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June 16th:
I Want It Call: Psalm 5: 1-8 (742) Text: 1 Kings 21: 1-21a Read: W&S # 166 I Want It! A preacher is a number of things [Please: I am not asking you to suggest what some of those things might be.] While most importantly a preacher is an interpreter and communicator of scripture. He or she is also a cheerleader For Christ and for Christ's church Including all who make up the church You see, our Christian faith is a positive - not negative faith And you and I ought to be joyous and enthusiastic Thus, encouraging a joyous and enthusiastic atmosphere Is a part of the preacher's role And in that we find "the preacher as cheerleader." So today, I am going to practice being like a cheerleader I am going to do that - even though I don't have a megaphone I can because God blessed me (or cursed you) By giving me strong vocal chords. So I think I can handle it Even without that traditional cone shaped sound enhancer Let's try it. Give me a "J" Give me an "E" Give me a "Z" Give me another "E" Give me a "B" Give me a third "E" Give me an "L" What does it spell? Jezebel And today, we are going to spend the morning with Jezebel Not with "a" Jezebel But with "the" Jezebel, the Jezebel of the OT Yes, the Old Testament! For Jezebel is a biblical character She's not someone from Greek or Roman mythology She's not someone from Aesop's fables She's not someone from a cheap dime store novel Or what they call today "adult literature." She was King Ahab's wife And thus, although born in Phoenicia and worshipper of Baal She was queen of Israel the northern portion of a kingdom that had split into two parts after Solomon's death. The part which was also called Samaria Jezebel was a wicked woman In fact she has become the personification of a wicked woman But contrary to popular belief her wickedness does not derive from lust. There is nothing in the story of this OT Jezebel That provides indication of lust. Lust, gluttony, and sloth are the only three of the seven deadly sins Of which we have no evidence that she was guilty However, the four of which we do have compelling evidence Greed, pride, wrath, and envy Caused her to break at least seven of the Ten Commandments And adultery was not one of them. So, this personification of a wicked woman Should not direct us to the lust and adultery type of sin But rather a much deeper, more dangerous type of selfish sin. The really scary thing about this woman And the very reason we are spending the morning with her Is that We can - to some extent - relate to her failures and failings We can see enough of ourselves in her to learn from her. And I believe that the most upsetting aspect of studying scripture Is finding parts of ourselves In the characters we most want to not be like. To find that we can understand Jezebel - even to a small extent - Is discouraging and discomforting but it is informative and helpful With that warning, This is her story: 1 Kings 21: 1- 16 Jezebel is a woman who knows what she wants And has a plan as to how to get it. In this day and age most of us would feel complimented if someone observed, "You are a person who knows what you want." And most of us, in making such a statement to or about another Would intend it as a compliment. Very few of us would be pleased if someone told us, "You don't know what you want." Or even, "You know what you want but you have no idea as to how to get it." and such statements would seldom be intended complimentarily. Not only is Jezebel a woman who knows what she wants and has a plan to get it But what she wants she wants for someone else. Can any of us think of wanting to get something for someone else Without thinking of O"Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" [And here I should note that every year as we celebrate of high school graduates I try to make a literary reference So as to convince the graduating seniors that I too am educated.] But in this case, meeting this self imposed annual requirement is secondary "The Gift of the Magi" is my all time favorite short story. And it just jumped right out As a contrast to the story in the scripture. The story is about Jim and Della Young who are not blessed with riches but who love each other so much That he sells his watch to buy combs for her beautiful hair and she cuts and sells her hair to buy him a platinum fob for his watch. That story made me cry when I first read it in high school And it continues to touch my heart now "somewhat more than a decade later." I don't even have to reread it All I need is to think about it and I get misty eyed. Jim and Della knew what they wanted to give each other And each had a plan to do it. What then, is different about Jezebel wanting to get Naboth's vineyard so she could give it to Ahab? It is simple for us to say: "Murder," "theft," and "conniving to produce false witnesses." We like that answer. We like that answer for then we can all say simultaneously, indignantly, and forcefully. And, I am sure too, accurately. That, "I wouldn't have done that," I really cannot imagine anyone in this room Doing the same things that Jezebel did But when we give those answers, We distance ourselves from Jezebel's story And cheat ourselves out of the lessons we can learn from it. What is different is the characteristic That abounds in O'Henry's story But of which Jezebel is devoid Sacrifice! Sacrifice is the very same characteristic we have talked about the last two weeks When we looked at its absence in Ananias and Sopphira And its presence in Stephen. Sacrifice is the essential characteristic manifested in and taught by Jesus The Christ We see it when he talks about loving our neighbors as ourselves We see it when he reminds us that that message applies even to our enemies We see it when he tells us to forgive For in doing so we must sacrifice our anger and desire for revenge. Most of all, We see it in the cross Where Christ willingly died for you and me. In "The Gift of the Magi," Jim and Della loved each other so much That they each sacrificed his/her prized possession To give to the other. In our scripture, Jezebel sacrificed nothing In the church we talk about Christ's "sacrificial love" But to me that term is redundant For sacrifice and love are intertwined and interrelated. How much we are willing to sacrifice for another is the true measure of our love. Jim and Della loved each other Jezebel loved only herself. You and I can relate to both the scripture and the short story Because we constantly make decisions about How much we are willing to sacrifice To get what we want. And that brings us to the rest of the story The part where God - through Elijah - Comments and passes judgment. I find it revealing. [21: 17-29] It is not surprising that Jezebel was to be punished. It is not surprising that Ahab was to be punished Even though he had neither planned nor executed the land grab For when Elijah found him Ahab was on his way "to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it." It is not terribly surprising that God showed mercy when Ahab showed repentance by putting on the sackcloth For we Christians are used to God showing mercy (and for that I breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Thank you God.") What surprised me and opened my eyes Was something that I should have recognized more quickly. For in the verdict Elijah presented, he not only convicted Ahab Of murder Of theft and Of doing what is evil in God's eyes But also, "He acted most abominably in going after idols." Acquiring Naboth's vineyard had become so important to The royal couple That they had given it priority over God That they allowed their desire for it to become their focus That the begin all and end all of their lives Was this vineyard not God. And this is where you and I Who would seldom, if ever, even think of Murder, theft, and false witnessing Should be able to relate to Jezebel. For we too put so many, many things ahead of God And we are often inclined to allow our desires rather than God's word, love, and example to determine what we do. [pause] Don't we? The cheerleader in us wants to encourage God and Elijah By shouting (with or without megaphone) "Hit them again, harder, harder" referring, of course to Jezebel and Ahab. But perhaps it ought to refer to us And the idea of hitting us with this story of idolatry.