Rector's Sermon - Sunday, March 10, 2002

First Reading	Psalm	Epistle	Gospel
1 Samuel 16:1-13	23:1-6	Ephesians 5:8-14	John 9:8-14

      Israelites began yearning for a king to rule them out of fear of their more powerful neighbors. Traditionally, Israel had been a confederation of tribes and when major decisions needed to be made affecting the larger confederation, representatives from the tribes held a council to decide them. A king, however, would better protect them, exercise decisive diplomacy, focus their energies, and be able to raise a much more efficient army than any council. Only a king could transform them into a rich empire.

      By the time of first lesson, the people had learned firsthand some of the drawbacks of a monarchy. Saul had been made king, but it had gone to his head. In fact, he was becoming insane, traditionally, a common aliment for despots. Everyone in the small kingdom of Israel now lived in fear. Samuel was the prophet charged with the dangerous task of finding a new king to replace Saul. So Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to choose the new king, under the cover of going to perform a religious ceremony. The people of Bethlehem understandably tremble, "Do you come in peace?'. Samuel wants to get on with the task, make a choice quickly and escape before word reaches Saul. He is very willing to choose the first son of Jesse. "He even looks perfect for the part, why look any further, why go anyplace else?" thinks Samuel, but God says "no." "Well, how about the second son then?" Samuel anxiously asks. "No, not that one either," says God. We can just imagine Samuel saying let's hurry up, choose this one, this one will surely do" and God replying with a slow drawl, "nah, he won't do either, show me another." This goes on until seven possible candidates are rejected. Then an exasperated Samuel is moved to ask, "are they all here?" No, came the reply, the youngest is out tending sheep. Samuel has worked himself up in such a state, it is no wonder he can't sit down. Up and down he paces until the last son is fetched from the fields. God sizes the youngest son up. Finally God says,"yup, he is the one, anoint him."

      Like the first lesson, fear is a prominent element in today's Gospel. Some of the religious leaders become totally unglued when Jesus offers a great sign of God's healing grace. The parents of the healed man, instead of openly celebrating their son's good fortune, are intimated and pressured to act evasively about the goodness of this wonderful gift. The man who is healed, is finally driven away, and like the ancient inhabitants of Bethlehem, cowers and trembles until Jesus finds him and offers him a blessing of peace.

      I wonder if these lessons are not reminding us that the people of God do not make wise choices when they act in fear. Samuel would have picked any one of David's seven brothers if he had been guided by his anxiety. Indeed Samuel would have probably never have ventured to Bethlehem at all if he had let fear rule him instead of the word of God.

      The Gospel lesson is a tragic lesson of what happens when fear takes over in a community. Jesus offers a sign that should be an occasion of great rejoicing. Instead it appeared that most people present felt too threatened to perceive it. Instead of Good News coming into their lives, of fresh life manifest among them, they closed their hearts and minds, shoved it aside, and rejected it entirely.

      Samuel would have never seen David if he hadn't listened and paid heed to God's prodding, and kept his own fear in check. The man who was born blind would never have discovered Jesus if he had been convinced by the fears of so many of those around him. In the same way, I suspect that we who think ourselves so sophisticated, become aware of wonderful new possibilities in our midst and make wise choices to the extent we choose the call of the Holy Spirit over the voice of the world's fear.

      And I offer this to you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen