2024 06 09 PROPER 5 (10) Third Sunday after Pentecost Year B
1 Samuel 8:4-11 and Psalm 138 • 2
Corinthians 4:13-5:1 • Mark 3:20-35
“So Tell me
what you want, what you really, really want”….
Are there any children of the 90s or fans of the spice girls? These are the words of one of their first hit
songs. Tell me what you want, what you
really, really want…. Well, our Old
Testament reading is a part of the story where the people are telling the
prophet Samuel what they really, really want.
They really, really, really want a King.
Unlike our
contemporary culture, the nations around Israel were not a democracy. They all had Kings who ruled them. Israel was different. God was their King and the prophet Samuel was
his spokesperson. Israel looked around
and saw that the grass appeared greener.
Samuel was upset about their request because it felt like a rejection
and a dismissal of all the good that had taken place since God called him as
prophet. And he was right… it was a
ridiculous oversight of the reality of the gift that God had given the people.
One thing we
learn about looking at these stories, is how human nature is pretty much
unchanging… we want what the other person has and fail to see the amazing
things that God has given us already.
When God was
in charge, goodness and mercy ruled. God gave the nation the commandments in
order to keep all safe, and thriving, paying particular attention to the weak
and vulnerable, yet it seemed to these people, that the grass would be greener
with a King. God says it this way, “they
have rejected me from being king over them”.
The whole
story of our faith is about this statement; “They have rejected me from
being King over them.” Human kind
rejects God as King.
Adam and
Eve, in the garden of Eden, were tempted and ate of the forbidden fruit because
they wanted to be like God. That was
what it was all about; rejecting God as King…
the grass looked greener on the other side. But it wasn’t. It never is.
The Psalmist
says of God, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against
the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand
delivers me.” Would an earthly King do
this for us? Not usually. An earthly King is looking after himself
first.
We all have
free will and God respects our free will always. Even though the nation of Israel had previously
declared that they would follow God and be His people, they then decided, of
their own free will, to reject his wisdom and goodness and ask for an earthly
King like the other nations. The grass
looked greener – It certainly wasn’t!
…
It isn’t
that anyone deliberately sets out to turn away from God. This nation still called themselves God’s
chosen nation, but they figured they knew better…. Better than God. In their actions, they proved their deepest
heart’s desires and they didn’t listen to the wisdom of God and His
spokesperson. I bet that they didn’t
really comprehend that they were rejecting God. Yet, in their actions they proved that they
didn’t trust God…. They didn’t trust in His goodness, and the grass looked
greener on the other side.
There is a
saying about the grass…. The grass is greener on the side you water…
Saint Paul
tells us; “ For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal
weight of glory beyond all measure.” He
also tells us that what is seen is passing away and temporary. The Kingdom of God is eternal. For this same reason… looking at the physical rather than the
spiritual truth, …we see that Jesus’ family is trying to restrain him…. Talk
sense into him. To them, the grass was
not looking very green…. Jesus was getting himself into trouble with the
authorities and there was such a fuss about him that they didn’t seem to think he
was properly looking after himself…. It didn’t seem sensible.
Jesus’
family was looking at the way of life that was temporal, but Jesus’ vision was
eternal. He therefore, says something
interesting…. Those who do the will of God are my mother, brothers and
sisters.
We enter the
family of God through our baptism. We
become spiritually born of God by acknowledging God as the King of our lives. It is an acknowledgement that the grass that
is temporal is not greener than the Kingdom of God and in our baptism, we
acknowledge that God knows best, we choose to follow God and accept Christ as
our King.
Just like
that Israelite nation, who was saved from the slavery in Egypt by the hand of
God, we are saved and belong to God. We
are God’s chosen people, but we do still have free will and God forever respects
our free will. Though we are his and he
loves us, will we water the grass in the kingdom of God, or will we live in the
delusion that the grass that is temporary is greener?
Those who do
the will of God are the family of God.
Each moment we make a choice, and the reality is that it will always be
a struggle, but this is why we need to support and encourage each other. We remind each other that God is King. With God as King, mercy and love rule. The grass in the Kingdom of God is the best
green that there is. This is where we
will find goodness and true life.
So there is
really just one thing to say; Will you accept Jesus as the Lord and King of
your life?
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