Rev. George Miller
Oct 29, 2023
1 Kings 12:1-19
Since September, we’ve explored the concept of the extended faith family,
chisme, and the question “Why?”- why do we follow Jesus?
Today, as we honor the Saints, remember the Reformation, and celebrate
the Gift of Grace, these themes unite.
We watched as our Spiritual Forefather Jacob sinned against his brother and
did what he could to make it right.
We heard God tell our Ancestor Moses “I AM WHO I AM” and offer the 10 Commandments.
We witnessed a city of women come together to celebrate Naomi, Ruth, and
the birth of her child.
We were there when King David unified the nation around the Ark.
Today, we see a very sad moment in our faith family’s history- when King
David’s grandson ruined it all with his ego and lack of care about the extended
faith family.
This is a pivotal moment. The 12
tribes of Israel, made up of the 12 sons of Jacob, have come together to crown
Rehoboam as King.
This is not a nation of unconnected individuals- these are aunts, uncles,
nieces, nephews who are connected through blood or their shared experience of
God.
As chisme tells us, this family of Israel, who call Abraham father, have
a simple request for their cousin Rehoboam-
“Please don’t treat us harshly like your Dad did, let our burdens be
light and our yoke easier and we will diligently work beside you.”
They’re not asking for special treatment- they’re saying “Let us work honest
hours, earn a livable wage and we will follow you.”
The elders advise him to be a servant to the people who speaks kindly. The younger advisers say-
“Heck with them, that lazy lot- tell them you’ll make work harder for
less pay and if anyone complains, you’ll whip them until they bleed.”
When Rehoboam could have shown equity and kindness, he chooses cruelty
and punishment.
Immediately 10 of the 12 tribes say “Nope!” and create their own labor
union.
Rehoboam flees to the only family member who will have him- Judah,
located in the south.
What could have been a joyous experience of love and unity becomes the
moment when Israel goes from a nation of 12 tribes, to a nation of 1, leaving
the faith family exposed and vulnerable to the enemies that surround them.
All because the uncles, aunts, cousins dared to say “Treat us right and
we will love you forever,” and Rehoboam said “I would rather have you bear a
heavy burden and show me fear.”
…so this story leads us to a question, one we’ve been asking for weeks- “Why?”
Why do we choose to follow Jesus as our Shepherd King, and not someone
like Rehoboam?
What is it about Jesus that we know, that we experience, that we feel
that makes Jesus our “Why?”
This morning we glean a second answer.
When Jesus had the opportunity to engage in a possible power struggle,
he spoke a word that still resonates today.
In Matthew 11:28-30, the followers of John the Baptist come to Jesus to
ask if he is the Messiah.
Instead of a “yes” or a “no,” Jesus recounts what’s been done, praises
John’s work, gives thanks to God, and says these words-
“Come to me, all you that are weary, and are carrying heavy burdens, and
I will give you rest.”
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in
my heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Why Jesus?
…Last week we saw how Jesus learned from and listened to a woman of
another culture and expanded his ministry, offering healing to her family.
Today we see how Jesus, as the Shepherd King, reaches out to us who are weary,
to us who feel as if we are dealing with too many worries, too many things, and
says that he will give us comfort, he will offer rest.
King Rehoboam says “You think it’s hard now, wait till I make your back
break!”
Shepherd King Jesus says “I know your aches, I know your pains, come and
lay in my arms.”
Why Jesus?
Because Jesus looks upon us with compassion and care, sees the way our
worries dig into our skin and bends our back.
Shepherd King Jesus says “Share my work, gain wisdom from me. See how I am gentle and humble, so that you
can…exhale.”
Why Jesus?
Because when rulers like Rehoboam would rather watch us cry and make us
bleed, Shepherd King Jesus says “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Note that this is not Jesus the Enabler who will clean up our messes so
we are forever helpless.
Nor is this Fairytale Jesus who says “With a wave of my wand all your
yokes and burdens will disappear!”
This is a very real, a very healthy King Jesus who says “Walk with me,
follow me, learn from me and you will discover ways in which your unbearable
burdens don’t weigh you down and there are ways in which you can breathe.”
And one of the ways in which we breathe, one of the ways we feel less of
a burden is through the grace we find in Jesus.
The grace we find in Jesus that says we are enough. The grace that says we belong to God. The grace that says we are assured a place in
God’s heavenly kingdom.
Grace that says there is nothing we can do, nothing we can say, nothing
we can fall victim to that will separate us from God’s love, God’s promise, and
God’s glory.
Because of Jesus, we are part of the Family of God. Which means we are part of the messiness of
our ancestors. We are part of the soulfulness
of the Saints.
We are One in the glory and the power of the Lord, forever and ever.
No earthly king can destroy that, no foolish decision can cancel that, no
tragic mistake can undermine it.
Thanks to the grace of Christ, the call of Jesus and the love of God, we
are assured that we are not alone and our lives are not in vain.
For that we can say “Amen.”
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