You Either Submit to God or to Evil

 Psalm 125     Mark 15     Deuteronomy 19-20

There are two kinds of people, the wicked that ignore the ways of God, and the righteous that pursue the ways of God. Today’s song reminds us that those that trust the Lord are like the city of Jerusalem, nestled between the mountains and yet on a mountaintop itself. Those that truly believe and trust in the Lord cannot be shaken and moved by the storms and battles of life. While they face the same challenges and sometimes are beaten down their foundation is like Mount Zion, that cannot be moved.

This song is a call to God to do good to those that are upright in heart, working to do what God calls them to do. And that the leaders of iniquity, the evil ones, will be gathered together. Jesus tells us the day will come when the wicked and the just will be sent in two directions and sent to live with those that are like them. In the end our prayer is for peace.

After making judgement in the middle of the night the leaders of Israel bind Jesus and bring him to Pilate to be demand he be crucified. Jesus says very little to Pilate and Pilate knows the only reason they are there is because they are jealous of the attention and power of Jesus. They ask him to release a known murderer and when asked what he should do with Jesus the religious leaders demand that he be crucified. When ask why, what evil has he done they only demand louder that he be put to death. Rather than any of them seeking or executing justice they submit to the will of the vocal crowd.

Jesus is whipped, mocked and physically abused by the Roman soldiers and as the march him through the streets they have to demand that a foreigner carry the cross for Jesus. After he is hung on the cross they continue to mock and laugh at him, while at the same time gambling for his clothing.

We have to remember that Jesus knew this kind of suffering was coming because he understood the people that would demand it. He had told his disciples this would be the result and even though he prayed for relief he never lost the desire to do what God had sent him there for. He submitted to the will of the people that he would take on the punishment they really deserved. As his death occurs even those that are most powerful at the cross realize this was the son of God. Some watched from a distance and other close by. Then Joseph of Arimathea requests to be able to take his body from the cross and place it in the tomb. There was no one there that though the story of Jesus wasn’t finished. They still sealed the tomb through the Sabbath.

It is when there really is no hope for the future and all there is left is to trust God that we get to see what God can do. Often it is when we know that we can’t handle what the world has done, and we can do nothing about it that God is able to step in and do what no human can. 

Upon entering the promised land, the people are warned that they have to provide places for those that have unintentionally killed someone to flee so they are protected from the blood avenger until justice can be decided on. The people of God are expected to provide for a way that justice can be done rather than an angry response. There must be multiple witnesses and they must be honest. For those that are found to be dishonest the punishment of the one they were testifying against is to be given to them. Justice is to be done without pity to the guilty.

Once again, they are reminded that when they enter the land they will not push out and destroy those before them because they are stronger, most of the time they will be weaker, but that God goes with them and will fight for them. They are then to give God the glory for what they might be tempted to call attention to themselves.

They are to offer terms of peace before destroying a city. There is justice in giving people an opportunity to live. There is outlined what they are to do with the people and the goods they capture. The key is they do not mix with these people that they might not be led away from the Lord.

Each of today’s reading remind us that we have to choose who we are going to follow and when we choose anyone other than the Lord we will be mislead and it can lead to our destruction if we do not repent, turn around, and go the right direction. The truth is this has been a struggle throughout history as we want to be in control and demand our right to do it our way. The only way to know what it means to be truly blessed is to submit to the will of God and live life his way.