1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14;John 9:1-41
by the Rev. Raymond Webster
Choosing David as the new king
Fascinating that the Lectionary has us read as our first lesson today (First Samuel 16:1-13) the story of God choosing David to be the new king, and David’s anointing by the prophet Samuel.
God choosing. I deeply believe that God loves each human being – you. That God loves each human being, each person in Jesus Christ and calls you to follow Jesus as his disciple, day by day. That God calls you to faith – to trust in the love we see in him –and to new life with him in heaven, and also on our way, our journey through life.
In our first reading, God sent Samuel to Jesse, to discern which of Jesse’s sons was the one. The first son was tall and imposing, but the writer notes piously,
… the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
Six more sons were brought before the prophet. And then the youngest, the shepherd boy David – and the pious admonition was quite forgotten. The writer describes David:
Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.
It is extremely unusual in the Hebrew Bible to have such a vivid personal description. So much for not looking on the outward appearance! I believe the Biblical writers were inspired by God, but they were human. David’s good looks probably were an asset to his political career, but they would get him in a whole lot of other trouble over the years. But all that lay in the future. Here in this story, David was God’s chosen, and Samuel anointed him as king:
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.
Anointing
The prophets, priests and kings of ancient Israel were anointed, holy oil was poured on them, as a sign they were sent from God to the task given them.
In the Hebrew Bible all Israel looked for the coming of “the Anointed One” – in Greek the “Christ” and in Hebrew the “Messiah” – who would save the people.
Interesting that the Lectionary gives us this story to go with today’s Gospel (John 9:1-41). For Jesus makes mud, and puts it on the eyes of the blind beggar – and then sends him to wash, where he is healed. So the Anointed One anoints someone – characteristically reaching out to someone in trouble and cut off -- and brings healing and sight and light.
So Jesus gives us baptism, where we are washed, and anointed with the Holy Spirit given to us: and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.
In the Spirit of the Lord we are to reach out to heal and bring light
And in the Spirit of the Lord we are to reach out to heal and bring light to dark places. In the great city this happens – sometimes best happens – through institutions.
If someone needs to learn, good to have schools, and good to have us provide them.
When someone needs surgery, good to have a hospital.
If you are out of prison and want to start a new life, good to have our charity St. Leonard’s Ministries
If you are out of work, good to have the Employment Council to go to.
If you are a human being, with a deep human need for God – and that is every one of us – every human being – it is good to have the church, a parish – may be a small college chaplaincy, may be a tin roof in the southern highlands of Mexico, but be a great building in a center city, but there will a community, the Eucharist, the Bible, the story of Jesus, the presence of God in the risen Christ.
You can be someone with every advantage in the eyes of the world, and still find yourself in great need, as much as the blind beggar that day. May not be able to see: where to go, what to do, where God is. Important that the church is there – the community is there, the worship is there, the priest is there at hospital bedside to say in Word and Sacrament that God is with you and loves you, even when you cannot see. And to trust that, simple trust, even as small an amount of trust as a mustard seed, there will be the light of faith.
The opening scene
How I love today’s Gospel story. The opening scene is quite simple.
As he walked along, (Jesus) saw a man blind from birth.
Jesus saw him. The man was a blind and a beggar, put out to beg. Someone in trouble, leading a very rough life, someone on the outside of society in all sorts of ways.
Jesus said,
“ I am the light of the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes,
From the point of view of the blind beggar, he heard Jesus speak, he heard him say “I am the light of the world” and then he was touching him, gently, with fingers covered with mud, so that with the heightened sense of being touched of a blind person, he would know he was being touched. Not a blow, not a shove, but someone caring about him.
Then the blind beggar heard Jesus tell him to go wash in the pool of Siloam in Jerusalem. Perhaps the beggar got some of his friends to take him there – other beggars but one of them who could see. Then he went and washed and came back able to see.
The Anointed One – the Messiah, the Christ – reached out in his compassion and love, to anoint this blind beggar in the earthiest way, most literally down to earth way, and brought healing and sight and light.
Wow. Hurrah. You would think the neighbors would give a party, throw a fiesta.
Wrong.
The beggar they had put out to beg as a blind defenseless person, they now threw out as daring to claim healing. We human beings have great down home talents for ostracizing others.
Jesus went looking for him and found him
And then comes the beautiful ending – or rather the almost ending -- when Jesus heard the man had been driven out and went looking for him and found him.
…and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he."
God sent Jesus to come look for us and find us. Jesus is God looking for us, who has found us – God with us.
“You have seen him.” You and I see him in his story. We see him in art and poetry and music which bring that story alive – the St. Matthew Passion, the stained glass in Chartres.
You and I see him in his baptism and in his Supper, to which he invites us here.
You and I see him in people in need, and in serving them.
You and I see him, when we go alone to be with God and see nothing, and trust God is with us, and then know the inner Light of trust and faith and see the deepest truth of God’s abiding presence and care.
He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him.
God calls us to make these words our own. Lord, I believe – I trust. I offer my worship and love.
The very next words of Jesus in John’s Gospel
For all today’s story is long, where we ended in the reading is not the ending in John’s Gospel. For the very next words – the very next – are these: Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.'(This sermon was preached by the Rev. Raymond Webster, Rector, in St. Chrysostom’s Church, Chicago, Illinois on Sunday, April 3, 2011, the Fourth Sunday in Lent.)
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The Bible texts are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
