Dear Friends:

Last week, we broached the subject of our
inadvertently helping people remain weak.  We do this
in several ways.  First, we simply do not help them
with their weakness.  This is the least of all
transgressions.  Sometimes, we unthinkingly promote
their weakness by our actions.  We do this by
protecting them from the consequences to their
actions.  Finally, we all too often actually assist
the person in their weakness by promoting it.  We
cited examples of giving gifts which promote their
weakness or by helping them engage in this behavior. 

Parents are often the most egregious offenders in
weakening the weak.  Little Freddie is a slob.  So
what does Mom do to help little Freddie in his
weakness?  She runs behind him cleaning up every mess
he makes.  Lesson learned -- there are no consequences
for slovenly behavior.  Little Ginny has an awful
temper.  She throws a temper tantrum whenever she
doesn't get her way.  What does Daddy do when little
Ginny has a fit?  Daddy gives her whatever she wants.
Lesson learned -- self-absorption, lack of control and
fits of rage result in getting exactly what we want.
Parents don't intentionally raise dysfunctional
children (i.e. brats), they simply create them by
continuing a pattern of building in weakness. 

This type of behavior is not limited to the
parent/child relationship by any stretch.  It includes
all relationships.  One of the better known cases in
the Bible of weakening the weak was Jezebel and Ahab.
Ahab coveted his neighbor Naboth's vineyard.  Naboth,
trying to serve God, refused to sell his land telling
King Ahab "The LORD forbid it me, that I should give
the inheritance of my fathers unto thee."

Ahab did what any strong character, God-centered man
would do -- he pouted like a scolded toddler. The
Bible records that King Ahab, ruler of Israel, "lay
down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no
food."  This was his alternative to the
I'm-going-to-hold-my-breath-until-my-face-turns-blue
tactic.  Anyway, in his moment of weakness, Ahab is
comforted by his enabling wife Jezebel who says
"arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I
will give thee the vineyard of Naboth."  It does not
record that she told Ahab that she intended to
accomplish this feat by framing and then murdering
Naboth, but this did not matter anyway.  What mattered
was that she was going to get this vineyard for him
and Jezebel was a woman who had a knack for getting
her way. 

We wonder sometimes what Ahab would have been like had
he married someone of the character of Abigail or
Ruth.  Ahab does have instances of spirituality in his
life.  We will never know, of course, because Ahab
married the wicked, Baal-worshipping daughter of
Ethbaal king of the Zidonians.  Ahab was weak and
Jezebel made him weaker.

Next week, Lord willing, will finish this topic by
looking how we weaken the weak in an ecclesial
setting.

Have a great week!

Kyle