“Repentance and Forgiveness”
August 4, 2024 – Northwood United – Rev. Michael Hare – 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a & John 6: 24-35
For those of us who follow the lectionary the readings during Year B focuses on the story of David who eventually becomes King of Israel after starting out as a lowly shepherd. During the doldrums of the dog days of the summer we hear the story of David and Bathsheba, a story of gender politics and power that it is spread over two Sundays. It is a story that whoever put together what we know as the history of Israel in the biblical canon decided that it was important, to remind ourselves of how even the heroes of history can be deeply flawed human beings.
The current debate about how to read Alice Munro in light of the revelation of the sexual abuse of her daughter by Alice’s second husband should remind us, if nothing else, that even our contemporary heroes can be deeply flawed human beings.
The story of David and Bathsheba is one of the abuse of power for personal gain. David is getting older. He is experiencing mobility challenges. He decides to stay at home when his troops go off to war. One late afternoon David sees from his rooftop a beautiful woman who was bathing. David is smitten, asks who she is, Discovers that she is Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who is also one of his generals. Despite having that information David sends for her, has sex with her and Bathsheba becomes pregnant.
David knows that he has a problem. He sends for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. He arrives home for the purpose of having a conjugal visit, that’s the plan according to David. A successful conjugal visit will quiet the rumours about the fatherhood of the child. But Uriah refuses to sleep with his wife despite all of David’s efforts otherwise. Uriah’s argument was why should he experience the comforts of home when his troops were camping in open fields. Even attempts to get him drunk were unsuccessful in getting him to sleep with Bathsheba. As the story unfolds, we realize that it is Uriah, the Hittite, the outsider, the one who acts honorably.
Frustrated David sends Uriah back to the front accompanied by a letter to Uriah’s Commanding Officer given instructions that Uriah is to be placed at the head of the troops and in such a position that Uriah will be killed in battle. Uriah is indeed killed in battle. David quickly marries Bathsheba so that the child will appear to be legitimate child.
What we have here is a sexual assault. Like all sexual assaults there is an abuse of power. Let me be clear: Bathsheba did nothing wrong. David abused his power as king and as a man for his own selfish purposes. We may even by appalled by how a man chosen by God to be the king of Israel can behave the way that David did.
We may wonder why those who put together the biblical canon chose to include the story of Bathsheba. We may wonder why this story show ups in the lectionary to be read every three years. Maybe the story is told to remind us that as human beings we are capable of abusing power for our own personal gain. We are probably more subtle about it but we live in a world that rewards those who successfully acquire power and use it for their own purposes. The Church is no exception. The Church has been complicit in oppression, judgement, and antisemitism. We have benefited from an economic system based on the exploitation of individuals and resources. And no one has called us to account. Although to be fair the Church of England is wrestling with how to make reparations as part of their historic endowment stems from the time of slavery and plantation owners.
So if I am right in thinking that the story of David and Bathsheba is about the abuse of power then we need to think about how we can be called to account for our abuse of power, either individually or collectively.
The issue of accountability is important. We have a God who is opposed to the abuse of power by us humans. In the particular case of David and his relationship with Bathsheba God is more than opposed to the abuse of power. God is furious. Nathan, the prophet, is sent to confront David about his behaviour. Nathan tells a parable about a rich man and a poor man and a ewe that belongs to the poor man. David becomes angry and is ready to execute the rich man in the story. Nathan gently points out to David, that it is he, David who has offended. David has to acknowledge that he is the sinner. And if you listened to the text carefully you would have heard that Nathan will expose David’s sin publicly. There will be no coverup!
And as much as we might desire revenge David is spared. That does not mean that there will not be consequences. The child that Bathsheba is carrying will die shortly after birth.
We may resist being held accountable for how we have failed to act in accordance with our own values and the commandments. We like David do wrong to our neighbours in ways that have real human costs and consequences that cannot be washed away. We are dependent on on the mercy of our God whose love for us is marked by a graciousness which is beyond human understanding.
Our God is gracious towards us because our God has experienced the human condition in the life of his Son and knows the challenges that we face in resisting the temptations of power. That is why our God has given us the gift of coming to the Table, to be fed, to be strengthened in our resolve in acknowledging how our abuse of power has hurt others. The Eucharist reminds us that we are to give thanks in all times and in all places for God’s gracious activity in the death and resurrection of his Son giving us the ability to hope and pray for the coming of God’s new world in which no one will be exploited or abused by power in its many and varied forms.