The Real Big One

June 21:

Call:       Mark 4: 35-41
Readings:   Fathers Day and graduate congrats
Text:       17 Samuel 17: 32-49

                The Real Big One

Everyone    Just about everyone
is familiar with the story of David and Goliath
Even those who have never graced a sanctuary
And who have never sat in a pew.

They know that Goliath was really big
    And that David wasn't.
They know that Goliath had a big sword
    And that David was armed only with sling and stones.

And as such they use the term "David and Goliath" in all sorts of situations
    Particularly in sports

I have seen it most in college basketball
    Villanova over Georgetown       "David Defeats Goliath"
    NC State over Houston       "David Beats Goliath"
    Chamiande over Virginia     "David Slays Goliath."

As a person who has regularly rooted for the underdogs ...

I was after all a Brooklyn Dodger fan in the mid fifties
    When it seemed that Norm's Yankees had defeated us in the World Series nearly every year of my life.


But as I was noting,
    as a person who has regularly rooted for the underdogs
        I have always liked this story.

In fact, when I was cub master of Pack 2 in Oneida some years ago
    I wrote a play for the scouts
with a concept  somewhat similar
        To what many people think this story is about.
            "The Little Guy triumphing over the Big Guy"

My play was a combination of fairy tale and melodrama
    The king's headstrong daughter - Princess Daffodil (Daffy)
        Had wandered into the woods - despite the king's orders to never, never, go into the woods
        And once there,
been captured by a fire breathing dragon.

The king called, begged, and pleaded for someone to rescue her
He offered her in marriage to the one who succeeded.

Three knights volunteered
    Sir Strong      the strongest man in the kingdom
    Sir Quick       the fastest man in the kingdom
And Sir Ebral
        Who was neither strong nor fast
        But who had a good mind.

Sir Strong failed
Sir Quick failed
Then, with no optimism at all,
the king sent Sir Ebral into the woods.

There - to everyone's surprise - he conquered the dragon
And rescued Princess Daffy.

He did so by using his wits.
    He didn't take traditional weapons with him

He took chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers.
Then he convinced the dragon to use his fire
To toast the ingredients
And they shared s'mores together.

The dragon liked them so much that
when the marshmallows prevented him from breathing fire
    allowing Sir Ebral to whisk Princess Daffy  away
he didn't really care too much

After all what would you really rather have
    a head strong princess
or  chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers?

I liked that story.
I enjoyed having the scouts perform it at one of the Utica malls

But that was not
what the story of David and Goliath was all about.

The story was not:  The little guy triumphing over the big guy

So let's listen to the story    and see
whether you and I can get it figured out
    [1 Samuel 17: 32-49]

This is not a story about little David outwitting and outfighting the big Goliath

This is not a story about a young and small Israelite defeating a Real Big Philistine.

There are two other characters in the story
    The first is somewhat cowardly Saul - the Israelite king
        He is a contrast    not a really important character
    The second is the one the entire Bible is about
        God!
        God was and is a really important character

This is a story about a young man's faith in God
    And it shows that God is the "Real Big One."

This is a story that teaches us and tells us
    That God is bigger and more powerful
        Than the biggest or strongest human being
        Even one of the extraordinary size and strength
            Of Goliath.

This story teaches or reminds us
    That God is bigger and more powerful    than anything else
This story demonstrates to us that with God we can triumph over anything
    Although sometimes that triumph
        May not be as we would design it
    And sometimes we don't see it as a triumph
        Because we think    like people    rather than like God

When we look at it this way,
David should have been the favorite - not the underdog.

After all the guy he was facing was big
    But the one on which he was relying
    Was much, much bigger.

And we too have that same real big one
    To rely on in our lives.
While we are together     but also after the miles come between us