Living Up (or Down) to the Fathers

1 Kings 15-16

            In Judah, Abijah was a bad king and Asa was a good king, and the litmus test was their faithfulness or unfaithfulness to the Lord. Abijah walked in the ways of Rehoboam; Asa walked in the ways of David. In Israel Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, and Ahab were all bad kings: they all continued in the evil, that is, in the idolatry, of those who went before. Idolatry is the issue, but it is cast in terms of one’s fathers or predecessors. Of the seven men in today’s reading, only Asa is compared favorably to David, the gold standard of kings.

            It wasn’t that long ago that I was looking at a friend’s Facebook page, and he mentioned that his congregation had celebrated a saint day that weekend. I think it’s fair to say that most Lutheran churches don’t really celebrate the days commemorating the saints, but there is a long tradition of doing so. In the Lutheran Confessions, the practice is actually commended, and, I’m working from memory here, the reasons are to rejoice in the grace the Lord showed them and to be inspired by their example.

            I think that’s laudable, that we find examples of faithfulness and try to model our own practice of the faith after them. In my own life, I think about my father, who was very active in as a leader in our home church; my mother, who read her Bible every day; and my grandmother, who also dwelt on the Scriptures all the time. Whose example are you emulating in your spiritual life? How does their example inspire you?