King Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem.

Israel sent for Jeroboam and crowned him king of all Israel. Rehoboam assembled the house of Judah and Benjamin (the southern tribes) to fight against the north in order to restore his right to rule the whole kingdom.

However, a prophet was told by God to tell Rehoboam and the rest of his people not to make war against the Israelites, "Go home every one of you, because this is my plan." They went home.

These verses are omitted from the lectionary, but I think they help understand the ones that are included. Further, they raise a question of how we decide (realize?) to attribute events to the plan of God.

Rehoboam's first decision as king a reflection on 1 Kings 12:1-17

When Jeroboam heard that King Solomon was dead, he left Egypt and returned to Israel. The people reminded Rehoboam that his father had imposed heavy workloads on them and asked if he would lighten what was demanded of them. Rehoboam asked for three days to think over their request. When he asked his advisors how he should respond to the demand, they told him that if gave in on this, the people would support him forever.

[The former leader made great achievements and imposed great demands of others. How does a successor duplicate success without duplicating the demands? How does a new leader choose which of the predecessors ways to repeat and which to modify? How should achievement be measured, anyway?]

On the other hand, his younger advisors told him to say he would make their workloads even heavier. He ignored the advice of the elders and went with the younger people. He told the workers, "My father made your workload heavy, but I'll make it even heavier! My father disciplined you with whips, but I'll do it with scorpions!" [Scorpions? Is that a metaphor?]

Rebellion followed. Rehoboam had to flee to Jerusalem.

Background to this week's reading, a reflection on 1 Kings 11

Jeroboam's repair work of the wall in Jerusalem impressed King Solomon so much that he sent him to oversee another job. On his way, Jeroboam met a prophet who told him that after Solomon died, God was going to split the kingdom. Solomon's son would be given only one tribe's portion of land but that tribe would always rule over Jerusalem. Note, Jerusalem is where the temple is. Further note, the temple was necessary for worship. The rest of Israel would be ruled by Jeroboam on the condition that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

Solomon's mood changed. He tried to kill Jeroboam who fled to Egypt. After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king.

Promotion, a reflection on Mark 10:42-45

James and John went to Jesus and asked him to do something for them.

I'm pausing here to think about what usually prompts me to pray. 

Let's go back to James and John. They asked Jesus for glory, to sit next to him. Jesus informed them they had no idea what they were asking. "Do you really want to be next to me? Are you prepared to do what I am going to have to do? Besides, it's not my choice anyway."

The other disciples were upset when they heard that James and John had sought preferential status. Jesus called them together and informed them of what it took to be great. 

"Greatness is not lording over everybody; for us, greatness takes a different approach. To be great, you have to be the servant. Take me for example. What I came for is not to have everybody take care of me, but, instead, to serve, even to give up my life."

Then, and even now, we have church leaders who display similar attitudes to James and John. They want to be in charge, and they want everybody to know who is in charge. They display little appetite for devoting their efforts to the needs of others.

I'm trying to imagine an advertising campaign for a church that would use some of the language that Jesus used with his disciples--that drinking the cup that he was going to drink or being baptized what he was going to be baptized. He had already told them three times about his upcoming death.

Had the disciples not been listening? Have we been?

Whom the people want as king, a reflection on 2 Samuel 5:1-5

Saul is dead. His son Jonathon is dead. Although he was initially kept from battle, David turned a defeat into a victory. 

Eventually, the tribes of Israel conclude that David should be their king.

Or, am I supposed to be reading this as finally the people of Israel catch on to what the Lord has long planned?

Back to the king part. When the people had first wanted a king, the Lord had forecast for them what life with a human king would be like (see 1 Samuel 8), but they wanted one anyway. They just weren't able to trust the rule of the Lord unmediated by a human king.

Welcoming a new leader, Mark 11:8-10

Imagine living in a land that once had been yours but now is under the control of a powerful overseer; imagine that your own political and religious leaders answer to this other force. This was life for the Jews in the time of Jesus.

They looked backwards to help them see forwards.

When Mark told of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he quoted from Psalms and from the prophets who had spoken to the people as they envisioned return from exile.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

Mark's readers have known what came next: He will defeat the enemy and the prisoners will be set free (Read Zechariah 9:10-17).

We still are reading the Gospel of Mark. And we still are being held captive. For some Christians, the captors are actual human overseers. For others, they are powerful forces. As individuals, we may be worried about loss of health or loss of a specific loved one. Or, as a community, we have shared concerns.

And today, we can think of the economic strictures around the globe.

How much have we lost?
How much do we fear?
What will tomorrow bring?

Bitter and yet not bitter, a reflection on 4 Maccabees 18

The author addresses the Israelite children directly:

Obey the law. Exercise piety in everything. Remember the example of the family that sacrificed themselves for religion, and when the tyrant saw that he wasn't able to compel the Israelites to become pagans, he left Jerusalem.

The mother spoke to her sons, reminded them of her virtue and the examples from scripture that her husband had recounted to their sons.

The author describes the day that her sons were sacrificed as bitter--and yet not bitter: For these crimes divine justice pursued and will pursue the accursed tyrant, but the sons and their victorious mother have received immortal souls from God.

Does it make a difference if we read these words as being written to people suffering from a foreign tyrant? Do they help readers who are living in peace and in charge?

Lesson Learned, a reflection on 4 Maccabees 17

When she was about to be seized by the guards, she threw herself into the fire. The writer of 4 Maccabees writes an enconium lauding her for, with her sons, frustrating the evil plan of the tyrant to destroy their faith.  

Ironic outcome: After the lack of success in converting this family, the tyrant was so impressed with their courage, virtue, and endurance, he proclaimed them as examples for his troops. However, eventually Israel became independent from their Seleucid overlords.

Maternal advice, a reflection on 4 Maccabees 16

We are told what the mother said to her sons as they were watching the agonizing death of Eleazar, "It would be shameful if while this elderly endures such agonies for the sake of religion, you were to be afraid of such tortures. Remember that is through God that you have had a life in this world, and therefore you ought to endure any suffering for the sake of God."

They complied with her teachings.

Can you come up with an hypothetical situation in which you would concur with this maternal advice?