Silence of the Lamb
Notes
Transcript
Richard Clarke was an extremely successful Oil tycoon who lived in West Texas. Clarke owned several thousand acres of land and there would be 100’s of pump jacks on his land. On the land next to Clarke’s operation there was a family who had a small dairy farm. The land this dairy farmer owned would be invaluable for Clarke's operation. The farmer was a prideful man who refused any buyout that Clarke offered. Clarke had been scheming as to how we would obtain the land for several years. Clarke believed he finally had his opportunity. The dairy farmer only had about 4 Holstein cows, these cows were the extent of his operation. Clarke planned to send some of his best men to rustle the farmers' 4 dairy cows. Clarke knew the theft of the dairy farmers' livestock would ruin him financially, forcing him to sell the land to Clarke. One night Clarke sends his best men to rustle the dairy farmers' cattle. They were successful, the four cattle were immediately brought to Clarke’s homestead and slaughtered. Weeks later an angry and apprehensive dairy farmer would sell his land to Clarke, he knew Clarke was responsible for his losses, and he also knew he’d never be able to prove it. So the farmer decided the best thing for his family would be to take Clarke's offer and sell. Clarke knew the dairy farmer had no leverage, so he made him an offer which was less than half what the land was worth. When the dairy farmer came to finalize the sale of his land, he arrived to find Clarke eating a steak. This steak was from one of the farmer's prized Holstein cows. The farmer knew it was one of his cows, and Clarke was aware the farmer knew this. He also knew the farmer would never be able to prove his involvement. Clarke wanted to make this process as cruel and humiliating for the dairy farmer as he could. He would consider it a lesson for daring to stand up to him. The dairy farmer never owned land again. He moved his family to Kansas and worked as a laborer for the railroad for the rest of his life. The oil Clarke found on the farmers' land was abundant enough to make him one of the richest oil companies in west Texas. How does this story make you feel? The fact that Clarke, a rich rancher, was able to manipulate and bully an honest, hardworking man? Does it make you angry? Does it frustrate you? Does it make you desperately want justice for the dairy farmer? Keep your response in mind for later
Transition Some of you are probably going through your mental rolodex, and you are trying to figure out which of Jesus' parables this is based upon. You can’t remember any of Jesus' parables that sound anything like this. That’s because this isn’t based on any of the parables of Jesus. Though Jesus is the most popular biblical figure who uses parables in the form of stories, he’s certainly not the only one. This particular parable we find in the Old Testament. Though Jesus didn’t tell this parable, he did tell a parable which mirrors the same objective and lesson of the parable we are getting ready to read. Where do we find this Old Testament example of a story like a parable?
READ 2nd Samuel 12:1-7
And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
King David had recently committed adultery with Bathsheba, and attempted to cover it up by having her husband Uriah killed on the battlefield. David likely believed he was successful. However the prophet Nathan was all too aware of David's sin. One day Nathan approaches David and begins to tell him this story. A story where a rich and powerful person manipulates and bullies the life of a simple, honest, hardworking man. When Nathan told David this parable, David became furious! He demanded to know who the man was, so he could have him killed. Nathan points his finger at David and says “David, you are the man!” It’s now that David realizes the purpose of the parable. The rich man who manipulates and bullies the simple hard working man was David himself. David was the guilty man, he was the person whom David wished to kill for his treachery. The purpose of this parable was simple. Nathan wished to make David aware of the weight of his sin.
Each of us likely has a particular sin that makes us angry when we hear about it. Greed, Idolatry, Sexual immorality and forbidden sexual practices, arrogance towards God, drunkeness, addiction, child abuse.
You are correct to be angry about these sins, but we must remember. Our own sins aren’t dissimilar. We are the man. We are guilty of the sins we hate, and we are deserving of the punishment we wish to see carried out. Don’t approach sin with a haughty and arrogant attitude. Rather approach with remorse and humility, for we too are guilty.
Jesus tells a similar parable which mirrors the parable of the prophet Nathan. (READ Matthew 18:21-35
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
Conclusion: In this parable, the servant is angered by sin without properly evaluating his own. We cannot make the same mistake. This parable is told because Peter asks an all important question. How much am I to forgive someone? Up to seven times? Jesus says “Not seven times, but seventy seven times! Jesus is speaking literally, but rather figuratively. A 1st century Jew would have understood what Jesus was saying. However it’s not so obvious to us. Does anyone know the significance of the number 7 in the bible? Seven is the number of completion. Seventy seven is features the number of completion featured twice in the same numerical figure. What Jesus is saying “You don’t just forgive them completely. You completely forgive them, and them completely forgive them some more! In other words, you forgive them indefinitely. Because we are the man/woman. And we’ve been completely forgiven and them some more! Will you be like the unforgiving servant? Or will you be like Jesus forgive completely, and completely again?
