Good Morning Friends,
Today’s lectionary selection relates to the challenge of following laws that are no longer helpful and moving the cultural needle toward healthier communities. In the scripture, we see the importance of the character of David and why God chose him to be King. We see a new way being formed, and it is instructive for us in understanding the purpose of the law of love being substituted for the 613 laws that put a hedge around behavior. You see, Jesus uses this to teach us something very important about subtracting to add. In the story of David, Jesus describes a discerning of the law related to David’s role and to his relationship with God and with people. As David guides his hungry troops to eat the Bread of the Presence in the Temple, he realizes it is against the law but also that it is God’s will for him to eat. And that prompts today’s reflection about the purpose of laws in our church and society and our response to them. Maybe we cannot all be Rosa Parks. But, Do We Have A Heart For God’s Thoughts Of Justice To Be Our Own?
Scripture: For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:10-20 (NRSV)
One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” 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 2:23-28 (NRSV)
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.” Samuel 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.’ Invite 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.” Samuel 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?” He 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. When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is now before the LORD.” But 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.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” Samuel 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.” He 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.” Then 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.
1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NRSV)
Message: The story of David helps us to see things right. It challenges us to look beyond outward appearances into a person’s heart and character. And yet still we are surprised by the choice of David for King. We are surprised by the selection of Jesus as heir to the Davidic Kingdom. What we need to learn is that it is what is inside that counts. David was born last. It is the wrong place in the birth order to become king. Jesus was born first but lowly in a manger in the City of David. Here we must face our prejudices and instinctual inclination to raise up those with the best appearance and abilities. This kind of emptiness drives our society. We want someone to look up to… a king… and unfortunately not one on a cross. Maybe it is because we view heroes in the wrong way. Maybe our last choice is God’s first choice. Maybe our fear is not that we will be chosen last but that we will not be chosen at all. Saul was rejected and so was Jesus. So do you possess the kind of character God is looking for? Maybe God is still looking for people he can call and use for His glory. Maybe God is looking for specific, surprising people to be the Sovereign’s choice because they have learned to love and live the life God designed them to live. Friends, knowing in faith that God has our best interests at heart we can persevere. Knowing that this must produce character, our hope is strengthened with confidence and the love of God in the Holy Spirit that can bless us each and every day. . Now more has been written about David than about any other biblical character. David has sixty-six chapters dedicated to him, not including fifty-nine references in the New Testament. He is important to today’s devotional because David is dedicated to God in every aspect of his very earthly life but still breaks the law. Yes, he had God’s spirit working powerfully in and through him, but he was still capable of the most glaring sins, both public and private sins, as well as private sins that went public. He was capable of tremendous grace, huge faith, deep emotions, incredible courage and immense financial generosity. But he was also subject to deep depression, fits of rage, tremendous lust, lying, and deceiving. Thankfully God chooses him as King anyway, for God chooses nobodies and makes them into somebodies. And thankfully God takes all the time necessary to develop people after His own heart. So, embrace the life-long process realizing there are some laws we were meant to break. Being perfect is only found in a relationship with God. Friends, God is still looking for men and women whose heart is fully engaged in following Jesus. This is the only way to true obedience.
And So, we all like compliments and especially regarding the spiritual fruit we produce. Mark Twain said that he could live on a good compliment for two weeks with nothing else to eat. He was not a holy man, but I think he was on to something. As a Christian, I can think of no higher compliment than to be described as a man or woman with a heart after God’s heart of justice to produce fruit for the Kingdom, and when that compliment comes from God Himself, we had better take notice. If you read the Bible on a regular basis one of the things you may start to notice is that it rarely flatters its characters. It tells us the complete truth, good and bad, about everyone we meet. This is one of the reasons that it is Holy, for it rarely shows us in a good light but instead a true and fair light. And because of this it gives us a wonderful glimpse into the grace and mercy of God and yes, difficult though it is, even the thoughts of God. Now today’s scripture touches on one of those men that exemplifies the desire of making God’s thoughts his own thoughts and it gives us some insight into how to think about all the legalistic limitations that confront our existence and the reality that they can stunt our spiritual growth. Here what appears less is amazingly more. The concept of the heart I am writing about this morning is exemplified in the person of David for he overcame the challenge of the laws and instead sought a heart for God that allowed him to open his mind to the thoughts of God. God wants us to see. And God sees the possibilities in us when others are confused by appearances.
Pray we realize that God’s laws were made for humans not humans for the law. Pray we develop spiritual integrity. Pray we realize that in our fighting, praying, loving and sinning God is still at work molding us. Pray we better understand each day what God is looking for in our behavior. Pray we are a people that have a heart for God’s heart. Pray our individual and collective heart is a home for God. Pray when things get tough that we reassure our heart to trust God. Pray we are confident of God’s presence in us. Pray we realize that it is a long, long journey and we will get hungry on the way. Pray therefore we eat scripture daily so we might learn the thoughts of God and make them our own. Pray we find in them encouragement from God to do the right thing…. the thing that produces fruit for the Kingdom. Pray we see that which God wants us to see. Pray that God sees the possibilities in us when others are confused by appearances. Pray that we believe that God has a plan for our lives. Pray that we fulfill a dream to become significant because of what God is doing in and through us. Pray we not try to survive by pretense. Pray we realize that God is more concerned about character than our comfort. Pray we be who God wants us to be. Pray we see through the eyes of love. Pray that we make decisions that build our character.Pray we develop a Christ-like character that produces fruit.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 