June 2--The Superpower Everyone Has Access To

There's only one way I know of to stay in relationship with others, and it's by taking hold of the superpower that's available to everyone who wants it.  Today's passages are all about it:  2 Samuel 19, John 21, Psalm 120, Proverbs 16:15-16.

Click here for the written post of today's episode.

Eve reads her Bible journal aloud on this episode.

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Transcript

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June 2. The superpower everyone has access to. I won't be reading the scripture references. For those, please check the written post. On the way to my house, grandson Bane punched his brother Rafe for not understanding what I'd said, so Rafe punched him back. Before I knew it, both boys were screaming at the top of their lungs so loudly I cranked up the music to drown them out. After a minute or so I turned it down again and they started back up, Bane explaining how stupid Rafe was, and Rafe beside himself over the injustice. Rafe's cries at age four were too loud for Bane's to be heard at age six, so Bane dug deep to fill up the airwaves yet again. I turned the music back up and rode in my rockin' mobile with Ezra, age eight in front while his siblings squalled in back. A couple of minutes later I turned the music down again. This time it was quiet. Boys, you were hurting my ears. I turned up the music to get your attention. We're about to be at my house. Before we can get out and have some ice cream, we need to talk about what happened. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Bane said right away without conviction. I'm not looking for you to say sorry, Bane. I'm looking for you to think about what you did wrong and tell me about it. I want Rafe to do the same. Nobody gets to say what the other person did. Got it? When we arrived, I told S he could get out. The rest of the grandboys were there and waiting for him. I turned to the brothers in the back seat. Are you ready? I was wrong to hit Rafe. I was wrong to hit Bane. And I'm sorry, Bane added, which was a nice touch. I'm glad you're sorry, Bane, but you know, saying I'm sorry is easy. It's more important to forgive Rafe and treat him like a friend again. Will you? I forgive you, Bane said, and his words sounded heartfelt. I want to be friends. I forgive you back, Rafe said. Both boys were grinning, and the misery of just minutes before melted right out the windows. Let's go eat ice cream, I said. Maybe this step toward forgiveness was taken under the duress of newly bought ice cream melting in the way back, or maybe there was something real in it. Whatever brings warring brothers into friendship again, I'm all for it. Today's passages say how forgiveness is the superpower we all have access to whether under duress or

2 Samuel 19

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over it. The Old Testament chapter is 2 Samuel nineteen. With his son Absalom dead, the threat to David's throne is gone, and it's time for him to get back to Jerusalem since he'd been on the run. The people of Judah who've been loyal all along turned out to welcome him with cheering at the river Jordan. But for all the hoopla and fanfare going on in the background, the focus of this chapter is on just a few specific characters. First there was Shimei. This man cursed David and threw dirt on him on his way out of town, but was one of the first to welcome him back, groveling for forgiveness. General Abishai wanted to kill Shimei for his earlier disrespect, but David said there wouldn't be violence this day he's restored as king over Israel, and he gave Shimei grace. Then there was Zeba. He was the steward who told King David that Mephibosheth, grandson of former King Saul, wouldn't go with David when he left town because he wanted to stay behind and claim the throne for himself. Zeba brought his sons and servants to meet David to celebrate his return. There was also Mephibosheth. He came claiming that Zeba lied to David about why he didn't leave with the king when David left town. What's more, Mephibosheth had been so grieved about the danger for the king ever since. He hadn't bathed or changed clothes since the royal family fled. I bet he had the BO to prove it too. Zeba, who sounded loyal on David's way out, smelled like a rat on his way back in, but David didn't try to sniff him out. While he'd given Ziba all Mephibosheth's land before, on second thought, he said to divide it equally now. But Mephibosheth said Zeba can have it because all he wanted was to have King David safe in Jerusalem again, which sounds a mite much to me, but what do I know? Next was Barzali. He'd supplied the king and his army with provisions while they'd been away fighting. David wanted to repay him for his generosity and offered to put him up in Jerusalem for the rest of his retirement, but Barzali refused, saying home is best for old codgers, but if David wanted to repay him, he could give Barzali's servant his place, which David did. Lastly, the army of Judah was on hand to accompany the king with half of the army of Israel there too. Israel's leaders met with the king to complain that he let Judah beat them to meet him at the Jordan when it was their idea to do it. This would have been hard for David to care about since these same men of Israel had deserted him to support Absalom. Barzali is the only one in the chapter who deserved respect because he was the one who served David without asking for payment. He didn't make excuses or blame others or gun for David's favor either. In fact, he gave away favor to a servant instead of keeping it. David rewarded him by doing just what he asked, as well as by blessing and kissing him in front of everybody else. Barzali's love for David didn't look for what it could get, which is why he stands out. David didn't try to control the squabbling of others on this important day. He didn't try to get to the bottom of anything, decide who was guilty, or demand payback either. What he did was model forgiveness for those who deserted him, and in one way or another they all had except for Barzali. Proverbs says love pulls up the covers of forgiveness over sin. This is what David did because this is what God did for him. God doesn't zero in and zing us for every mistake. He's patient and long suffering, and he waits for us to fess up. He's generous with forgiveness, and he wants us to be generous too, because he's been generous to forgive us. Generous forgiveness and the lack thereof shows up in our relationships. Do we go tit for tat in arguments? Do we assume another's bad motives and dig in to expose them? Do we fan the flames of conflict or do we forgive them with love, even smother them? It takes maturity to let another blame you while you cover them. It takes believing that your sins are just as dirty, scandalous, and awful. It takes being filled up with God's love so full that you're sloshy, and with so much to pour out, you don't try to squeeze it out of another. But how could David forgive these folks on this day of all days when he just fought against most of his kingdom just to keep it together, when he's been betrayed by so many he thought were loyal, when his very own son had to be killed so that David and those with him could live to see this celebration day? Eugene Peterson writes that David demonstrated the work that Jesus would come to do, the work of forgiving broken human beings and choosing to connect with them, not reject them. This is how God deals with us too, who doesn't hold grudges for disloyalty, who's not nitpicky about sins, who's not counting failures, but generously embraces us because of Jesus. David could forgive because his forgiveness didn't originate in him. Forgiveness doesn't originate in you or me either. Forgiveness comes to us in the free flowing river of God's love, washing through us and softening us, taking out the debris of our sore selves and our sore relationships, making us better than we were before. And all it takes to access the superpower is having a relationship with Jesus.

John 21

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The New Testament chapter is John twenty one. It's early morning just a few days after Jesus is risen from the dead and a few more days since Peter betrayed him. The disciples have been out all night fishing because Peter wanted to go, but they haven't caught a thing. Jesus hollers from the beach and tells them to throw their nets on the other side of the boat. They don't recognize him until their nets are loaded with fish. Jesus is loaded too, but not with anger over Peter's denial or their desertion of him, but with forgiveness. He has business to do with Peter here, and it's important. But first he feeds his friends the breakfast he's cooked, and afterwards he asks Peter if he loves him. I'm guessing Peter is braced for the talking to that never comes. What Jesus is after goes deeper than I'm sorry. He wants to set Peter free from his guilt and shame so he'll follow him again. Maybe his return that night to fishing felt easier than following Jesus. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. Three times Peter says yes. Three times Jesus says to feed his sheep. It couldn't be more clear. Jesus gives Peter three chances to take back his three denials by saying three times that he loves him because Jesus still loves Peter and he still wants to use him in his kingdom. Jesus never says how could you? He simply says, If you love me, do what I do. Great failure redeemed by great forgiveness becomes a powerful tool, and this fisherman turned fisher of men used his superpowerfully when he preached the good news of Jesus. And we have access to this superpower if we have a relationship with Jesus

Psalm 120, Prayer, Proverbs 16:15-16

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too. From Psalm 120. Some enemies spurn peace. They're even inflamed by offers of peace. The Psalmist lives among people like these. What does he do? He begs God to deliver him from the liars he lives with. He knows God will answer because God's against abuse. Knowing God will make things right gives him strength to live in peace, regardless of what his enemies do. How do you have peace when your offers of peace instigate war? Through forgiveness you forgive even this, because forgiveness doesn't depend on the other guy to participate. It depends on God alone, and whether or not anyone else joins in is beside the point. You can have peace in the midst of war if only within yourself, by loving your enemies from your heart, praying for and forgiving them. This is what Jesus taught. This is what Jesus did. This is the superpower He died to give us. Forgiveness is the only path to peace that there is, and we have access to this superpower if we have a relationship with Jesus. God, burn off the self righteousness I'm prone to, the inner whisper that I'm superior, the desire to beat another if only by forgiving first. Let your forgiveness soften and scrub me. Free me to really forgive so I can really follow you. In Jesus' name, so be it. From Proverbs 16, 15 to 16. Good leaders are like rain and sunshine, but they make others thrive. When you have a choice between having more insight or more income, choose what makes you wiser, not wealthier. Passages from 2 Samuel, John, Psalms, and Proverbs are selected for today in the yearly Bible. This is Eve, de Bartelaban, Robuck.