Proper 4
Devotional
Streams of Living Water
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle B
Object:
1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him.
-- 1 Samuel 3:7
When God called Samuel, Samuel did not recognize who it was that was calling. Before he could fully understand, Eli needed to instruct him on how to listen and respond to God. Note in the story this is not because Samuel was inactive. Indeed, he was daily in the temple and near the Ark, the central symbol of God's presence. Even for those who are most active in the faith, we still may miss God's word to us because we have not learned how to listen or respond. The church has the role of Eli. We are charged with the responsibility of instructing members how to listen to God. We do that even though our own eyesight is often dim, and we ourselves too frequently misunderstand what is taking place. It took Eli several times before he understood that it might be God who was calling to Samuel. Before that, he likely thought it was just the action of a precocious child who was disturbed in his sleep.
Three times Samuel heard the call and thought it was Eli calling. On the third time, Eli realized what was happening and instructed Samuel to respond. He told him that the next time it occurred, he should say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (v. 9). From birth God provides for us. By baptism God calls us. At given points God addresses us. As a church we are to encourage and instruct our members on how to listen and to respond. Sometimes, as was true for Eli, the message that will be heard is not favorable to the church. When Eli heard the difficult message of God that was spoken to Samuel, he responded, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him" (v. 18). It is hard for the church to listen to the judgment of God, but it is an act of faith to trust God at such times.
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
-- Psalm 139:1
We often swing between what theologians call the transcendence and the immanence of God. On the one hand, we think of God as an infinite and eternal Spirit who is greater than anything that we can imagine. On the other, we have often considered God to be our intimate companion who is concerned with our personal needs. The psalmist brings the transcendence and immanence of God to bear on our most intimate moments. It is almost scary to consider that God is "acquainted with all my ways" (v. 3). Each of us has thoughts, attitudes, and ways that we would prefer God was not aware of.
When we consider God to be our intimate companion, we want to consider God to be our confidant and advocate in this crazy world. Yet there are aspects of our lives that we would be deeply ashamed to have exposed to God. The psalmist does not even allow our innermost self to be shielded from God by the constraints of time. He affirms that God knew us before we were formed (v. 15) and knows our future before it is lived (v. 16). When we reflect on this, however, there is also a freedom and a security to such an affirmation. There is nothing that we need to hide from God because God knows it all. Even when we have made a disastrous and shameful mistake, God knew it before it happened, and Christ died for us anyway. Since we cannot hide from God and we cannot surprise God, we are set free to love the one who first loved us. We demonstrate that love by living a life that gives thanks to the God who has already loved us.
2 Corinthians 4:5-12
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.
-- 2 Corinthians 4:7
It is extraordinarily hard for the church to take this passage seriously. In our sociologically fixated age, we are convinced that we can discover the secret that will make the church a success. We create program after program designed to grow the church or make it more effective in its ministry. We are convinced that the light that comes from the church must be our light and that it can only shine if we discover the secret formula. Paul insists, "We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ, who is the image of God" (vv. 4-5). But what would it mean for a church to recognize that it was just a clay jar with all its imperfections? Could a church relax a little in its strivings and spend more effort on trying to discern where God was at work within it?
The death of Jesus was caused by the sin of the world. Could the church not despair that it, too, carries the death of Jesus in its body "so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies"? Paul declares, "For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh" (v. 11). Isn't the miracle of the church the fact that God continues to shine through us despite our imperfections? And when that occurs and we can point to how God effectively works through us despite our weaknesses, is not that the good news that the imperfect world needs to hear?
Mark 2:23--3:6
Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath."
-- Mark 2:27
If there is any theological issue that is critical for our time-obsessed society, it is the understanding of the sabbath. It begins with an understanding of the place of the law in the faith. Jesus reminds them of David's actions that broke the law because human need required it. Then, using the law of the sabbath, he reminds them that the whole purpose of the commandments was for the sake of humanity. The law was to serve humans and not the reverse. Jesus' declaration was often used by liberal Christians to oppose oppressive use of blue laws in our society.
Now, however, we need to reflect on the other side of the issue. If the sabbath was made for humanity, what was it meant to provide for humanity that we are now lacking because we pay so little attention to it? The sabbath establishes a rhythm of time that was meant to preserve our humanity. It was also meant to interrupt our focus on our own productivity in order to remind us that God is the real provider of all that we have. For the Israelites who were crossing the wilderness, where every day was a struggle for survival, to interrupt their search for food for 24 hours, was to make themselves vulnerable to the care of God. For clergy to neglect to take a day off is to testify that they, not God, are the Savior of the church. For a professional to insist that he must work round the clock to accomplish his task is to declare that success is dependent on him. For either to interrupt their work with a regular sabbath is to pause and reconnect with the one who is really in charge. Observing the sabbath is to interrupt the tyranny of time and make time the servant of humanity rather than its master.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him.
-- 1 Samuel 3:7
When God called Samuel, Samuel did not recognize who it was that was calling. Before he could fully understand, Eli needed to instruct him on how to listen and respond to God. Note in the story this is not because Samuel was inactive. Indeed, he was daily in the temple and near the Ark, the central symbol of God's presence. Even for those who are most active in the faith, we still may miss God's word to us because we have not learned how to listen or respond. The church has the role of Eli. We are charged with the responsibility of instructing members how to listen to God. We do that even though our own eyesight is often dim, and we ourselves too frequently misunderstand what is taking place. It took Eli several times before he understood that it might be God who was calling to Samuel. Before that, he likely thought it was just the action of a precocious child who was disturbed in his sleep.
Three times Samuel heard the call and thought it was Eli calling. On the third time, Eli realized what was happening and instructed Samuel to respond. He told him that the next time it occurred, he should say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening" (v. 9). From birth God provides for us. By baptism God calls us. At given points God addresses us. As a church we are to encourage and instruct our members on how to listen and to respond. Sometimes, as was true for Eli, the message that will be heard is not favorable to the church. When Eli heard the difficult message of God that was spoken to Samuel, he responded, "It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him" (v. 18). It is hard for the church to listen to the judgment of God, but it is an act of faith to trust God at such times.
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
-- Psalm 139:1
We often swing between what theologians call the transcendence and the immanence of God. On the one hand, we think of God as an infinite and eternal Spirit who is greater than anything that we can imagine. On the other, we have often considered God to be our intimate companion who is concerned with our personal needs. The psalmist brings the transcendence and immanence of God to bear on our most intimate moments. It is almost scary to consider that God is "acquainted with all my ways" (v. 3). Each of us has thoughts, attitudes, and ways that we would prefer God was not aware of.
When we consider God to be our intimate companion, we want to consider God to be our confidant and advocate in this crazy world. Yet there are aspects of our lives that we would be deeply ashamed to have exposed to God. The psalmist does not even allow our innermost self to be shielded from God by the constraints of time. He affirms that God knew us before we were formed (v. 15) and knows our future before it is lived (v. 16). When we reflect on this, however, there is also a freedom and a security to such an affirmation. There is nothing that we need to hide from God because God knows it all. Even when we have made a disastrous and shameful mistake, God knew it before it happened, and Christ died for us anyway. Since we cannot hide from God and we cannot surprise God, we are set free to love the one who first loved us. We demonstrate that love by living a life that gives thanks to the God who has already loved us.
2 Corinthians 4:5-12
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.
-- 2 Corinthians 4:7
It is extraordinarily hard for the church to take this passage seriously. In our sociologically fixated age, we are convinced that we can discover the secret that will make the church a success. We create program after program designed to grow the church or make it more effective in its ministry. We are convinced that the light that comes from the church must be our light and that it can only shine if we discover the secret formula. Paul insists, "We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ, who is the image of God" (vv. 4-5). But what would it mean for a church to recognize that it was just a clay jar with all its imperfections? Could a church relax a little in its strivings and spend more effort on trying to discern where God was at work within it?
The death of Jesus was caused by the sin of the world. Could the church not despair that it, too, carries the death of Jesus in its body "so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies"? Paul declares, "For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh" (v. 11). Isn't the miracle of the church the fact that God continues to shine through us despite our imperfections? And when that occurs and we can point to how God effectively works through us despite our weaknesses, is not that the good news that the imperfect world needs to hear?
Mark 2:23--3:6
Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath."
-- Mark 2:27
If there is any theological issue that is critical for our time-obsessed society, it is the understanding of the sabbath. It begins with an understanding of the place of the law in the faith. Jesus reminds them of David's actions that broke the law because human need required it. Then, using the law of the sabbath, he reminds them that the whole purpose of the commandments was for the sake of humanity. The law was to serve humans and not the reverse. Jesus' declaration was often used by liberal Christians to oppose oppressive use of blue laws in our society.
Now, however, we need to reflect on the other side of the issue. If the sabbath was made for humanity, what was it meant to provide for humanity that we are now lacking because we pay so little attention to it? The sabbath establishes a rhythm of time that was meant to preserve our humanity. It was also meant to interrupt our focus on our own productivity in order to remind us that God is the real provider of all that we have. For the Israelites who were crossing the wilderness, where every day was a struggle for survival, to interrupt their search for food for 24 hours, was to make themselves vulnerable to the care of God. For clergy to neglect to take a day off is to testify that they, not God, are the Savior of the church. For a professional to insist that he must work round the clock to accomplish his task is to declare that success is dependent on him. For either to interrupt their work with a regular sabbath is to pause and reconnect with the one who is really in charge. Observing the sabbath is to interrupt the tyranny of time and make time the servant of humanity rather than its master.
