Bible Tuesday for Lent IV, 2017

1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” 4Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” 7But the Lord said 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.” 8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Why is Samuel grieving over Saul and who is Saul, anyway? Saul was the first king of Israel. He was a big, strong guy whose profession was herding his father’s asses. God sent Samuel to anoint him king, just like God sent Samuel in this story. So Samuel went and found Saul herding the asses, poured oil on his head to anoint him, and proclaimed him God’s first king over all Israel. He was from the smallest of the tribes, Benjamin, and had proven himself militarily against the marauding Philistines. As such, he was accepted as king even by the larger, more powerful tribes so the twelve all accepted him as king.

But Saul had problems. He did not always pray to God or sacrifice to him in the accepted manor before going into battle. God was displeased with this and chided King Saul through Samuel, the prophet, but Saul blew off Samuel. The last straw was when God sent King Saul and the army of Israel into battle against the Amalekites and was not to take spoils but to destroy all. Before going into battle Saul was supposed to lead the army in prayer and animal sacrifice to God. Instead, Saul erected a monument to himself and then allowed the army of Israel to take plunder for themselves (including statuettes of idols) after they defeated the Amalekites. For this, God rejected Saul as king. While Samuel anoints David as king of Israel when he was an adolescent, David does not become king until he is an adult and a proven soldier. In the meanwhile, Saul stays king but becomes paranoid and delusional.

The above story of the crowning of David shows the reader several things. First of all, we learn what it means to be anointed. The literal meaning of the words “messiah” in Hebrew and “Christ” in Greek is “Anointed one.” Samuel anoints David with oil to set him apart for God’s service, in this case, to be king of Israel.

Second, we see in this story one of many instances in the narration of the Hebrew Scriptures where the person favored by people is not the person favored by God. In the Law given by God, the oldest son gets a larger inheritance, given the birth right, and is societally favored. Yet, Jacob is favored over his very slightly older brother, Esau. Isaac receives his father’s entire inheritance but Ishmael and his mother are thrown out of camp. Joseph is the eleventh born son but is his father’s favorite. David is the youngest of Jesse’s handsome, muscular sons, and is so inconsequential in his own family that he has a job frequently given to daughters, keeper of the family flocks. But God chooses David to be the second and greatest king of Israel; a shepherd boy to be the Shepherd King of all Israel. Even among David’s 19 sons, it is Solomon, one of the middle, overlooked sons, whom David appoints as his successor.

Third, we get a glimpse of what is meant by a Thank Offering in the Law. When Samuel objects to God’s summons to go visit Jesse in Bethlehem, God says, “Take a heifer with you and make it a thank offering!” When Samuel gets to Bethlehem and slaughters the heifer, notice that unlike a sin offering, the whole heifer is not burnt up. Instead, the sacrifice is actually a cookout feast for whomever the sacrifice invites to join him/her in giving thanks!

Fourth, we are told that God sent the Holy Spirit mightily onto David. As 1 Samuel continues with the narration of Saul’s fall and David’s rise as king of Israel, we are told that “The Spirit of the Lord was removed from Saul.” In the Hebrew Scriptures, not every Jew received the Holy Spirit nor was the gift of the Holy Spirit a permanent thing. In the gospel of John, on Easter morning when Jesus appears to the disciples gathered in the upper room, “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit…’” After the Pentecost event in the second chapter of Acts, the Holy Spirit fills people at their baptism into the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is now doctrine that the Holy Spirit comes into people and does not leave them.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

3he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

4Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Israelite kings were commonly referred to as Israel’s Shepherds. The kings did not own the flock but were the caretakers of it for the owner, God. But here is King David, to whom this psalm is ascribed, referring to God as his shepherd.

In the context of Saul’s demise and fall from power and David’s boyhood anointing and rise to power, this psalm is especially meaningful. Once David is anointed, he becomes Saul’s weapon bearer and constant companion. As King Saul slips into madness, his fits are soothed by David’s harp playing. (Whenever David is depicted in medieval/Renaissance art, he can be identified by his harp.) David becomes best friends with Jonathan, Saul’s oldest son, and is married to King Saul’s daughter Michal. However, as David matures from child armor bearer to adult very successful soldier, Saul becomes jealous of David and paranoid that David will take his throne. Despite the fact that David is actually the anointed king, a secret confined to Samuel, David, and David’s family, David remains loyal and devoted to Saul and Jonathan. Nevertheless, Saul attempts to kill David, causing him to flee, taking with him junior soldiers loyal to him. They become a mercenary band living in the shadows of Israel’s neighbors. Periodically Saul send out troops to hunt down David and his soldiers. During this time David lives a desolate life in “no man’s lands”. What an inspiration for this adamantly peaceful psalm.

Ephesians 5:8-14

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— 9for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. 10Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; 13but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore, it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

While modern Christians are accustomed to the light/dark language of the New Testament, the original audience of this letter would not have been, unless they had heard or read the Dead Sea Scrolls. The author proclaims that believers “are light”; not walking in the light, but light itself. The last quote of this periscope is unknown outside of Ephesians. Perhaps the author is quoting an ancient hymn.

John 9:1-41

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.

8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.14Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. 17So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;21but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

35Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him.

39Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

This pericope from John expounds on the gospel’s themes of light and darkness, and blindness and sight. The setting for this story is just outside the Temple in Jerusalem. While the other gospels don’t tell of Jesus going to the Temple as an adult until Palm Sunday, the gospel of John has Jesus going to Jerusalem three times as an adult. This is the first time. Jesus has just finished an argument with the Pharisees and Temple authorities who reject him because they “are descendants of Abraham” and reject Jesus’ claims to be God/Son of God/Son of Man. “Before Abraham was, I am,” replied. That ended the argument and resulted in the Pharisees trying to stone Jesus.

Jesus gets away from the Pharisees and comes upon this blind man. The juxtaposition is developed between the Pharisees and Temple religious leaders who should see God in their midst but choose to be blind, and the blind man who does receive Jesus and sees, both spiritually and physically.

This story starts with the disciples introducing Jesus’ new teaching. Heretofore, one identified those favored by God through their success: wealth, health, popularity, power, etc. When the disciples ask, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answers with a thought that was truly out of the question. “Neither. It doesn’t work like that.” Jesus then heals the man in a truly unique way. The entire rest of the story is the conflict over how God’s favor is exhibited.

The Pharisees believe themselves to be favored by God because of their wealth and status. Manifest destiny! Unless they are serious about loving and serving God, why would they want to believe someone who taught otherwise? This “prosperity gospel” is so entrenched in Jewish society that even the blind man’s parents are afraid to testify to and celebrate their son’s new sight. Only the now sighted son, is willing to point out the irony of the situation: I was blind but I can clearly see that this man was sent by God, while you all have always been able to see but you cannot see God right in front of you!