Friends in Christ, sometimes we struggle to make connections with the ancient texts we share here on Sunday, sometimes these words just seem too many worlds away to see the parallels at first glance. But here today the connections couldn’t be more obvious:
Anyone who’s ever been picked (or not picked) for a sports team, a job, a promotion, a homecoming court — the list can go on — can relate to this. One commentator wrote about this text, as a person who had lost 150 pounds. She was reflecting on how she was never noticed before, and how after she lost all that weight, she suddenly was getting all kinds of extra attention, doors held for her, random strangers striking up conversations, now people are looking at her, she’s getting noticed.
This is a text about being picked, being set apart from and above all the rest, the classic underdog, cinderella story, rise-to-the-top. The 8th son — I thought 7 was the holy number? — but here the 8th son sweating and dusty out in the field gets brought in, lifted above his big tough, older brothers, and anointed the next king of Israel. If we haven’t already experienced something like this, if we haven’t been picked above others, I think it’s safe to say we all wish were or could be. This is a story we all can relate to, universally.
...but that doesn’t mean it’s not layered and complex.
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Most of our “being picked (or not picked)” stories are connected to something more external — outward appearances, and also outward achievements. The impressive resumés, advanced degrees, and expansive portfolios are simply more forms of outward appearances. These, like big muscles or beautiful flowing hair, are things we can point to that make us valuable.
The complexity of this text is that God is looking beyond, through, past all these things...to a much deeper level: God is looking at the heart (the inner being, the soul, the center).
The things we can point to — whether innate or achieved — are not dis-qualifiers, but God looks through and past them.
Wasn’t it interesting that despite all this stuff about appearance doesn’t matter, the author had to tell us that David was handsome with beautiful eyes? Some scholars even suggest maybe he was effeminate, a little girly. Others argue, no, he had the makings of a great warrior. Seems a little of both to me. Does it matter to you? Would you care if your king was a bit effeminate, for example?
I don’t think we can truly ever be blind to appearance. It is too difficult for us only to see deeply (I like that a D’s description is there). Most of the time we’d rather just look...too difficult to see deeply. [pause] There’s a difference I’m making here: When we’re not at our best, just look. God sees deeply...and calls us to do likewise. Samuel the prophet, when Jesse’s seven strapping sons were all lined up, was just looking at first. But God led Samuel, called Samuel, to see deeply.
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Great interplay between God and Samuel! Last week that dialogue between God and Samuel started: when Samuel was just a boy, remember, God called him in the night. And that began a relationship of cloudy communication for Samuel, static on the line: “What did you say, God? Can you hear me now? Was that you talking, or am I hearing something else?”
I love Samuel’s almost-humorous ongoing discussion with God in this text too. (Reminds me of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof: “Sometimes I think, when things are too quiet up there, what kind of mischief can I play on my friend Tevye.”)
Sisters and brothers in Christ, it’s easy to get into this text — lots of connecting points — but it’s tough to respond to the the heart question.
What does God see deeply in your heart?
All this external stuff really doesn’t matter. What’s way down there, at the core? Some people can have it all put together, on the surface — upstanding citizens, moral and admired by all, some even mask up in clerical collars and fancy church robes, others far out of the spotlight just being humble, doing all kinds of good deeds quietly, others are heroes and role models — and yet, our hearts can be cold, callous, clogged...even angry. What does God see deeply in your heart?
God chooses David — not because he was perfect, but — because his heart was good. That is, there was room in there for God, for God’s peace and presence to flow. A clean heart — rather than a cold, callous or clogged heart — is a heart that beats to God’s rhythm.
The external stuff is fine. It’s neither here nor there. Good looking or not, admired or not, rich or not — whatever. These aren’t deal breakers (warning: they can get in the way). But God goes deeper, cuts right through all that, and sees the real you down there…
And you know what? [pause] You are good.
Why? Because God made you, and called you good.
Through Christ, God then forgave you all your shortcomings, all your wrong doings — what did we say in our confession and forgiveness? “We look for you in beauty, grandeur, and bluster, but miss the humble, quiet ways you choose to make yourself known. We strive for status and success, and fail to see how you might use us in our failure and weakness. We wish to be popular, forgetting that you have called us to love the unlovable and make our home as you have—with the forgotten, the despised, the voiceless. Forgive us and restore us again to your grace.” And then we heard, “The Lord is quick to forgive and eager to grant second chances. Take comfort that God is merciful, and never failing in compassion. You are forgiven. Proclaim it, rejoice in it, and live it.” Then we sang, “We are Called”.
God makes us good,
Jesus frees us from our bad, from our “just looking”,
and the Holy Spirit goes with us now — thanks be to God — as we live into this this new day, as we lean into a closer walk, a deeper vision, a cleaner heart.
You too are seen, anointed, blessed, in communication with God. You too are forgiven, called in, and sent out! AMEN.
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