We come to 2 Samuel 21, which contains an odd story about the Gibeonites taking revenge on Saul’s descendants. You can read it for yourself, 2 Samuel 21.1 – 14. I have way more questions than answers:

There are things in the Bible hard to understand:

• I can’t even find the massacre they’re talking about.
• It’s said that God caused the famine.
• The solution is to kill seven of Saul’s descendants, men who had nothing to do with anything: sons, fathers, husbands, grieved by their mother.
• Finally, they take all the remains, including Saul and Jonathan and bury them in the tomb of Kish. Then:

And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they did all that the king commanded. And after that God responded to the plea for the land. (2 Samuel 21.13, 14, ESV)

As it says in The MSG: “That cleared things up…”

I don’t understand anything about this story. For example, “It’s not up to us to put anyone to death,” but “give us seven of his sons to be executed.” Really?

Except, I read in the news recently about deaths from flooding in several places around the world. There will always be death. These seven guys would have died eventually anyway. Maybe in battle at a young age. We don’t know. And overall, I think we’re looking at Deuteronomy 29.29.

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (ESV)

And one more thing as a suggestion:

When you’re reading the Bible and come to something you don’t understand, keep reading until you find something you do understand!

Maybe the close of Peter’s second letter applies:

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand … But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3.14 – 18, ESV, emphasis mine)

PS When we keep reading 2 Samuel 21, we find that it closes on an upbeat note and answers the question, “Why did David, when fighting Goliath, take five stones?” Stay tuned.

I mentioned last year the clever robins who built a nest on my downspout under the eave right behind where I’m sitting right now. (After you read last year’s article, read the next one on the Berlin Airlift. I needed the review myself.) The robins liked the location so much they came back, and I got a better picture:

And right below the nest, my dandelion removal system is at work:

But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you. (Job 12.7, ESV)

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6.26, ESV)

I need to tell you about my Navigator colleague Heidi Gleghorn, a veritable hero in working with the poor. Here’s what the official site for Navigator I-58 Ministries says about her:

Heidi was homeless until junior high, and her (still homeless) father passed away in 2021 from a drug overdose. Before serving with I-58, Heidi was already working with the homeless because of her upbringing. Now she’s a part of a team! She is currently working with a few different local homeless ministries where she’s made a book of over 200 homeless pictures, names and prayer requests. Heidi also meets with others for about 20 hours per week via Inner Healing. The discipleship she does these days starts with one’s brokenness, and she is the Colorado Springs point of contact for I:58…[She and her husband] have two adopted children, one son of 23 who is now married, and one daughter who just started college.

“Homeless until junior high…” doesn’t begin to tell the story. Most of us  read about hippies, and we saw pictures of tricked out VW buses. Heidi  actually grew up in one on the beaches of Northern California. Her parents  were genuine hippies – ‘homeless’ before homeless was a  thing. Here she is with her father, a few years before his death in 2021 and with her husband, Rob.

Heidi writes:

My life verse Isa 58:10 and 11: If you spend yourself on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, your light will rise in the darkness, your night will be like the noon day, and the Lord will guide you always and He will strengthen you. – The name of The Navigators “I-58 Ministries” comes from this verse

I was in a Zoom(R) meeting with a number of folks last week, including Heidi, and she offered a response to someone’s comment about how we might need to take a stand on the LGBT… issue. She said something like this:

John the Baptist took a stand on Herod’s taking the wrong wife, and it cost him his head. Meanwhile Jesus was doing his ministry of showing the love of God.

She went on to talk about one of the local Colorado Springs’ ministries to the poor, a ministry I have done some work with over the years. She reeled off a list of four or five conditions that ministry does not accept (e.g., mental illness), and she encouraged us to reach out to all those in need. It was the most moving moment (for me) in that 75-minute meeting.

You can see her 36-minute story here. The story includes a picture of the van, but, unfortunately, it doesn’t appear in the video.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4.16 – 19, ESV)

If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. (Isaiah 58.10, 11, ESV)

Absalom is dead, but David is heartbroken, taking the shine off of the victory. As has happened before, Joab talks some sense into David:

But in private Joab rebuked the king: “Now you’ve done it—knocked the wind out of your loyal servants who have just saved your life, to say nothing of the lives of your sons and daughters, wives and concubines. What is this—loving those who hate you and hating those who love you?…Get hold of yourself; get out there and put some heart into your servants!…So the king came out and took his place at the city gate. (2 Samuel 19.5 – 8, MSG)

David proves himself able to both accept counsel and give orders. As they are on their way back to Jerusalem, Shimei, who cursed David when he was leaving comes to apologize. Again, Abishai wants to execute him. Again, David spares Shimei.

Shimei son of Gera bowed deeply in homage to the king as soon as he was across the Jordan and said, “Don’t think badly of me, my master! Overlook my irresponsible outburst on the day my master the king left Jerusalem—don’t hold it against me!…Abishai son of Zeruiah interrupted, “Enough of this! Shouldn’t we kill him outright? Why, he cursed GOD’s anointed!” But David said, “What is it with you sons of Zeruiah? Why do you insist on being so contentious? Nobody is going to be killed today. I am again king over Israel!” (2 Samuel 19.18 – 22, MSG)

Then Mephibosheth, lame in both feet, greets the king and said that his servant Ziba had lied to David as David was leaving Jerusalem.

The king said, “And why didn’t you come with me, Mephibosheth?” “My master the king,” he said, “my servant betrayed me. I told him to saddle my donkey so I could ride it and go with the king, for, as you know, I am lame. And then he lied to you about me…. (2 Samuel 19.25 – 27, MSG)

A good lesson:

The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. (Proverbs 18.17, ESV)

David doesn’t even make all the way to Jerusalem before another rebellion starts:

Just then a good-for-nothing named Sheba son of Bicri the Benjaminite blew a blast on the ram’s horn trumpet, calling out, We’ve got nothing to do with David, there’s no future for us with the son of Jesse! Let’s get out of here, Israel—head for your tents! So all the men of Israel deserted David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the men of Judah stayed committed, sticking with their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 20.1, 2, MSG)

We see the beginnings of what will become a permanent split between the tribe of Judah, David’s tribe, and the rest of Israel. It happens after the reign of Solomon. We’ll be there soon – 1 Kings 12.

For now, David has to put an end to this rebellion:

David told Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is going to hurt us even worse than Absalom did. Take your master’s servants and hunt him down before he gets holed up in some fortress city where we can’t get to him.” So under Abishai’s command, all the best men—Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites—left Jerusalem to hunt down Sheba son of Bicri. (2 Samuel 20.6, 7, MSG)

Sheba holes up in the city of Abel Beth Maacah, and David’s army intends to tear down the city’s wall. But a “wise woman,” unnamed, intervenes, explaining to Joab that this is a good city:

…We’re a peaceful people here, and reliable. And here you are, trying to tear down one of Israel’s mother cities. Why would you want to mess with GOD’s legacy like that?” (2 Samuel 20.19, MSG)

Joab explains his objective, and the problem is taken care of:

Joab protested, “Believe me, you’ve got me all wrong. I’m not here to hurt anyone or destroy anything—not on your life! But a man from the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba son of Bicri by name, revolted against King David; hand him over, him only, and we’ll get out of here.” The woman told Joab, “Sounds good. His head will be tossed to you from the wall.” (2 Samuel 20.20, 21, MSG)

And they did.

More unrest and discord, fallout from chapter 12’s “consequences.” It only takes one malcontent to mess up a country (or an organization). Joab took care of things, but at the cost of time and energy. And sometimes, you can’t reconcile with an enemy. Sometimes you have to kill them, or, in our case, remove them from the organization.

I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us… (3 John 1.9, 10, ESV)

I’m passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in. There are some, you know, who by relaxing their grip and thinking anything goes have made a thorough mess of their faith. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two of them. I let them wander off to Satan to be taught a lesson or two about not blaspheming. (1 Timothy 1.18 – 20, MSG)

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18.15 – 17, ESV)

We left David on the run from Absalom’s coup attempt. Absalom’s counselor, Ahithophel, advises quick action to take David out:

Next Ahithophel advised Absalom, “Let me handpick twelve thousand men and go after David tonight. I’ll come on him when he’s bone tired and take him by complete surprise. The whole army will run off and I’ll kill only David. (2 Samuel 17.1 – 2, MSG)

This plan might have succeeded, but Absalom also consults with Hushai, David’s embedded spy counselor (2 Samuel 15.31 – 37). Hushai buys David some time:

The counsel that Ahithophel has given in this instance is not good. You know your father and his men, brave and bitterly angry—like a bear robbed of her cubs. And your father is an experienced fighter; you can be sure he won’t be caught napping at a time like this. Even while we’re talking, he’s probably holed up in some cave or other. If he jumps your men from ambush, word will soon get back, “A slaughter of Absalom’s army!”…Here’s what I’d advise: Muster the whole country, from Dan to Beersheba, an army like the sand of the sea, and you personally lead them. We’ll smoke him out wherever he is, fall on him like dew falls on the earth, and, believe me, there won’t be a single survivor. (2 Samuel 17.7 – 12, MSG)

Hushai’s quick-thinking works:

Absalom and all his company agreed that the counsel of Hushai the Arkite was better than the counsel of Ahithophel. (GOD had determined to discredit the counsel of Ahithophel so as to bring ruin on Absalom.) (2 Samuel 17.14, MSG)

Hushai gets the word to David via the spy network David left in place, and David crosses the Jordan. He’s met by some little known friends who “prepare him a table in the presence of his enemies” as David recounts later in Psalm 23:

When David arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi…and Makir…and Barzillai brought beds and blankets, bowls and jugs filled with wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans and lentils, honey, and curds and cheese from the flocks and herds. They presented all this to David and his army to eat, “because,” they said, “the army must be starved and exhausted and thirsty out in this wilderness.” (2 Samuel 17.27 – 29, MSG)

It’s nice that the Bible often records the names of little-known actors, people who move God’s story along. On the strength of that meal, David’s army, under the command of Joab defeats Absalom’s army:

The army took the field to meet Israel. It turned out that the battle was joined in the Forest of Ephraim. The army of Israel was beaten badly there that day by David’s men, a terrific slaughter—twenty thousand men! (2 Samuel 18.6, 7, MSG)

Joab, against David’s explicit command (2 Samuel 18.5), kills Absalom:

Joab…grabbed three knives and stabbed Absalom in the heart…Joab then blew the ram’s horn trumpet, calling off the army in its pursuit of Israel. They took Absalom, dumped him into a huge pit in the forest, and piled an immense mound of rocks over him. Meanwhile the whole army of Israel was in flight, each man making his own way home. (2 Samuel 18.14 – 17, MSG)

The Absalom rebellion is over except for David’s grief, which we’ll look at tomorrow along with David’s return to Jerusalem.

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.
¹  O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
²  many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah
³  But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
⁴  I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
⁵  I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
⁶  I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
⁷  Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
⁸  Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah (Psalm 3, ESV)

2 Samuel 16 records three disparate events involving David’s fleeing Jerusalem and Absalom’s occupation.

First, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, meets David with food.

Shortly after David passed the crest of the hill, Mephibosheth’s steward Ziba met him with a string of pack animals, saddled and loaded with a hundred loaves of bread, a hundred raisin cakes, a hundred baskets of fresh fruit, and a skin of wine. The king said to Ziba, “What’s all this?” “The donkeys,” said Ziba, “are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and fruit are for the servants to eat, and the wine is for drinking, especially for those overcome by fatigue in the wilderness.” (2 Samuel 16.1, 2, MSG)

I heard a pastor say that the phrase in the second half of Psalm 23 could be referring to this incident (or a similar one a few chapters later):

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies… (Psalm 23.5, ESV)

Unfortunately, Ziba also lied to David:

The king said, “And where is your master’s grandson?” “He stayed in Jerusalem,” said Ziba. “He said, ‘This is the day Israel is going to restore my grandfather’s kingdom to me.’ ” (2 Samuel 16.3, MSG, compare 2 Samuel 19.24 – 30)

The second incident involves Shimei:

When the king got to Bahurim, a man appeared who had connections with Saul’s family. His name was Shimei son of Gera. As he followed along he shouted insults and threw rocks right and left at David and his company, servants and soldiers alike. To the accompaniment of curses he shouted, “Get lost, get lost, you butcher, you hellhound! GOD has paid you back for all your dirty work in the family of Saul and for stealing his kingdom. GOD has given the kingdom to your son Absalom. Look at you now—ruined! And good riddance, you pathetic old man!” (2 Samuel 16.5 – 8, MSG)

David’s men know what to do!

Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “This mangy dog can’t insult my master the king this way—let me go over and cut off his head!” (2 Samuel 16.9, MSG)

But David spares Shimei now when leaving Jerusalem and again when he returns as we’ll see later.

But the king said, “Why are you sons of Zeruiah always interfering and getting in the way? If he’s cursing, it’s because GOD told him, “Curse David.” So who dares raise questions? Besides, my own son, my flesh and bone, is right now trying to kill me; compared to that this Benjaminite is small potatoes. Don’t bother with him; let him curse; he’s preaching GOD’s word to me. And who knows, maybe GOD will see the trouble I’m in today and exchange the curses for something good.” (2 Samuel 16.10 – 12, MSG)

Finally, the scene switches to Jerusalem, and we see what kind of man Absalom is as well as his trusted advisor Ahithophel:

Then Absalom spoke to Ahithophel, “Are you ready to give counsel? What do we do next?” Ahithophel told Absalom, “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, the ones he left to tend to the palace. Everyone will hear that you have openly disgraced your father, and the morale of everyone on your side will be strengthened.” So Absalom pitched a tent up on the roof in public view, and went in and slept with his father’s concubines. (2 Samuel 16.20 – 22, MSG)

God’s word to Nathan has come true:

This is GOD speaking, remember! I’ll make trouble for you out of your own family. I’ll take your wives from right out in front of you. I’ll give them to some neighbor, and he’ll go to bed with them openly. You did your deed in secret; I’m doing mine with the whole country watching! (2 Samuel 12.11 – 12, MSG)

Nasty stuff. We can read the whole story in a few minutes, and we know that David’s forces defeat Absalom, and that David returns to Jerusalem, but it wouldn’t have been easy to live through. Sin has consequences even when God forgives:

Then David confessed to Nathan, “I’ve sinned against GOD.” Nathan pronounced, “Yes, but that’s not the last word. GOD forgives your sin. You won’t die for it. (2 Samuel 12. 13, MSG)

Nathan had already pronounced God’s blessing on David’s offspring even knowing they would sin, too:

I’ll be a father to him, and he’ll be a son to me. When he does wrong, I’ll discipline him in the usual ways, the pitfalls and obstacles of this mortal life. But I’ll never remove my gracious love from him, as I removed it from Saul, who preceded you and whom I most certainly did remove. Your family and your kingdom are permanently secured. I’m keeping my eye on them! And your royal throne will always be there, rock solid.” (2 Samuel 7.14 – 16, MSG)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1.9, ESV)

We left David finally reconciling with Absalom at the end of 2 Samuel 14. A short-lived reconciliation as Absalom moves to take over the country.

This Absalom! There wasn’t a man in all Israel talked about so much for his handsome good looks—and not a blemish on him from head to toe! When he cut his hair—he always cut it short in the spring because it had grown so heavy—the weight of the hair from his head was over two pounds! …As time went on, Absalom took to riding in a horse-drawn chariot, with fifty men running in front of him. Early each morning he would take up his post beside the road at the city gate. When anyone showed up with a case to bring to the king for a decision, Absalom would call him over and say, “Where do you hail from?” And the answer would come, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” Then Absalom would say, “Look, you’ve got a strong case; but the king isn’t going to listen to you.” Then he’d say, “Why doesn’t someone make me a judge for this country? Anybody with a case could bring it to me and I’d settle things fair and square.” Whenever someone would treat him with special honor, he’d shrug it off and treat him like an equal, making him feel important. Absalom did this to everyone who came to do business with the king and stole the hearts of everyone in Israel. (2 Samuel 14.25, 26…15.1 – 6, MSG)

Absalom goes to Hebron and declares himself king. (2 Samuel 15.7 – 10) What strikes me is how quickly David reacts:

Someone came to David with the report, “The whole country has taken up with Absalom!” “Up and out of here!” called David to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem. “We’ve got to run for our lives or none of us will escape Absalom! Hurry, he’s about to pull the city down around our ears and slaughter us all!” (2 Samuel 15.13 – 14, MSG)

He and his entourage left Jerusalem immediately, and he had the presence of mind to set up a communication system and send in a man to influence Absalom’s actions:

The king directed Zadok the priest, “Here’s the plan: Return to the city peacefully, with Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, with you. I’ll wait at a spot in the wilderness across the river, until I get word from you telling us what’s up.” …As David approached the top of the hill where God was worshiped, Hushai the Arkite, clothes ripped to shreds and dirt on his head, was there waiting for him. David said, “If you come with me, you’ll be just one more piece of luggage. Go back to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I’m ready to be your servant, O King; I used to be your father’s servant, now I’m your servant.’ Do that and you’ll be able to confuse Ahithophel’s counsel for me. The priests Zadok and Abiathar are already there; whatever information you pick up in the palace, tell them. Their two sons—Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan—are there with them—anything you pick up can be sent to me by them.” (2 Samuel 15.27 – 28…32 – 36, MSG)

Back to the idea of quick action. Sahil Bloom recently shared a list of maxims with this syntax: Your entire life will change the moment you stop [X] and start [Y]. First on the list?

Stop gathering more information and start acting on the information you already have.

King David did this, and it saved his life. We’ll pick up the story tomorrow.

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. (Ecclesiastes 11.6, NIV)

Nathan warns David of consequences to follow for his shameful acts of adultery and murder, among the consequences:

I’ll make trouble for you out of your own family. (2 Samuel 12.11, MSG)

And it starts:

Some time later, this happened: Absalom, David’s son, had a sister who was very attractive. Her name was Tamar. Amnon, also David’s son, was in love with her. (2 Samuel 13.1, MSG)

Another sordid story, in which Amnon, egged on by a cousin, rapes Tamar when she refuses his advances. (2 Samuel 13.1 – 20)

David’s reaction is odd:

King David heard the whole story and was enraged, but he didn’t discipline Amnon. David doted on him because he was his firstborn. (2 Samuel 13.21 – 22, MSG)

I think David had lost moral authority because of his own affair. The Message includes the phrase “he doted on him…” That phrase is in the Dead Sea Scroll:

(ESV) Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint add But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn

Without that insertion, the text just reads, “David was very angry.”

“Very angry” is not the same as “took action.”

David doesn’t act, but Tamar’s brother Absalom does…two years later. Absalom has his servants kill Amnon, and Absalom flees to Geshur. Three years pass. (2 Samuel 13.23 – 39)

2 Samuel 14 describes the process where Joab, using a woman to tell David (another) story, persuades David to allow Absalom to return to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 14.1 – 22) But then, we have another “David-error.”

Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. The king said, “He may return to his house, but he is not to see me face to face.” So Absalom returned home, but was not permitted to see the king. (2 Samuel 14.23, 24, MSG)

Seriously? God forgave David for adultery and murder. Absalom simply executed Amnon for raping his sister. And David can’t forgive Absalom? For something that was probably David’s fault? After all, David didn’t confront Amnon. And it’s all part of the consequences that God promised through Nathan in chapter 12.

David and Absalom reconcile by the end of the chapter (2 Samuel 14.28 – 33), but it will be short-lived. Stay tuned.

But God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the exile back. (2 Samuel 14.14, MSG)

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?” (Matthew 18.32, 33, ESV)

May will have to go down as my month to miss stuff… First the Kentucky Derby on May 4 and now the Northern Lights. We were out Friday night and didn’t look. We tried last night, but, alas, there was cloud cover to our north. I’ll have to be content with others’ pictures.

My son Mark took this picture outside his back door in northern Colorado Springs:

Peter Schwepker posted this spectacular picture on NextDoor, taken just after midnight, Saturday morning, near Peyton, Colorado, a few miles east of here:

Finally, Fox Weather posted his picture, taken from a time lapse above Ballynafagh Church in Kildare, Ireland:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19.1, ESV)

God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. (Psalm 19.1, MSG)

Recently, I was talking with my friend Ray, formerly on staff with The Navigators, then a pastor, now a pastor disciple-making coach. We were bemoaning the fact that pastors are busy, and when asked to think about investing relationally in people individually or in small groups, their first response is often that they don’t have time for that – their ministry is the pulpit.

Then we recalled something our Navigator mentors used to say about Jesus’ ministry:

• Jesus loved the multitudes.
• He helped many.
• He trained a few.

That’s Jesus’ model, and it should be ours. If a pastor can’t find time to invest in individuals, how will his doctors, attorneys, truck drivers, school teachers, stay-at-home moms, etc., find time?

I was privileged to teach a 2-week discipleship class in a seminary in Haiti three times: 2006 – 2008. When first invited by the seminary director, Dr. Bill Cooper, I said something like:

I’d be honored to teach your seminarians—pastors and future pastors—and here’s the message: “Men, I hope that on Sunday you preach to thousands. But on Monday, I want you to sit down with a man and train him.”

Dr. Bill confirmed, “That’s exactly what I want you to teach them!”

I don’t make this stuff up. The Apostle Paul, applying Jesus’ model of love the multitudes, help many, train a few, wrote to Timothy:

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2.2, NIV)

One of my Haitian classes balked. “Teacher, we are bi-vocational, we don’t have time to meet with people individually.” I had two responses:

• By any definition, Timothy was a pastor. What part of 2 Timothy 2.2 does not apply to you?
• Could you sit down with one guy for one hour, once a week?

“I guess we could do that.” Then start there.

Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach… (Mark 3.13, 14, NIV)