Again from the Prophet Nathan, probably the best known story about him, is when he was so enraged with David over the injustice of David killing Uriah the Hittite. The Bible says: “ this thing that David had done was evil in the eyes of God. God sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said, “there were two men in the same city, one rich and one poor. The rich man had very large flocks and herds, but the poor man had only one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He tended it and it grew up together with him and his children: it used to share his morsel fo bread, drink from his cup and nestle in his bosom; it was like a daughter to him. One day, a traveler came to the rich man, but he was loath to take anything from his own flocks or herds to prepare a meal for the guest who had come to him; so he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him (2Sam. 11:27-12:4). We know that David flew into a rage against such injustice until Nathan said, “That man is you!” (2Sam. 12:7).
What is so amazing is the courage of Nathan to be more concerned about the injustice of David than his own personal well-being. I am in awe and stand guilty of not always following this example. Nathan is sent by God and adds his outrage into the mix. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel describes a prophet as a man with a “deep love, painful rebuke, powerful dissent and unwavering hope.” Nathan is delivering the most painful rebuke to David on behalf of God, of course, and he is also the voice of Uriah the Hittite and all of the Uriah’s in the land. He also is adding his own disgust in the mix. I understand Nathan’s rage, I have been and continue to be both Nathan and David. At times, I want what I want when I want it, this is my greed and my Davidic heritage speaking. Most often, I am relieved to say, I am in the Nathan role, railing against injustice, standing for the poor, the widow, the stranger and the orphan.
How sad and angry Nathan must be, he has been advising David, giving him the word of God often and helping him to do the next right thing and David acts on his own impulse and urge to have what is not his. God and Nathan are bewildered that David had to take more and more by force, by dishonesty, by murder. I think about al of the dishonesty we see today and know that we have not learned from the Prophet Nathan nor from David. Immersing ourselves into the text and the life of the Prophets allows us to take their words and teachings to heart. How many of us are willing to stand against injustice with our lives?
Nathan is showing us that living life on God’s Terms is more important than his own safety. He leads us by his example to realize that every time we give into Power, to Injustice by others and/or ourselves we are killing ourselves anyway. We think we are dodging a bullet when we ‘go along to get along’ and actually we are shooting ourselves. I know this first hand. Every time I have done this in my life, I have been wounded and assaulted beyond description. It is a wound to my core caused by my refusing to stand up against the bullying and greediness of people who I erroneously believe have power over me. It is painful when the bullets wound us to our core and yet it is only this pain that begins healing. Life, the Prophet Nathan is telling us here, is precious and we have to respect it and not cause unnecessary harm to another in order to satisfy a momentary urge/impulse!
The message of the Prophets, that Rabbi Heschel was worried about being lost over 48 years ago, has to be front and center to all of us. Many Rabbis are uncomfortable with the Hyperbole of the Prophets and we need this passion and Truth in all of our affairs because it is the Passion and Truth of God. Nathan is teaching us to put God’s Will before ours.
How are you standing up to the abuse of Power? How do you give in to the power of your desires and/or someone else’s? Where in your life do stand against injustice and where do you participate in doing injustice either actively or passively? God Bless, Rabbi Mark