Do We See?
10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these." 11 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." 12 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." 13 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 16:10-13)
After God had taken God's Spirit from King Saul, God called the prophet, Samuel, to the home of Jesse to anoint the next king - even though Saul was still alive. When Samuel told God that he was afraid to go because Saul would kill him, God gave Samuel specific instructions to avoid detection - including inviting Jesse, all of his sons, and the elders of the city of Bethlehem to a sacrifice. Once everyone was sanctified, Samuel began to approach each of Jesse's sons, beginning with the oldest. But, although each son had the appearance of a good king, God rejected each one. Perplexed, Samuel asked Jesse if all of his sons were present, and Jesse answered that the youngest had stayed behind because he was a shepherd and was tending the sheep. David - the youngest son - was then sent for, and as soon as he arrived God instructed Samuel to anoint David.
When Jesus and his disciples came upon a man born blind, the disciples asked if the man's blindness was the result of the man's sin or the sin of his parents (all disease and disability was thought to be the result of sin at that time). Jesus answered that sin had not caused the man's blindness, but that the purpose of his blindness was so that God's work could be revealed in him. When Jesus healed the man's blindness, people didn't even believe he was the same man who had been blind. The man was taken to the Pharisees and questioned - along with his parents - about who healed him and how he was healed, and he explained what Jesus had done. But when the Pharisees asked if the healer was a sinner the passage states,
30 The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." (John 9:30-33)
God chose David despite (and because of) his humble position as shepherd, and God moved through Jesus to heal a man born blind despite (and because of) the seeming impossibility and the sacred observance of the sabbath. It can be difficult to see what God is doing when God defies our expectations or our traditions, but God does not answer to us. God will call and use those whom God chooses to call and use, and God can move in spite of our traditions and the systems we've set up - even if they've been set up with good intentions. May we stand in awe of God's wisdom and grace rather than in judgement of what we don't yet understand.
35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." 37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." 38 He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus 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." 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains. (John 9:35-41)
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