Surprising texts in the Bible and Lent, vol. 1

As much as the Bible highlights important characters, it also highlights inconsequential ones. It mentions people and lets them fade into nothingness--they are never mentioned again. Another blog pointed this story out to me this morning and made the point that while we often get centered on ourselves--even in Bible reading (how does this text apply to me? What change does it bring in my life? How does it meet me today?)--the inconsequential characters make us realize that there are lots of other smaller stories that God is paying attention to.

Here's one such story: 1 Sam. 25 describes David's gaining a new wife in Abigail. Saul takes his daughter, Michal, another of David's wives, and gives her to Paltiel, instead. Later on when David is coming to power in Israel, he wants Michal back. 2 Sam. 3 records Ish-Bosheth (Saul's son) taking Michal from Paltiel and sending her back to David. Paltiel follows her, weeping behind her for a long distance. He has just lost his wife! Finally, Abner (a military man loyal to Saul, later to David) sends him back home. Paltiel goes home and is never mentioned again. On the honour of a potential King, Paltiel has his life turned upside-down; he weeps. The story shows us that God remembers and sees Paltiel even if he isn't considered very important; even if his honour is worth nothing to military commanders and politicians.

The time we are in is Lent. It is a season of mournful preparation for the Crucifixion of Jesus. In it Christians sacrifice some aspect of their life in order to identify with the sacrifice of Jesus. Sacrifice and Lent help us take our eyes off ourselves. This Lent, I am now trying think (often unsuccessfully) about the Paltiels of our own world--those who are trampled because they are powerless and beneath the honour of the powerful. Whoever thinks consistently of this world's Paltiels walks the road to Jerusalem with Jesus because only there can we see what the true King thinks of those beneath Him; on that road we see that even though we are all Paltiels, God considers us worth the sacrifice of His own honour.