Special Sunday Edition
Ethan Barton, Pastoral Resident, Tallowood Baptist Church
I always had the utmost respect for my dad. So much so that I was always (or at least very often) eager to respect and obey what he asked of me. After all, his decisions were wise ones. But every once in a while a question plagued me: what would I do if he commanded me to do something that was not wise at all? Could I bring myself to disobey him?
Jonathan is one of the great unsung heroes of the Bible, and this story is one of the clearest reasons why. He faced that exact predicament. His father and his king commanded him to have David killed, but aside from the love Jonathan had for his friend, he knew it to be obviously insane. He had to choose between following through with an obedient but evil act or potentially facing the consequences of contradicting Saul. At this point in time, that could jeopardize his own right to the throne. And not to mention, didn’t Saul try to have Jonathan killed for an innocent mistake a couple chapters ago?
Yet despite the stakes, Jonathan chose to disobey an evil command. He secretly warned David of the potential danger, and he tried to sway the heart of his own father by reasoning with him. This must have been a terrifying conversation to have, considering both Saul’s authority over him and Saul’s reputation for rampant rage. But thankfully, at least for the time being, he succeeded.
How often are we faced with a choice between obeying the Lord and obeying some other sinful voice that we happen to like? Friends may pressure us to do things for the sake of popularity. Political parties and social media tell us what we have to think in order to be good people. Even authorities to whom we willingly and lovingly submit, such as parents or (dare I say) pastors, inevitably will lead imperfectly. The easiest thing is just to go along with it. Perhaps we assume that if they say it, it must be right, and God must agree. But this is turning them into an idol! We can and should follow them when they are leading us in wisdom, but if and when they’re not, we must choose wisdom anyway.
Obedience to Jesus oftentimes must involve disobedience to other things. Jesus said that to be disciples, we must love him more than our own families and even our own lives. Can we actually do that when the rubber hits the road?
