Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king. But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.” Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?” Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
(1 Samuel 15:34-16:13)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
I’m going to begin today by being a little bit personal. For most of my life Father’s Day meant basically nothing to me. You see, I never knew my father – not even for a day that I can remember. Nor do I have any fond stories that I was told about him that I can hang on to. The truth of the matter is that I do not know – I have no idea – who my father was. Family lore has it that my father abandoned my mother when she was pregnant with me and then died shortly thereafter. No one has really told me any more than that. All families have secrets, I suppose. That’s my biggest family secret. It’s so secret that I don’t even know the whole truth. So when I was growing up whenever there was anything to do with fathers and sons I felt pretty much pushed to the sidelines. I remember that when I was little and learning to skate my mom took me to the rink and helped me tie my skates as tight as she could, when a kind man I had never met came over and said something like “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but his skates need to be tied tighter than that,” and he proceeded to take over for her. I never saw him again but I remember him helping. I was a kid long enough ago that schools still had “father-son” days. Which always left me wondering: “so what am I supposed to do?” Sometimes a friend’s dad would sort of let me latch on for the day, but – you know – it was kind, but it wasn’t the same. It made me a bit of an outsider for a lot of things. And Father’s Day? It was just a Sunday in June to me. It meant school was almost over. Otherwise, it had no meaning. Sometimes I’d be encouraged to buy a card or a gift for an uncle who was a part of my life, but – again – it wasn’t the same. Back in the 1970’s that was a really strange way to grow up, because that was largely an era when “family” was still thought of as mom and dad and 2 kids and a dog. I didn’t even have a dog – never mind a dad! I’m not asking for pity or sympathy. It’s just the way it was. That was my life. It was natural to me. And I was 41 years old before I became a father. That was 41 years of my life with “fatherhood” meaning very little to me. When I became a Christian in my mid-20’s the image of God as “Father” was intriguing. For those who don’t like masculine images for God, it’s just really important for you to understand that for some of us that image of God as “Father” has significance for what it represents and for what it tells us about what a father should be – regardless of how often earthly fathers may fail. And when I became a father – when Lynn and I adopted Hannah – I didn’t say it but I was terrified as we were preparing to travel to China and as we were waiting to receive her. All of a sudden this little girl – this life – was going to be my responsibility! I knew nothing about being a father or about fatherhood. Absolutely nothing. What if I couldn’t do it? That wouldn’t just disappoint me – it would be devastating to her. What if I destroyed her life? Yes - I had that image of God – but I was painfully aware that I was not God. So I had to do a lot of “on the job learning” so to speak. I’m certainly not perfect by any means, but to my relief I think I’ve done OK. Now, as I said, I’m not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me. I’ve had a pretty darn good life surrounded by people who love me and shown grace by a God who loves me and (regardless of how anyone else feels about the masculine imagery) who is my Father. And probably because of my background biblical stories about fathers intrigue me.
Our Scripture passage today isn’t really about a father or fatherhood, I suppose – although there is a father in it. Jesse, the father of the future King David, appears in this story, but he isn’t the centre of the story. When we discuss this passage we usually take one of four approaches: why God expresses regret about having chosen Saul as king (didn’t God know how that would turn out?), Samuel’s mistake in assuming that the king would be chosen based on the outward appearance of who looked most impressive, God’s insistence on looking inside a person rather than on their outward appearance, or David’s anointing, which identified him as a future king of Israel. All of those are worthy topics to think about, and as a result Jesse kind of gets lost and doesn’t really get much attention here. In fact, Jesse doesn’t get very much attention anywhere in the Bible. He appears in a couple of other stories in 1 Samuel, there’s a reference to him in Isaiah and then he appears in the New Testament, mentioned as an ancestor of Jesus and that’s about it. He’s David’s father and Jesus’ ancestor and that’s all that seems to matter. In a way he’s not unlike Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, who appears and then just disappears. But Jesse seemed a relevant figure for us to think about today. It’s Father’s Day, after all – and Jesse was a father. We may not know a lot about him, but it’s worth thinking about him.
I’ve heard people say that their fathers were their heroes. Maybe that’s true – but I’m not convinced that being a hero is the point of being a father. Jesse doesn’t appear to have been a hero. He appears, he disappears. The point of the story – the point of his role in the entire biblical story - the importance of Jesse – isn’t Jesse himself: it’s Jesse’s legacy. Jesse raised eight sons we’re told, and so impressive were they that it took a while for Samuel to figure out which one was the chosen of God. All of them were apparently possibilities. Jesse had done a good job. He had raised a good family. He didn’t get the glory, but his role was absolutely vital. Without a Jesse there would have been no David – and I’m not just talking biology. Without Jesse’s example and nurture and care there would have been no David able to take up the reigns of being king of Israel, and ultimately no Jesus to take up the reigns of being the King of kings.
Ken Norton – who at one time was the Heavyweight Champion of the World – once said that “of all the titles I’ve been privileged to have, ‘Dad’ has always been the best.” Perhaps the point of what he’s saying is that – as Jesse’s story makes clear – there are a lot of things a person could do that might bring them fame and glory and prestige and power. Being a father is NOT one of those things. Nor is it supposed to be. Being a father is about setting an example, and it’s about being there for those who need you. Ephesians 6:4 gives some very specific instructions to fathers: “… fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” You could sum that up by saying that fathers are to treat their children with fairness, with justice, with kindness and with love. That’s what makes the relationship a precious one; that’s why “dad” is what Ken Norton called “the best title.”
Not everyone here today is a father – just as for most of my life I wasn’t a father. But all of us can learn from the example of a Jesse or the words of Ephesians 6:4 or the feelings of Ken Norton. Whether you’re a father or a mother; a brother or a sister; a friend or a neighbour – as a Christian live in such a way that you show others the “discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Be an example of God’s love and grace to all whom you encounter. You don’t know the legacy that might leave, or how many people that might touch.
No comments:
Post a Comment