Sunday, March 2, 2008      Lent 4A      1 Samuel 16:1-13

 

THE LORD LOOKS UPON THE HEART

 

In the Christian Ethics course I taught last spring at the Northwest House of Theological Studies, a student named Janine was legally blind.  I was concerned about the level of accommodation needed to help her function in the course.  Other students were kind enough to provide transportation to Salem for her, and someone was always there to give her an arm to lead her    wherever she needed to go.  In terms of the course work itself, I was amazed how little accommodation she required.  Her computer was set up with special features she needed.  She had a special device for taking notes during class.  Her memory was excellent.  She did quality work in the class— not just for someone who is legally blind—she did quality work period.

 

During one of the Friday night meals she acknowledged she had some concerns about what church would want to call her   once she finished seminary.  She believed God had called her to be a pastor, and she had been encouraged to pursue this call by people she trusted.  Nonetheless, she was realistic about the challenges that would be involved for her and the congregation that called her.  Obviously many congregations would shy away from these challenges.  But at the same time it was clear that Janine will be a blessing to whatever congregation she serves.  Many will continue to see Janine as a legally blind woman in need of accommodation.  God looked on Janine’s heart and saw a pastor in the making.  God has given her assets such as deep faith, integrity, determination, and compassion that will overcome her visual limitations.

 

This academic year she has moved on to Iliff, a Methodist seminary in Denver.  She continues to do fine work there.  If she were Lutheran and ready for call, she would be an intriguing candidate for our Associate Pastor position.  Our priorities for this position are small group ministry and caring ministry.  Janine has the heart. She has the mind.  And she would never go anywhere alone, so even helping her get around would be a small group or caring ministry.  Her visual limitations could be a catalyst in building a stronger sense of community in a congregation.

 

On the one hand, it is surprising that God has called Janine to be a pastor.  Janine herself continues to be surprised.  On the other hand, God has a long history of identifying and calling unlikely people to serve as vessels of God’s grace.

 

The story of Samuel anointing David to be king is a prime example of God   calling an unexpected person   for a special task.  The Lord becomes disenchanted with Saul’s leadership as king.  1 Samuel 15:35 tells us “the Lord was sorry   that he had made Saul king over Israel.”  He sends Samuel to Jesse the Bethlehemite and tells Samuel, “I have provided for myself a king among [Jesse’s] sons.”  The Hebrew word translated as “provided” actually means “to see”.  Here the Lord “sees” in the sense of “discerns or chooses”.

 

When Jesse’s oldest son Eliab is brought before Samuel, Samuel looks on Eliab and assumes, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.”  Eliab is tall and handsome, just as Saul was.  He carries himself with confidence.  But the Lord says to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

 

One by one seven of Jesse’s sons pass before Samuel.  In each case Samuel says that the Lord has not chosen this one.  Seven is the number of completeness in the Bible.  So one would think one of the seven would have been chosen to be king.

 

Samuel, a bit puzzled himself, asks Jesse, “Are all your sons here?”  Jesse responds, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.”  Or as Eugene Peterson translates Jesse’s response, “Well, yes, there’s the runt.  But he’s out tending the sheep.”  Jesse can’t imagine that the runt of the family would be chosen by God to be king.

 

But Samuel orders Jesse to bring him.  When David is brought in, he is handsome and has beautiful eyes; but he is indeed small.  Obviously his physical stature is not the key for the Lord.  His family looks upon David and sees a little brother—the runt.  The Lord looks upon David’s heart and sees a king.  The Lord tells Samuel, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”  We are told the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.

 

Again and again in the biblical testimony, the Lord chooses unlikely people to carry out the Lord’s work—to be vessels of grace.  Consider Moses.  The Lord looks upon the heart of Moses and sees a liberator for the people of God.  Moses is sure the Lord has the wrong guy.

 

The Lord says to Moses, “I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites,   out of Egypt.”  But Moses responds, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”  When the Lord persists, Moses continues to resist, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech   and slow of tongue.”  The Lord will not take “no” for an answer, “Who gives speech to mortals?  Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind?  Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.”

Still Moses resists.  The Lord finally agrees to let his brother Aaron, a more eloquent speaker, assist Moses.  But the Lord remains convinced that Moses is the needed liberator.

 

Consider Gideon.  The Lord looks upon the heart of Gideon, the son of a farmer, and sees a mighty warrior to lead the people of Israel against the Midianites.  However, when the angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, he responds, “But sir, how can I deliver Israel?  My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”  The Lord assures Gideon that he will be with him in battle.  Gideon is not easily convinced.  Finally the Lord does convince Gideon, and he leads Israel to a great victory with an incredibly small force.

 

Consider Peter.  Peter was a common, ordinary fisherman—a working man—not the most likely candidate   for a disciple of Jesus.  The Lord looks upon his heart and sees not only a disciple but also a leader of the disciples.  During the Last Supper Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him three times.  Peter wants to be faithful to the end.  He says vehemently to Jesus, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.”  Peter, as we are told, denies Jesus three times.  When he realizes what he has done, he breaks down and weeps.  At that moment he sees himself as a broken down, unfaithful disciple.  The Lord, however, looks once more upon his heart and sees a leader for the early church.  That same Peter will stand in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and boldly proclaim the risen Lord.

 

Consider Saul turned Paul.  As Saul he was known as one of the most zealous persecutors of Christians.  He approved of the stoning of Stephen.  After the killing of Stephen, he went on a rampage, dragging off followers of Jesus Christ and committing them to prison.  He took pride in being an enemy of Jesus Christ.

 

But the Lord looks upon his heart and sees a great missionary and apostle.  The Lord confronts him on the road to Damascus, and the rest is history.  Paul did more to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ than any missionary in the history of the church.

 

Since biblical times the Lord has continued to look upon the hearts of men and women and see opportunities to bestow grace through them even when others did not.  What amazing things can happen when we begin to look upon the heart and see ourselves as God sees us, not as we see ourselves or others see us.  God can see in the most unlikely people possibilities we could never have imagined.  As Bruce Birch notes, “we live in a culture oriented to image and appearance. Products are sold by the appearance of youth and sexuality, which have nothing to do with the product itself. Tobacco brings cancerous death, but sells by appeal to chic and macho appearances.  Children are ostracized at school for not wearing proper brand names, and sometimes robbed of coveted items when they do wear them.  Political campaigners seek to polish a successful media image rather than to convince voters by their positions on the issues.”[1]  Given this propensity to judge by appearances, which Birch speaks of, how comforting it is to know that God looks upon the heart.  As the people of God we are called to look on the heart—to see people as God sees them.

 

Where some may see evil hearts beyond redemption, God sees hearts ready to be transformed.  Where some may see one or no talent people, God sees people with the heart to do ministry.  Where some may see people destined for failure, God sees people through whom God’s grace can be witnessed to in a powerful way.

 

Surely the Lord at this very moment is looking upon the hearts   of the people of St. Andrew.  We are called to discern what God is seeing and to respond accordingly.  It will be exciting to see what unlikely people God will raise up.  It will be moving to see what limitations the Spirit of God will overcome so that we can fulfill God’s purposes.  It will be uplifting to witness the ministry and mission God will accomplish through us in this place of grace.  May the Spirit of the Lord come mightily upon us.

In Jesus’ name, AMEN.