When
God works through people, surprises and new turns happen and the usual doesn't
necessarily work as in the past or as the way would like to arrange things. Luke's
story suggests another ancient incident and perhaps it was this earlier story
that served as the model for the one about Jesus. It is the story of Eli and Samuel
in the temple. Samuel was a young boy who served the aged Eli. Later legend has
it that Samuel too, like Jesus, was twelve years of age. Eli was the senior priest,
the dean of the temple. It is made clear that he was well past his prime and the
people yearned for a fresh vision. In the dead of night, Samuel heard a voice
and thinking it was the old man calling, ran, waking Eli up. Eli thought Samuel
was dreaming, and sent him back saying calm down go back to sleep. Samuel again
heard a voice and thought it was Eli calling and woke him up again. After the
third time, the wise Eli caught on. Eli could not hear the voice for it was not
the voice of the past. It was the voice of the living God, calling Samuel to a
new future.
Let's
give old Eli credit. Out of fear or jealousy he could have tried to suffocate
the voice. He could have tried to deceive or lie to the boy. The boy was definitely
a threat to old and traditional Eli. But Eli recognized the voice of God, he knew
that his own way, the way he cherished would only go so far, and it wasn't going
to work anymore. The temple needed new leadership and God was calling it into
being. So Eli told Samuel, go and when you hear the voice again, say, "I
am willing to hear, I am open to your future, speak Lord, speak.
In
the temple, when Jesus was the same age as Samuel, the advent of a fresh future
was being announced. Luke puts us again on notice God was working a new thing
through Jesus.
If
one keeps up with the Saints Days on the calendar one quickly learns that the
days following Christmas speedily pack one critical event upon another. The magi
show up, Herod tries to find Jesus and murder him, the holy family escapes into
Egypt, today we read of Jesus in the temple and next week we will read of his
baptism and the beginning of his adult ministry. We are tempted to stay stop,
not so fast. We haven't even taken down our Christmas tree yet or written our
thank you notes.
I've missed one Sunday, and already I feel behind. I've
haven't had chance until today to thank the many of you who contributed to the
beauty of the Advent preparation and Christmas services. Things went well, I was
pleased and proud and I hope you were as well.
On
the other hand, the pace after Christmas is out of our hands. God is reminding
us that things will not always develop at our preferred measured pace. It is a
gift to have this stable in our presence. Like much in our lives, the animals
are not always neatly arranged. Yet it is usually at the chaotic and fast paced
stable of our lives not at the comfortable resort hotels that God's spirit is
disclosed to us.
