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June 7:
Call: 2 Corinthians 4:13 - 5:1 Reading: W&S #83 Text: 1 Samuel 8: 4-20 Closing: 1 Samuel 11: 14-15 Conformity I found today's text to be unnerving and disturbing. I share it with you without joy and without pleasure I share it with you with disappointment and even shame. Now when you first hear it You will think that I am being overly dramatic You will think that I have overreacted. You won't immediately experience Either disappointment or shame You won't find it unnerving You won't find it disturbing. To the contrary, Your first reaction - as was mine - Will probably be To wag your pointer fingers at the people who spoke to Samuel, and say, "No! No! No! You should know better!" But then as we try to bring the scripture alive by looking for ourselves in it We realize that We are wagging and we are pointing those fingers at ourselves And That it is our very own selves whom we are chastising with our "No! No! No! You should know better!" For we cannot help but find ourselves in those people who asked Samuel for a human king. With that introduction, I share the text: [1 Samuel 8: 4-20] The people of Israel wanted a king. A real human king. Why? (and don't you just love this?) Because everybody else had one! Just like the boy who tries to convince his parents he should have something "Because my friend Johnny has one" or the girl who tries to convince her family that she should be allowed to do something "Because Mary's parents let her." Just like that boy and that girl the Israelites thought they knew What they wanted They thought they knew what would be best for them. They had confidence that they would be better off with a king For since everyone else had one, It had to be the superior approach. But superior to what? Superior to their present leader? Their present leader was God! God who had set them apart as a special people A special people To do God's work To reflect God's goodness and glory What they were saying in their request for a king Was that they preferred to be like everyone else Than to be God's chosen servants. They were choosing humankind, human values, and human ways Over God, God's values and God's ways. God told Samuel to warn them - and Samuel did He told them that the king would impress their children into his armies; He told them that the king would tax them and take their property; He told them that the king would make servants of them. But the people had made their choice. After all they knew better. They chose having a human king. They made a choice reflecting greater faith in the human than in the Godly They chose the flesh over God's kingdom. And each day of our lives You and I do just that. We choose human activities over worshipping God We choose human activities over our personal devotions & prayer We choose human behavior over doing what God expects us to do We use the gifts God gave us For self indulgent purchases For ourselves rather than for those who need our gifts. And there are few in the pews - and certainly no one behind the pulpit - who cannot see herself or himself in the people who demanded an earthly king. Just reflect on the last month How many nice but unnecessary things did we buy using money that might have fed, clothed, or sheltered others? How many times did any of us use our time or energy to please our friends or indulge ourselves When we could have done something for one who was hurting or needy? Isn't doing this rejecting God? Isn't it? Don't we look a lot like the people in our text? Interestingly, there is another character in this scripture To whom we - as professing and active Christians - And particularly - to me as a pastor - must relate. That character is Samuel. He had two responsibilities To speak to God for the people To speak to the people for God When Samuel had to tell God that the people preferred a human king He must have felt like a failure. He must have felt like he had done a poor job of sharing God's words and God's expectations with the people. And yet what God told him was, "... they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me ..." I doubt that this made Samuel feel much better. I believe that he must still have thought "I could have and I should have done this or done that." And he was probably right. The people may have rejected God But if he had done his job better they might not have. Well, you and I have a job to do We are expected to be witnesses to and make disciples for Jesus Christ. I have no doubt that you can do better - much better. I have no doubt that I can do better - much better I have no doubt that you and I must do better - much better. We can do that by giving priority to what God wants us to do and what God wants us to be Priority over what the humans around us want us to do and what they want us to be. That will require sacrifice on our parts.. It might help if we both compare those expected sacrifices With and to the sacrifice celebrated in the our communion service - the last we will have together.