Tag: JJ Fletcher

This is Eternal Life

John 16-17

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

What is eternal life? According to Jesus in John 17:3, it is “knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ”. 

John 17 is often referred to as “Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer”. Here we see Jesus praying for the deliverance of his disciples (that they remain in God’s name) and for them to have unity, the same kind of unity that Jesus has with God, his Father. 

John 10:29 quotes Jesus saying, “I and the Father are one”, and I see John 17 as giving that some context. God and Jesus are not one person, they are not one entity, they are not members of a godhead. They are one in purpose. They are united through the will of God and Jesus’ obedience to that will. There is clear subservience to God in Jesus’ words here, but God has also elevated and glorified him. They have a special relationship as we see through Jesus’ prayer life and language. 

Jesus wants his disciples to have that same kind of unity in purpose and in relationship. Jesus also points out that this is not just for the inner circle of his disciples; this unity and deliverance that Jesus is praying for extends to us. All those who came to faith because of the testimony of the Apostles.

There is also an exclusivity claim here. Eternal life is dependent on knowing the true God and his Messiah, Jesus. There are not many paths that lead to God, only one. 

Jesus emphasizes the importance of truth in 17:17-19. As Jesus’ father is the only true God, Jesus recognizes him as the source of truth. He says, “Your word is truth.” Jesus has been the truth bearer throughout the course of his earthly ministry, but soon, his disciples will be bearing that mantle of truth bearers. Jesus is sending them out into the world, just as God sent him into the world. This ties into the Helper that we looked at yesterday.

The Spirit of Truth, the power of God, God’s operational presence, the finger of God. There are a few ways that the spirit is described or defined. But it comes alongside, and that is in Jesus’ mind as he prays for the well-being of his friends and followers. God keep them safe, not from man, but from falling away. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        What jumps out at you from today’s reading? Is there anything here that has been particularly impactful in your faith?

2.        How should the unity that God and Jesus have impact the unity that we have as believers? If our oneness is supposed to be like theirs, how do we navigate disagreements?

3.        You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. I think we read that recently. How does the truth of knowing who God and Jesus are and having the word of truth from God motivate you? Do you often consider the importance of truth in this age of lies?

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload

The Helper

John 14-15

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

Life is difficult. Even if we believe we have a good life, there is still difficulty. We face temptation, and we sometimes lose our way. We face pressure, and we lose our cool. We have high expectations for ourselves or others, and they are not met. While we may not feel persecution quite like the early church did, we are still likely to face discouragement as we try to live out our faith.

Think about the disciples after Jesus was arrested and executed. They were huddled up and discouraged. The shock and pain of the moment resonated, unlike some words that Jesus had shared with them not too long before then.

Jesus speaks about a helper in John 14 and 15. Let not your heart be troubled. Easier said than done. We all face things at some point that are troubling, but when we have help, it takes the burden off. Certainly, we can be sad and upset when certain events happen, but there is a difference between sadness and despair. Despair is when you are overcome by fear or grief and lose hope. 

What is this helper that Jesus speaks of? The best kind, one that is a direct line from God. Jesus also calls this the Spirit of Truth. When I think about the spirit in the context that Jesus is speaking of, I think of revelation. Through this spirit, God’s people will receive instruction. We see inspiration to write the gospel accounts like the one we’re gleaning from today, and we’ll see letters from Paul and others that instruct and give order to the church. 

I believe the spirit of God will also reveal things to us about ourselves. As Paul instructs us to pray in the Spirit, I believe that this is one way that we get direction from God. As we earnestly seek his will or desire for our lives (beyond the general instruction of scripture), I believe he will reveal it through his Spirit, the helper.

When we face difficulty, we should also be praying in the spirit. This is what we see Jesus modeling in the days leading up to his death. He is earnestly praying for an out but also relying on his father to give him resolve through the Spirit. When Jesus says, “let not your hearts be troubled”, it’s not a matter of resolve; rather, it is a matter of surrender. Allow the Helper, the Spirit of Truth, to guide you through the trouble.

Reflection Questions:

1.        Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as The Helper; what are some other ways that you think about the Spirit?

2.        How have you felt the presence of God’s spirit in your life? How can you test the spirits of influence to make sure they are from God?

3.        Think of some of the ways that Jesus was helped by the Spirit through his ministry. What are some ways that the Helper can impact our ministries in the local church? Do we look for that help?

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload

Backchannels and Backstabbers

Matthew 26 and Mark 14

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

People are complex. We have ideals that we want to live by, but often fall short and fall into patterns of behavior that disgust us. I’m sure all of us want to live like the gospel is the primary motivator for our lives. We want to care for others, we want to honor God and Jesus with our behavior, and we want to shine the light of truth into a dark world. We hit speed bumps, we have a bad day, someone slights us, and we are consumed by disappointment, anger, or frustration, and take our eye off the ball.

We want to honor God, but we also want to be comfortable. We want to be well off financially or to be perceived in a certain way, and we sometimes will slide into behaviors that are focused on taking care of our needs and desires rather than building God’s Kingdom.

Sometimes fear is a motivator rather than hope. How will people view us if we stand out as different from the status quo? What if the movement or organization that we are a part of falls apart? Will we be seen as a failure? Will we be shunned? Will we suffer the same defeat or demise as those whom we have followed or associated ourselves with?

In Matthew 26, we are in the lead-up to the Passover celebration. While this is in view, Jesus also knows what is about to happen… His arrest and execution.

The Pharisees are frustrated. They have been seeing Jesus grow in influence and popularity, which in turn has diminished their influence and the perception that they are the leaders and influencers of the Jewish people. They confront Jesus constantly, yet they are no match for his wisdom and insight. Jesus, in his spirit-filled wisdom, always has the upper hand over the Pharisees, who seem far more interested in discrediting and diminishing Jesus than actually considering that he may be the Messiah. They want to remain the thought leaders of the people, and Jesus is putting the kibosh on them.

As I’ve already brought up, Jesus is popular, and if the Pharisees were seen to be actively trying to dispose of him, they would face some severe backlash. With Passover just around the corner, they see the need to be careful. There are extra eyes everywhere as people have come into Jerusalem to celebrate. So, they start plotting how to secretly apprehend Jesus and quietly have him put to death. They want to make it seem like this is not of their doing, but how? They are dealing in back-channel communications to figure out how to proceed. A golden, or maybe silver, opportunity will soon present itself.

Enter Judas. He’s been with Jesus through the thick of his ministry. But Judas perhaps is not a fan of Jesus’ teaching on wealth. No one is identified specifically in Matthew 26:8-9, but I wonder if Judas is a driver of the indignant attitude of the disciples about this valuable ointment that Jesus is anointed with. In John 12, we are told that Judas would help himself to the money that was collected, and the sale of this ointment would give him more funds to dip into. Judas doesn’t care about the poor; he cares about himself. Judas sees the success of Jesus’ ministry as an opportunity to enrich himself. Perhaps Judas does believe that Jesus is who he claims to be, but he is motivated by his own desires, and this gives an opening for some back-channel dealings with the Pharisees. Judas goes to the Pharisees in secret and asks how much of a payoff they will give him if he delivers Jesus to them. What a backstabber, the ultimate betrayal. Jesus, of course, knows this is going to happen, which must make his preparations for the upcoming events even more brutal to contemplate.

Peter is bold. But he’s also kind of a coward. Jesus knows this. Deep down, maybe Peter knows this, but he’s not willing to cop to it. When Jesus is about to be arrested, Peter is willing to go on the offensive in the moment; he’s willing to go down to protect Jesus, but after Jesus is arrested, Peter has time to think, and he perhaps ponders what will happen to those who were closely associated with Jesus if he is convicted and executed. He ends up denying Jesus as his fear gets the better of him. A bit of a stab in the back to Jesus.

Both Peter and Judas fell into the trap of doing what they saw as best for them, rather than what was right. Judas ends up committing suicide; he can’t live with what he has done, or the repercussions of what this will do to his standing and life outlook. Peter, however, finds redemption. Jesus gives him three opportunities to affirm him, and after Jesus ascends to heaven, Peter becomes the primary leader of the church. Never again will he deny Jesus; he will die for the sake of the gospel. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        In what ways have you experienced failures in your walk? What has allowed you to overcome failure and not let it defeat you?

2.        How can we navigate our pride and celebrate the successes of others, rather than act like the Pharisees and look to undermine or defeat others? How can these attitude dynamics make or break a church? 

3.        Can you think of some ways that help set you up to put faith before your wants and superficial needs?

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload

Watch Out!

Matthew 24

In Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples ask him what the sign will be for his coming and the end of the age. The disciples are anticipating the age to come and the restoration of all things that we see Peter refer to in Acts 3:21. Jesus speaks about quite a few things that will occur prior to his return, but we’ll focus on verses 4-14.

First, there will be some who come claiming to be the Messiah. The Jewish historian Josephus notes that there were multiple individuals who fit this description. There were 4 in particular whom he records as leading messianic-like movements in the first century. While Josephus’ writings are open to debate and interpretation, they do seem to indicate that these individuals were doing what Jesus said they would. These individuals seem to have had political aspirations that prompted their messianic claims. Whether claims were specific to being the Messiah or not, they could be seen as trying to functionally fill into that role.

In politics, there are often claims about how a candidate is going to make things better. An individual can be looked at as a kind of savior by his supporters. In recent American political history, Barack Obama and Donald Trump have had supporters who perhaps viewed them as a type of “messiah”, someone who will “fix” everything that is broken. While they did not make bold messianic claims, it does, in my view, highlight how that type of following can take someone’s eye off the ball in terms of focusing on Jesus. 

Jesus’ warning is that these “false Christs” will lead many astray. In the absence of the true Messiah, there will always be a danger of some individual or group making bold claims that can lead people astray by shifting focus and allegiance away from the Gospel and Jesus.

Second, Jesus speaks of wars and rumors of wars. This is not to say that the presence of war will hint at his immediate coming, but that this will be a reality of life in the time preceding his return. Governments will be looking to exert control and solidify their power. Peace will not be a constant, because the world will not recognize Jesus as king, and even the view that someone has the correct doctrines or ideas will lead to violence against those who are “wrong”. Jesus also mentions that there will be famines and earthquakes, and perhaps other natural disasters can be seen in line with these. These are not seen as culminating events, but rather Jesus describes them as the beginning of birth pangs. These are like early contractions in a pregnancy. There is still a ways to go, but they are a reminder of where things are headed.      

Third, there will be turmoil for the faithful. There will be nations that oppose the gospel and will do what they can to root it out. Whether it be Rome trying to eliminate Christianity in the first century or the Chinese Communist Party opposing Christianity in the 21st century, Jesus highlights that this will be a normal occurrence as the end of the age draws nearer. 

Fourth, there will be many who fall away from the Gospel. This may not mean that they abandon the moniker of “Christ” or “Christian”, but they will functionally not operate as such. Hate and betrayal are common occurrences among those who have fallen away. Perhaps due to power struggles and desire to be the most influential, or maybe even for self-preservation. This disunity will create opportunities for false teachers to infiltrate and influence those who want to follow Jesus, but this false teaching will lead many astray. The co-opting of Christianity as a political tool has been observed in history. State-sponsored churches exist in some countries, and believers with “heterodox” views are barred from legally teaching and proselytizing according to their understanding of scripture, such as a plain reading of scripture, free from longstanding tradition. 

Fifth, all of these things will culminate in a sort of lawlessness. The fallout of this includes what Jesus describes as “the love of many growing cold”. In Revelation, Jesus calls out the church of Ephesus for not having the love that they had at first. Jesus recognizes that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love people. If love goes cold, there ceases to be obedience to one of the greatest commandments. A lack of love for people, specifically the lost, will prevent a “believer” from staying the course on the mission to spread the gospel. 

Jesus says that the one who endures to the end will be saved. This indicates that some will fall away from the saving gospel (see the parable of the Sower). Salvation is for the faithful (though not the perfect), and the faithful will stay the course and share the gospel with the nations. Jesus indicates that there will continue to be those who will remain faithful and push on to spread the gospel, and at some point after the gospel has been preached throughout all the world, he will return. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        Why do you think people fell prey to false Messiahs? What might a false Messiah look like today?

2.        How can we fight against our love growing cold and allowing false teachers to infiltrate our churches? Does church discipline factor into this?

3.        How can you do your part to make sure that the gospel is being preached? Do we sometimes look too much at the big picture and not the practical, small parts of ministry that we can participate in?

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload

The Truth Will Set You Free

John 7-8

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

Freedom. An idea. A goal. A buzzword? During election cycles, we hear candidates speak about freedoms that the other side of the political spectrum is trampling or encroaching on. Those of us who live in the United States enjoy many freedoms that are not experienced in other parts of the world. While there are some exceptions, we enjoy freedom of speech and expression. We enjoy the freedom of expressing our beliefs and following whichever faith tradition we choose (or we can choose not to believe in anything in particular). 

We have to follow the laws of the land, but we don’t typically have to worry about occupying forces that try to control our populace. On the flip side, the incarceration rate in the U.S. is the highest of any independent country with democratic ideals, and it has the most incarcerated people of any nation. While the U.S. has eliminated slavery, there is still an issue with human trafficking, and there are nations that still have forms of forced labor practices.

The Israelites had a history of slavery and occupation. They were in Egypt for over 400 years, around half of that being enslaved to the Egyptians. Throughout their history, there were other occupations, including the Roman occupation that existed at the time of Jesus’ ministry.

In John 8:32, Jesus said to those who believed in him, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”.  Though they lived under occupation, the Jews were not enslaved, and this pronouncement from Jesus befuddled them. They didn’t know slavery, so how or why would they need to be set free?

Jesus is, of course, speaking of the enslaving forces of sin. Whoever practices sin is a slave to it. The Apostle Paul writes that the wages of sin are death. So, this enslavement that Jesus speaks of is that sin that leads to death. The Mosaic Law highlighted sin, made sin apparent in the lives of those under it, but the law did not eliminate sin. The law did not remove temptation and the desire to sin. Jesus, on the other hand, suggests that his teaching holds the keys to throwing off the shackles of sin and death. “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. In verse 36, Jesus says, “If the Son has set you free, then you are free indeed”. Jesus’ teachings were/are powerful and are important to follow, but we also need to remember his place as the lamb who was slain to liberate the captives of sin. Our ability to obey Jesus doesn’t free us from sin, but our allegiance to Jesus and his words can give us victory in our daily battles with sin. Jesus paid the price and gives us victory over sin through the New Covenant that is sealed by his blood. While we suffer and struggle with sin, we should not feel enslaved to it because Jesus has already liberated us from the penalty of sin. A great reminder from John later in chapter 14: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        Do you ever feel enslaved to sin? Do you question why you still feel inclined to sin, even though Jesus has brought forgiveness to you? 

2.        What can you do to deal with temptation? Do we sometimes set ourselves up to sin by not being careful about the situations we allow ourselves to be in? 

3.        Is it encouraging to know that Jesus has given liberation from sin and death, even if we are still experiencing the effects of them? How does this frame how you approach sin? We don’t need to defeat sin; we need to submit to the one who did. How can you take that approach day by day? 

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload

Lost and Found

Matthew 18

Devotion by J.J. Fletcher (Minnesota)

Yesterday, we read Mark 9, and today we see some of its parallels in Matthew 18. The idea of causing “a little one” to sin is here, as well as dealing with one who sins against you, and addressing our own sinful actions. Sandwiched in between these teachings, we read the parable of the lost sheep.

The image of Israel as a flock of sheep is prevalent in the Old Testament. Leaders are viewed like shepherds, but God is the ultimate shepherd. When Israel loses its way, God sends a messenger or “shepherd” to seek out the lost and bring them back to the fold, to the path that they should be walking on.

Sheep get a bad rap. They are often characterized as dumb, but they are far from it. Sheep can remember human faces and differentiate between them. Sheep are herd animals, and the fact that they rely on following the herd, or the sheep in front of them, contributes to the mischaracterization of their lack of intelligence.

You have probably followed someone whom you had a level of trust in, but at some point, you realized that you had followed them the wrong way. Was it easy to course correct, or did you wander for a while? Did someone have to come and find you to bring you back to where you were supposed to be?

There’s a saying that not all who wander are lost, but many who wander are in fact lost. We follow the wrong crowd or come under the teaching of someone who is guiding us in the wrong direction. Those of us who are parents are acutely aware of how challenging it is to raise our “flock” in a culture that embraces self-gratification and relative truth (my truth as opposed to objective truth). Maybe we have become devotees to tradition rather than God’s commands (see the Unwritten Rules devotion from Tuesday). 

We probably all have friends or family members who have gone astray, and we desperately hope to get them back to the flock. We see that God has that same desire, for the lost to be found, to be reunited with his flock. There is much joy when someone returns. The rejoicing over the one who returns over those who remained is not a statement of value; all the sheep are valuable. The celebration is that the one who has been saved from death is now safe, like the 99. 

There are powerful testimonies from people who have lived problematic lifestyles, who walked in a way that was destructive or even dangerous. Many of us have boring testimonies. What a joy to have not had to be saved from a life of trauma, addiction, or danger! We celebrate those powerful testimonies not because those who have struggled are better, but because we can see in their stories the power of the one who went out and found them.

Reflection Questions:

1.        Think about ways that you were lost and how God brought you back. What methods did he use? How can you see His handiwork in your faith story?

2.        How has God used you to seek out his lost sheep? When you feel God’s prompting, do you embrace it, or have you struggled and responded in some other way (Jonah, anyone?)? 

3.        What ways can we work to keep the flock together and avoid having that one sheep split off that we may need to go searching for?

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload

Three Areas to Consider Your Conduct

Matthew 17
Mark 9
Luke 9:28-62

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

Several sections in part of our text today (Mk 9:33-50) stand out to me as timely. The wisdom of Jesus is always timely, but these jumped off the page (screen, really). Contending with our brothers and sisters (think humility), contending with those that are not in our tribe (think bridge building), and our example to those who come up behind us in the faith (think training and discipleship).

Jesus, likely already knowing the answer to his question, asks his disciples what they were discussing on the road to their next stop. The subtext indicates that they were embarrassed, for they were arguing about who was greatest, or who would have the highest standing in the hierarchy under Jesus.  Jesus’ teachings place a lot of value on humility and submission to God. When looking at the Pharisees, we see that they valued their status and relied on that status to give them advantages in their lives. Jesus says in verse 35 that “if anyone would be first, they must be last and a servant of all”. This reminds me a little bit of John F. Kennedy’s line, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. Being a good citizen means that you are not just looking out for your own needs but looking out for the welfare of those around you. How can you help build others up, and how can you protect and advocate for others? Those are questions a good citizen might ask. One might also ask how they can hold themselves accountable as they try to make a difference. 

The disciples clearly cared about what Jesus was doing and teaching, but they seemed to have too much focus on what the benefit of their relationship to Jesus might mean for them and their status. Living as a follower of Jesus has some similarities to living as a citizen in our own contexts, but it has a greater scope and reach. As future citizens of the Kingdom of God, we need to be looking at how to build up other Kingdom citizens. This means that we shouldn’t be squabbling or striving to have the most prominence, status, or influence. We should be striving to do good. In doing good, we may perhaps become influential and be respected, but that should not be our primary goal. We need to work to please God, not to please or appease men. We should not be working to satisfy the needs of our ego, but rather let ourselves decrease, so that Jesus might increase.

We next jump to the disciples telling Jesus that someone who was not in their group was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. This bothered them because they somehow thought it was improper for someone to be doing good works, but not be officially affiliated with Jesus. Good is good, whatever the motivation might be. Unbelievers can do good things. Does that mean we should stop them? There is an opportunity to form coalitions with people that we might not otherwise align with, and in doing so, we might create more opportunities to speak into their lives and influence their thinking. Now, sometimes someone might represent something that we can’t in good conscience join with, but that is not what appears to be happening here. Perhaps the disciples see this as Jesus not getting credit, but that would be a weird take since they were calling out the name of Jesus. Perhaps it ties into their ego thing a little bit; if those who are not with Jesus can do this, it diminishes what we are doing with Jesus. Jesus makes this point that we should take to heart: “the one who is not against us is for us”. We can stand alongside, or leave alone, those who are doing good things that go along with the works that we should be doing, even if they have a different motivation for doing them. We can work with other Christian groups to serve, even if we don’t agree on everything doctrinally. You can take the stand of not sharing in communion over certain differences while still trying to meet the needs of others.

Finally, we get this idea from Jesus: If you become a stumbling block for others, specifically, it seems young believers, it’s a travesty. Essentially, we get the idea that you’d be better off dead than to cause someone to sin. It’s a good reminder that eyes are always watching you. When you serve in public and when you live in your private life…your church is watching. Your kids are watching. Your friends are watching. What are you communicating with your actions? Are you living on the up and up? Are you abusive in some way that might drive someone away from the gospel? Your example or your direct action toward an individual or group can have a lot of influence on how someone grows and lives. You can be salt and flavor the world for the kingdom, or you can be like expired milk and be good for nothing. 

We always need to be mindful of our ego, our behavior, and our influence. We should be examining these things in light of the gospel and the life and teaching of Jesus, and see how we’re doing and where we might need help. We should always aim to learn from mistakes, whether they are our own or made by another.

Reflection Questions:

1.        Do you ever find yourself in the same kind of spot as the disciples, concerned with your status in the church or in another group? What drives that, and how can you combat that trait?

2.        Do you sometimes get the urge to dismiss a person or group that is doing something good simply because they don’t share your motives or affiliations? What is the danger here, and what cautions might one need to take when trying to make inroads with groups that might not share motivations, but do share similar convictions and goals?

3.        What do you think of Jesus’ saying that it would be better to have a millstone tied around your neck and be cast into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to sin? What kind of perspective should that give us when evaluating our conduct and behavior? 

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload

The Big Picture

Matthew 16, Mark 8, Luke 9:18-27

Devotion by JJ Fletcher (Minnesota)

It can be easy to get into the weeds when discussing and debating theology. There are many years behind us of writing and interpretation of the scriptures, and we can easily lose focus on the big picture when we’re bogged down in the minutiae. One could simply read scripture and take away that Jesus died for the sins of the world and that whoever believes in him will be saved. On the flip side, books have been written digging into how Jesus’ death and resurrection functionally deal with sin. Atonement theories such as Penal Substitution, Christus Victor, and Scapegoat Theory (among others) are ways to try to understand exactly the process through which God forgives through Jesus. The main thing we should remember is that the blood of Jesus brings forgiveness, regardless of the thoughts that we might have about how exactly God reconciles everything through Jesus.

The Pharisees were very much concerned with the letter of the law. Now I believe we should strive to understand scripture, but sometimes I can allow my views on specific doctrines or practices to overshadow others. We need to be striving to see the big picture and get to the spirit behind the words of scripture.

In today’s text, we see Jesus’ warning against the leaven of the Pharisees. This calls out things like false doctrine and hypocrisy that were present in the lives of the Pharisees that clashed with Jesus. This bad leaven will corrupt the “bread” that comes from it.

Jesus recognizes that there are key things that the disciples need to know and understand, specifically relating to his death and resurrection. But also, the big picture needs to be in view. Jesus asks Peter, who do people think that Jesus is, and he spits off a few theories, but then Jesus asks Peter who he thinks Jesus is, and he answers: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Big Picture. None of the things that Jesus shows and teaches Peter and the disciples will be impactful without this pig picture. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah. This confession is the foundation of the Church. We’re not always going to agree on everything, but we must agree on this primary fact: Jesus is the Savior, and in Him we must put our faith and hope. 

Reflection Questions:

1.        What distracts you from the big picture?

2.        Does your need to know how sometimes distract you from simply accepting what you read in scripture?

3.        Have ingrained habits or false things that you have been taught stood in your way of implementing your faith in every aspect of your life? Take a step back and look at the big picture in scripture and weigh your thoughts against what you see in the Bible.

SGL.2025.OctoberFullPageDownload

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

2 Samuel 11-12
1 Chronicles 20

And in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they laid waste the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah, but David stayed at Jerusalem. – 2 Samuel 11:1 (REV)

                  In today’s reading, we see two realities. Both happened, but at different times and represent different things. In 2nd Samuel, we see David, king of Israel. Where do we see David? At home. Sitting on his keister and not doing what a king would normally be doing: overseeing his generals as they go out to battle.

                  David is not where he is supposed to be. He should be meeting with his generals. He should be motivating his armies. He should be praying and fasting and seeking out God’s direction for the safety and prosperity of Israel, but he’s back in Jerusalem. Twiddling his thumbs? Playing his harp? We don’t know what he was doing at all hours of the day when he held up in his palace.  We do, however, know what he was doing on one specific evening.

                  David is out walking on the roof, where he shouldn’t be, and he sees Bathsheba bathing. David does not turn away from seeing the nakedness of this woman whom he is not married to. He stares. He dwells. He obsesses. She’s beautiful. He needs to meet her. To be with her.

                  David ends up having her come into his home, and he has sex with her and gets her pregnant. We may have seen this story happen in the lives of some people we know, but this is high profile. This is a problem. A bunch of people are going to know what has happened, and this is going to be hard to explain to Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, who is out at war, where he is supposed to be: fighting for the armies of the people of Yahweh. While the king is out preying upon the wife of his soldier.

                  David finds himself in a sticky situation, so he sends for Uriah and does his best to get Uriah to go have sex with his wife and cover his… keister. Uriah, however, cannot fathom such a thing while his comrades are off fighting a war. He refuses to even go visit his wife. This poses a major problem. People are going to know that Bathsheba is expecting, and they are going to know that Uriah hasn’t been with her in months, maybe longer. David tries multiple times, but no dice. Uriah is a man of honor and conviction, and that is not going to fly in this situation. David needs an out. David essentially puts out a hit job on Uriah. David cannot control his urges, so a good man dies.

The story unfolds. Uriah is dead. David marries his baby mama, and then the baby dies. Nathan the prophet comes to confront David and gets David worked up with a parable. David wants vengeance for the perpetrator in the story, but then the tables are turned when David is revealed to be the bad guy in the tale. David grieves, David repents, but the baby does not survive. It’s rough.

In 1 Chronicles 20, we see that it is the time when kings go out to war. And David goes out to war. And his armies thrive. He gets an awesome new crown. God blesses the armies of a king who acts in good faith. David is more than capable of doing the right thing, but even a man after God’s own heart can allow himself to fall off the rails.

Here’s the rub: Sometimes we get complacent. Sometimes we get lazy. Sometimes we do things, go places, consume content that we know we shouldn’t, but we’ve allowed ourselves to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and we fall victim to the allure of the temptations of sin around us.

We’ve all allowed ourselves to be in bad situations that we could have avoided. Sometimes we may come out on top, but given enough opportunities to sin in the situations we create, we are bound to fall. We play with fire… and you know the cliché, but it’s true, we get burned.

-JJ Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. Can you recall some times you allowed yourself to be in a place you shouldn’t have been? What was the outcome? How could you have avoided putting yourself in that situation? What did you learn from it?
  2. What do you think of Nathan’s tactics of getting David to see the gravity of the wickedness that he had perpetrated?
  3. What does the story of David and Bathsheba teach us about grace, repentance, and forgiveness?
  4. If David can be forgiven for this travesty, who can you forgive that may have done much less harm in the way that they have wronged you?
  5. How does the contrast of 2 Samuel 11-12 and 1 Chronicles 20 sit with you? Does it give you any insight or change the way you perceive David’s sin?

SGL.2025.AprilFullPageDownload
SGL.2025.CalendarBookletDownload

Let the Nations be Glad

Psalm 65-67, 69-70

So many of the psalms focus on directly worshipping and declaring the goodness of God, which is good, but this psalm takes that knowledge of God and comes in with a missional view: Let God be known and praised by all the people. All the nations. Not just Israel, his covenant people, but by everyone.

The psalmist recognizes the goodness of God and what he has done for his people. In light of this fact, they want the goodness of God to be experienced by all people and for there to be abounding joy for all.

God provides sustenance for all people, the earth yields its produce. It does so because God designed it that way, so may the nations recognize that Yahweh created life and sustains it through his order.

Verse 4 talks about the nations being judged with equity. Equity here is the Hebrew word mishor, which literally means levelness or uprightness. God will not play favorites with his judgment, he will judge with prejudice, but he will judge fairly and give the same outcomes to the faithful of all tongues and tribes. In the same way, destruction comes from rejecting God, regardless of the background of the individual.

We can look at this through the lens of Jesus, but even without a clear picture, the psalmist saw a future where there was no Jew nor Greek, nor slave nor free, but a world where all could bask in and enjoy the glory of God and worship him in spirit and in truth.

Let the nations be glad.

-JJ Fletcher

Reflection Questions

  1. Where does your joy come from?
  2. Do you view your role as a believer to be missional? To bring others into a saving relationship with Jesus and his Father?
  3. Do you have trouble with being equitable in your sharing? Can it be difficult to share with people from different backgrounds?
  4. If you find great hope and strength in the gospel, shouldn’t you share it? Why are we worried about “offending people” with the gospel?
SGL.2025.AprilFullPageDownload
SGL.2025.CalendarBookletDownload