Think Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky” or “Rambo.” That’s how I picture Samson, big, strong as an ox, but not too bright. As we jump to Judges 16 this coming Sunday, following our 90-day Bible reading plan, we find the story of this man with incredible physical power, but incredibly poor judgment.
The old saw, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” is not true. Otherwise it would be impossible for God to be good. But having power does get human beings into all kinds of trouble. When we can solve problems by brute force, it’s often difficult to see that there are other solutions. That’s true whether we’re talking personal, national, or international problems.
Samson’s story teaches us that, like all gifts, power has its source in God and that if it is abused or if God is ignored, then the gift can do damage or be taken away. Samson’s downfall is an ancient story of being led astray by his lust and not taking the gift and responsibility of his power seriously enough.
Yet this big, stupid powerhouse is counted among the judges who were saviors of Israel. In the end, Samson sacrifices himself to deliver his people from the tyranny of their enemies. For that reason, some of the church fathers regarded Samson as a type of Christ, foreshadowing how Jesus would give Himself up for the salvation of us all, delivering us from our enemies, sin, death and the devil.
Yet Jesus is a much, much better example for us regarding the use of power. It is always for the sake of others, always done with self-sacrifice. In the Gospel lesson for this Sunday, John 2:1-11, Jesus exerts His power for the first time, changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana. He helps out the friends of His mother and, as the interchange with her shows, sacrifices His own sense of proper timing for such a display.
Would that all of us who wield even a little power in whatever arena would learn both from Samson’s negative example and from Jesus’ positive model.
We really enjoyed your insights on the life of Sampson on Jan 20. So many good personal applications. We were wondering, though, if grabbing the jawbone of a donkey wasn’t also a violation of Sampson’s Narazite vows, along with touching a dead lion. A minor point of curiousity but we thought we would ask. Thanks.
You are absolutely right. Samson was obviously pretty careless about his vows, as we all can be with our commitments when things seem to turn out well despite our carelessness.