August 17, 2008 Sermon

Even Kings Must Behave
II Samuel 12:1-12

When urged to read their Bibles, people occasionally reply that one reason they do not do so more consistently is they struggle to apply it to everyday life. If this goes for you, listen carefully.

In 2004 Senator John Edwards of North Carolina made a decent run at the Democratic Party nomination to run for President of the United States. On the strength of that showing, he decided to run again. He never really quit campaigning. He traveled around the country, making speeches and keeping his supporters organized and motivated. He also conducted an extra-marital affair with a woman producing videos for his campaign. He claims that the affair began in December of 2006 and did not last long. But it is difficult to know what to believe, because when news of the sad story first appeared in The National Enquirer he denied it. But the tabloid ran pictures of him visiting her and her baby (born in February of this year). He then admitted to knowing her, but denied having had an affair. Finally he and his wife, who through this period dealt with a recurrence of breast cancer, issued parallel, supporting statements. Yes, he had an affair. No, the baby was not his. Yes, he had confessed it to his wife and yes, she had helped him hide it.

Mr. Edwards’ statement offers a strangely honest look into the inner life of a dishonest man. (And before going any farther, let me say that we are all dishonest at some level. Every one of us sins.) After confessing to many of the allegations against him and denying the rest, Edwards wrote about the challenges faced by public figures. He mentioned the temptations placed before him by men and women attracted to power. He spoke of the impact this has on many celebrities and politicians, how they begin to believe in the falsely wonderful picture of themselves people give them. He added, “Over the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic.” Like many a star high school athlete, like the twin models from Buckley who got arrested for abusing flight attendants on an airplane several years ago, John Edwards no longer felt constrained by the laws of man and of God.

Mr. Edwards did eventually fess up. He wrote that he was ashamed of himself. And he comes across as actually meaning it. His political career has ended and he knows it. Why not tell the truth? Though I do not condone his behavior I do give him credit for taking his lumps like a man. If only more men (and women) would do the same. Far too often when our sins catch up to us we try various duck and run strategies. We start where Edwards started: denial. Somebody catches us gossiping. We claim we never said that. But the charges keep coming. So we complain that we’ve been misunderstood, or that our motives were so pure they outweigh the mere fact of hurting others by lying and telling stories behind their backs. But let us say that, like John Edwards, the evidence of our misbehavior overwhelms our attempts at denial.

What next? Often, we try to turn on the person holding us accountable. I recently had the experience of hearing from two separate sources that a third person was speaking ill of me. I prayed about it and felt led to approach that person directly. (Again, before going farther let me say that while I may come off as the good guy in this story, I have played the bad guy, too!) At any rate, when I telephoned the person gossiping against me, he or she tried not to engage in the conversation. Never did I get an answer. Never did I get a return call. By chance(?) I ran into this person at the store. Perhaps because it was a public place and I had him or her cornered, we finally did talk. But as the conversation progressed—or should I say, regressed—this person began to blame me for the situation. More and more angry accusations flew through the air. The more rational part of me recognized that this passionate response reflected a guilty conscience. The more emotional part of me felt angry and hopeless that we could ever reconcile our relationship.

These things happen. Pastors learn they cannot please everybody all the time. It comes with the territory. And as I told one of my informants, you always have to consider the source. Gossip comes from insecurity and envy. The person talking about me hurts for some reason. It is entirely possible that I caused part of that hurt. But no amount of explanation can erase the negative turn this relationship has taken. And nothing positive can happen unless and until that person takes responsibility for the sin of gossiping. All of which leads us to the completely human sinner we read about this morning: King David. David sinned, and sinned boldly. And on more than one occasion, when confronted with his sin, he confessed it, felt real remorse, and turned away from that particular sinful behavior. David models repentance.

When David became king of all Israel he had some unfinished business to conduct. Saul, his predecessor, had lost too many battles and too much territory in the ongoing warfare with the surrounding peoples. While David had more military success, the wars continued throughout his reign. Meanwhile, David had a wandering eye. It fell on a beautiful young woman named Bathsheeba. Inconveniently, she was married to a man named Uriah whom David knew and admired. But David wanted Bathsheeba. He concocted a conspiracy with his army’s commander: in the next attack put Uriah front and center, where the hottest fighting would occur. Then pull back the soldiers around him. Strand him and he would surely get killed. Actually, the plot was even more nefarious. But Uriah’s impeccable behavior kept thwarting David’s desire for Bathsheeba. It took the “fall back and leave him alone in battle” strategy to get the job done. Then, as the Bible so coyly puts it, David “comforted” the widow. Nine months later, she had a child.

All this happened before God sent Nathan to confront David with his sin. Try to imagine Nathan’s fear as he enters the presence of the king. Yes, God has given him the task. Yes, he knows he has the truth on his side. And yes, as king David has the power to kill him for daring to hold him accountable. Nathan gathers his courage. In obedience to the call of God he goes to David. He uses the parable of the rich man and the lamb to do the job. As we read in Nathan’s story, the poor man cared for the lamb tenderly. It was all he had. The rich man wanted it only so he could slaughter it and feed his friends. He used it for temporary pleasure. David’s immediate, stormy response was to condemn that rich sinner. Nathan’s thunderous reply (“You are that man!”) has become one of the most famous moments in the Bible.

When confronted with his sin David repented. He admitted his sin. He expressed genuine remorse. He turned away from it, making a real attempt to quit misbehaving in that particular way. He modeled repentance. Do we have the courage to follow his lead? When confronted with sin, repent.

We do not all have Nathans in our lives, people who with courage and integrity confront us with our sins. Yet God has many ways of holding us accountable. The conscience, that inner sense of right and wrong, is one of the most powerful. (I view the conscience also as evidence for the existence of God, but that belongs in another sermon.) Oft times the positive example of a person who acts purely can show us our own sin in contrast. Whatever the method, God does confront us with our sins. God also gives us the freedom to try to deny our guilt. Ultimately, however, we cannot hide from the truth. Sooner or later the story gets printed, the pictures get revealed, and our sin hits home. What will we do when it does?

Let us follow the example of David. Let us repent. Let us confess our guilt. Let us turn away from behaving sinfully. God had already removed one king, Saul, who refused to repent. David paid a terrible price for his sin. The son born to him and to Bathsheeba died, just as Nathan warned he must. Yet David remained king. The two of them had another son, whom they named Solomon. Things worked out rather well for him. But that is not the point. The Bible does not promise that we will grow rich and powerful if we just say we’re sorry when we sin. No, the point for us today is that we ought to imitate David and repent of our sins because it is the only way to climb out of guilt and broken relationships, relationships with one another, and our relationship with God. Repent. Confess your sins. Turn away from them.