Lies and murder: 2 Kings 8.7–15 (Day 300)

Pray

Lord, open my ears to hear what you have to say to me; open my heart to love your word, and open my mind to understand your truth.

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Daily reflection: 2 Kings 8

The books of Kings are not for the squeamish. They deal with people who will do anything for power, including betrayal and murder. Here the Syrian king, Benhadad, seeks reassurance from an Israelite prophet, Elisha, that he'll recover from his illness. His messenger, Hazael, becomes his assassin.

Hazael's dialogue with Elisha is interesting. Elisha appears to tell him to lie about Benhadad's prospects for recovering (verse 10). But perhaps there's some compressed thinking here: in the normal way of things he'll get better, but God has told Elisha that Hazael is going to commit the sin of murder. Hazael, though, is given freedom to choose.

Asked why Elisha looks so 'horrified', the prophet lists the terrible things Hazael will do to Israel (verse 12). Hazael's response is revealing. He's not appalled by them; he's excited. Wickedness is evidence of power. The 'nobody' (verse 13) smothers his king and embarks on a career of evil.

Stories like this trouble us because they reveal what human beings are capable of. It's terribly easy for people to become indifferent to the suffering of others, and to see them just as means to an end. As Terry Pratchett wrote, 'Sin ... is when you treat people like things.' But each of us is an individual, made in God's image, infinitely loved. When we see people as objects, there to fulfil our own needs, perhaps as evidence of our influence or authority, we are utterly failing to be who God wants us to be.

Pray

God, help me to see those I meet as bearers of your image, known and loved by you. Help me never to forget that they are not there for me to use or abuse, but that they're individuals who are precious and loved by you.