Kicking Ass and Taking Names...the Wayfarer 5/4/13

“Kicking Ass and taking Names”
 5/4/13

“Whoa, Preacher… What are you doing using language like this?”

Sometimes, we forget, myself particularly, that we must use the language understood by those we seek to reach; or have our words go unheard, or worse still, misunderstood,and twisted because we refuse to use the vernacular when appropriate .  There is no disrespect nor is there any shame to be taken by the use of the words in today’s title!

These words are commonly used in the language of today’s youth without ever taking thought as to where they originated. Like so many other phrases I find myself using, these came to us by way of a war fought in my youth, and hold a deeper meaning than that commonly in use today.

I cannot give proper credit to their originator, but can attempt to put into perspective their importance and my reason for choosing to open with them today.

Kicking ass and taking names, is a phrase, I first heard as a high school student in the 60’s, and as a young soldier in the 70’s. 

It was continually used to denote a particularly difficult enemy being overcome by overwhelming force and will power. 

I alluded to the taking names part of the phrase in an earlier sermon.(Shadrach)

When a life is taken, all generations that could ever evolve from that life are taken as well. That “Name” has been effectively erased, taken from the future.

For today’s message, I turn to one of the most revered heroes of my childhood, and still to this day a most respected and honored hero, that I first learned about in the Sunday schools,  and sermons heard early in my youth.

This man’s story is to be found in the Old Testament book of Judges and begins with the 24^th verse of the 13^th chapter and ends with at the final verse of the 16^th chapter.

I will not attempt to replicate that entire passage of scripture here, but will instead relate just a bit about its content and ask that you do a little homework and read the entire passage for your own edification.

This hero’s name was Samson! 

He was one of Israel’s judges prior to their insistence on having a king, something I save for another time.

The story begins at his birth, the circumstances of which were unusual and special, as was often the case found true in the lineage of leaders, of that, and if looked for, in those who truly deserve to be called leaders,  our own time.

It continues as he chooses a wife from the daughters of a pagan people that he lived among who caught his fancy more than any of those of his own people. 

This was another mistake, repeated, and paid for, over the years by God’s chosen people.

 However, there was method behind his choice of a bride! He intended to use this union as a means to build the riches of his own people, and to further their ability to defend their faith among the heathen.

The story continues with the attack of a lion, which our hero defeats, barehanded, rending it like he would have done a small lamb! (Take note where the strength to do this derived from as you read the passage!)

This lion in turn becomes the nesting place for bees… bees make honey… our hero takes the honey and devises a riddle for his wife’s people, that, if unanswered would provide for their future quite well.

Betrayed by the chosen wife, he was angered, and made good on his debt by taking from among her own people, both lives, and possessions, with which to pay it. He is then further betrayed, in that the chosen bride is given instead to one that he called friend.

Next we find our hero exacting vengeance in an imaginative, and unique way, by catching and using foxes to help him burn their fields. This of course added to his fame among his own, and the hatred for him by his enemies. This disrupted the peace between the rulers and subjugated, who were Samson’s own folk.

To pacify the “stronger” pagans, it took three thousand of his own people to bind him in order to placate their rulers!

The bindings didn’t hold him!

Knowing that the Philistines would kill him if able to do so, he found a simple weapon with which to defend himself…the jawbone of an ass!

He used this simple tool given him by God, not only to defend himself, but to kill a thousand men of the enemy.

This brings us to the reason behind the use of today’s title.

This hero relied on God for his strength!

 He counted on no man to support his efforts to resist the ungodly among which he lived, instead relying on the gift of intellect, and strength given him by the One True God of Israel!

The story continues with the most famous betrayal of all by another wife who eventually managed to seduce him and allow him to be  captured by his enemy. 

It is often in the context of this betrayal that he is remembered today. 

But this is not the end of his story.

He continued to rely… not on himself…but his God and in a final act took down more of his enemies with his death than he took during his short life.

“Well, Preacher, what is it that you find so fascinating about an old Jewish hero, and how could it possibly apply to me today?”

The point I attempt to make is that Samson was no wimp in his defense of his people or his faith.

There are others, of equal importance I could point to, who, in dire circumstances, relied on faith to get them through, and who we should emulate in our own daily struggle with an enemy equally determined as was his to destroy that faith.

There is ONE, however, I choose to remind you of, far greater than Samson, far more courageous, and who had far more at stake than he did, who was also no wimp!

His name is Jesus! !!

My Lord and Savior, who held the entire universe at his disposal, chose to bring his simple message of redemption through repentance to us, at a time and place where the majority of the enemies lay within those perverting the very laws of God ,and precepts of that God, that Samson fought so valiantly for, while claiming to uphold and be the way to use those laws for attaining God's favor.

He did so constantly and consistently throughout his earthly ministry, choosing as his only weapons the prophet’s words, and the very laws given by his Father.

His final sacrifice, by allowing himself to be crucified, was the most heroic act of anyone ever to have lived in a human body, knowing that he need not suffer the pain if he chose not to do so, knowing that he had legions of angels to defend him at hand and waiting his command.

He chose instead to take the sin of our kind upon himself to provide a means of salvation, not only for one nation, not only for one people, but for all.

It is through this sacrifice that we have the promise of eternal life, and the rewards of that life made available to us.

I look at the heroes being honored today and question just where our priorities have gone.

I see our children being inundated with false heroes in cartoons, movies and games, growing up with no knowledge of the true heroes, walking among them, who have sacrificed so much for their lives and being to provide them the affluence they enjoy though, not even recognized by the society they protect, or the values they stand up for.

If a nation forgets its heroes, if Christianity forgets its martyrs and trades them in for the wealth of this puny short existence, the rewards at the end of that existence will be what is deserved.

I conclude with a question for my Christian readers…

Why, if we call ourselves Christians, must we be wimps in the defense of our faith?

Just who and what are we allowing  to seduce both us, and our progeny from the promised love and inheritance to be gained by truly having and following that faith?

 I know wherein my strength lies.  I know in whom I have believed, and know His power is greater than that of any man.

As a friend of mine often says, you may find me radical, but you can’t call me a wimp!

Salutations and love for my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus given by this simple sinner saved by grace through faith in my Lord Jesus and the Author of the Universe still and always  also a simple soldier in HIS service.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen!!
the Wayfarer