Courage
By Sally Roth
Jotham of Judges 9, son of Gideon, courageous and wise with a timely word.
70 sons of Gideon were leading God’s people. The same people that God delivered from the cruel and abusive rule of the Midianites through the courageous leadership of Gideon. One son, Abimelech, decides this ruling together creates a bottle neck and starts a campaign to be the king. He went to his father’s house and murdered his 70 brothers. Everyone except Jotham, for “he hid and was not killed”. As they were gathered to make Abimelech king, Jotham shows up and tells them a story.
“Listen to me you men of Shechem, and God may listen to you! Once upon a time the trees got together to choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree ‘Be our king.’ The olive tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor the gods and human beings.’ Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king.’ But the fig tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my good, sweet fruit.’ So, the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king.’ But the vine answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my wine, that makes gods and human beings happy.’ So, then all the trees said to the thorn bush, ‘You come and be our king.’ The thorn bush answered, ‘If you really want to make me your king, then come and take shelter in my shade. If you don’t, fire will blaze out of my thorny branches and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.’
I have been trying to find my bearings as a follower of Jesus in this wild time we are living in. I often feel afraid. I often feel confused. I feel I am in a constant state of grieving the loss of relationships, trust, and normal.
This story of Jotham and Abimelech have offered me something that I can hold on to, and I wonder if it might also encourage you. I do not want to BE or follow a wicked man like Abimelech. Grasping for power and control over others, using force, violence, and a mob mentality to lead is icky. It is simply not the way of Jesus. I do think I can understand the temptation. I tend to trust myself to make decisions far more than I trust others. My fear of being controlled can lead me to using power and resources for self-preservation, I know. But quite honestly, the story of the trees and how they remain in their roles, staying focused on the gifts and resources that they provide the community is much more compelling.
In an age of great distraction and overwhelming chaos and tragedy it can be hard to stay grounded or focused. What if instead of taking in so much, we zoom in on the ordinary. What essentials do you provide for your community? How do your particular gifts nourish and bless your immediate relationships? Your gifts matter to others. Come out of fear. Come out of hiding. Make your wine, fig, and oil and share it with others. Do not be tempted by the allure of anxious control and grasping for power over or approval of others to feel safe.
Abimelech ruled for 3 years before he was challenged and while on a rampage of murder and violence was eventually killed. Jotham’s prophecy came true.
‘Now then’, Jotham continued “were you really honest and sincere when you made Abimelech king? Did you respect Gideon’s memory and treat his family properly as his actions deserved? Remember that my father fought for you. He risked his life to save you from the Midianites. But today you turned against my father’s family. You killed his sons—seventy men on a single stone—and just because Abimelech, his son by his servant woman, is your relative, you have made him king of Shechem. Now then, if what you did today to Gideon and his family was honest and sincere, then be happy with Abimelech and let him be happy with you. But if not, may fire blaze out from Abimelech and burn up the men of Shechem and Bethmillo. May fire blaze out from the men of Shechem and Bethmillo and burn Abimelech up.”
The words honest and sincere are striking. I ask myself, am I living out of my relational integrity these days? Am I choosing to use my time, energy, resources from an integrated place where my heart, mind, and intuition are working together? Chaos and fear tend to lead us to a disintegration which can leave us feeling untethered and unattached. In this disorienting space, we may notice that we begin operating from an exaggerated or diminished version ourselves. Withdrawing in our heads. Exaggerated in our emotions. Compulsive or apathetic in our actions. The invitation of Jotham’s story to sincerity and honesty is grounding for me. It’s calling me out of the clouds and back into myself, into my relational reality. It’s inviting me to tell the truth and take ownership so that I might live honorably.
We cannot get away from it, we are created for relationships, it is imperative that we stay connected to God, ourselves, and others to survive and thrive. The ordinary gifts that we give and receive in relationships, like oil, wine and figs allow us to stay connected and to meet other crucial needs that we have. When we play our role we know where we belong, we have an opportunity to make contributions and bless others, we need and we are needed. This is all part of our relational design! We often say at CrossPoint, “To love well, is to know your role.” May we reconnect with the simple, earthy gifts we can contribute and experience the joy in offering them to God and each other.
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