Sermon for March 2, 2008

I went to college with many a good looking young man. It seemed that they were all over the place, but alas and alack, they had no interest in me. It was really quite sad. But then towards the end of my freshman year there was this one guy. He called--often. He managed to walk across campus in the same direction and at the same time I did. After finding out that I liked backgammon, he came by with him backgammon board on a regular basis. He somehow managed to be in the library every evening when I was in the library. He started asking me out. The problem? He was, well, a math major—and he looked like one. Somebody sat a bowl on his head to cut his hair. His glasses were ancient and very, very thick. His clothes, this being the very beginning of the eighties, were vintage polyester.

There was no way, no way I was dating a nerd like that. He just didn’t look like anyone I’d want to be seen with. It didn’t matter that he was incredibly considerate. It didn’t matter that he was very thoughtful. It didn’t matter that he had the patience of Job. In the end I gave him the rote response about not being interested in a relationship and just wanting to be friends, yada, yada, yada. And the school year ended well.

Well, the summer went by and the next September rolled around and back to campus we all migrated. Turns out that over the summer he got a new haircut and contact lenses and changed his wardrobe and WOW. And he started dating a very pretty girl and they got married and I have no idea where they ended up. And I hadn’t even thought about Al in years and years until I read the Samuel text for today. And the Gospel text for today and started pondering all the many people that we fail to see as God sees them; how we reduce those created in God’s image to stereotypes or generalizations.

Samuel, fulfilling his call from God, was armed with his vial of oil, ready to anoint the next king of Israel just as the Lord told him. Jesse paraded his sons in front of Samuel just as he was supposed to. They were a fine looking lot of young men. All in the prime of their lives, strong and fit, handsome and ready to rule the world. Samuel was poised to choose each and every one of them as his leader based completely on what he saw. Just look at the size of this one! (Uh, no.) Wow, I’ve never seen shoulder’s like this one! (Um, no.) Now this one looks like a statesman, just look at that jaw line! (Huh-uh.) The Lord said a firm “NO” to each and every one of these candidates for king. So what now? Who to turn to? Could it be that the Lord had changed his mind? Samuel questioned Jesse, “Are these all of your sons?”

“Well, there is the little one,” came the reply. “There is the youngest kid. He’s the scrawny one, you know, at that awkward age in life. He falls over his feet all the time. So we left him out with the sheep today. He’s a good looking kid, but beside his older brothers he just doesn’t compare.” In one glance he was completely dismissed, even by those who knew him best. Surely this one isn’t called to serve the Lord. He’s too young.

The disciples did the same thing didn’t they? As the disciples walked along they came across a sinner, a person afflicted, damaged, unloved and rejected, not worthy of a second glance, the object of speculation and conversation. They saw the outside of the person, but they didn’t see the person. They could not fathom that Jesus could see a human being in the blind beggar.

It’s tough to sort out isn’t it? There’s a whole cast of characters in our lessons today. Handsome/ unkempt. Healthy /sick. Beautiful to behold/ those we’d rather not see. Smart/ clueless. Authoritative/oppressed. Prophet/ priest. Teacher/ disciple. Parent/ child. Father/ Son. Brothers/ strangers. Sighted/ blind. Exactly how are we to know who is called?

The good looking guys don’t have what it takes to be king.

The blind guy has what it takes to be a disciple.

The scrawny kid gets anointed.

The Pharisees are called blind.

Samuel has a tough time sorting out the sons of Jesse, and he has God whispering in his ear.

The disciples have had front row seats for all of Jesus lectures and they don’t get that sin and blindness don’t go hand in hand.

How are we to sort it all out?

Here we are, called by God to serve our neighbors, to make Christ known in the world and yet there are so very many people out there. How are we to know who to approach? How are we to know who God has called into his kingdom? How are we to know who it is we are to serve? There are just too many people out there for us to reach each and every one. Surely God doesn’t require that we see each and every one.

Surely that person on the street, the one who looks a tad intimidating, surely they don’t want to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Surely the mother yelling at her child in Walmart, the one who appears about to lose control, surely she isn’t open to knowing the love of Christ.

Surely the homeless person wandering the streets talking to himself, surely he isn’t competent to understand mercy.

Surely the teenager with the iPod in her ears isn’t the least bit interested in serving the Lord with all her heart and soul and mind.

Surely the old person in the nursing home doesn’t have enough days left on earth to invest wholly in working for justice.

Surely not the small child who must leave his hands in his pockets during communion because he can’t begin to comprehend the forgiveness implicit in receiving the sacrament.

Surely the visitor won’t understand the language we speak and so shouldn’t be expected to return.

Surely the long time member knows all about redemption and doesn’t need a reminder that they too are a child of God.

Surely the family with the little kids doesn’t have the kind of time required to completely serve God.

Surely not the nerd we don’t want to date.

Surely not the scrawny youngest boy.

Surely not the blind man sitting by the side of the road.

Open our eyes Lord to see the kings and the servants. Open our mouths to call them by name. Open our ears to hear their witness. Open our hearts to see the whole creation as redeemed by your cross.

Amen

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