We receive a GOD, who like Samuel, weeps over Saul and the people’s rejection. Or scatters seeds in strange places and allows them to grow, even without our help. Or sends us a promise in a new king, one who doesn’t rule, but teaches; who doesn’t command, but invites; who doesn’t demand, but tells stories.
The perfect leader, the perfect community, the perfect church
Proper 6B | Mark 4:26-34, 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
The Coming of the King
When the people were enslaved in Egypt, they wanted out.
When GOD liberated them from captivity, they grumbled because they were thirsty, then hungry, then thirsty again. They wanted to go back to Egypt.
It’s a funny story, really. One in which the people seem so fickle. They want to be free of Egypt, but they don’t like freedom. But that’s not it exactly, is it?
They want freedom and they like freedom. What they don’t like is not knowing. They want certainty. They want to know from where their food and water is going to come. They want a place. And they want to look to one person, a single authority figure that can help them.
They want a king.
And GOD says to them No kings! I’ll give you certainty and order. I’ll give you community and safety. I’ll give you the things you desperately want. But you don’t really want a king. You have me.
But they push and they push and GOD gives them Judges to help them determine what it is that GOD most wants. They are prophets and they are generals and they are courtroom judges. But…
They want a king.
So finally, GOD says yes, but warns them. The king is going to replace me. He is going to try to take from you the things that you give to me. This isn’t the life of freedom, but the tyranny of Egypt again.
GOD chooses Saul, but the people crown him. They are so desperate for a leader, for one to fill the shoes. You do this. You make this happen for us. they tell him.
And it isn’t long before the people’s hubris comes back and the people are aching and Saul is not leading as GOD intends and GOD rejects Saul and goes looking for his replacement.
Too Perfect
We certainly would be forgiven if we missed the juice here. For what we read in 1 Samuel last week and then this week, we could mistake GOD’s purpose here. We could simply say that GOD picked Saul and he turned out to be a clunker of a king, so GOD replaced him. Or we could wonder how GOD could make such a poor choice the first time. But that isn’t the story.
The story is about GOD giving the people the dangerous new thing they've always wanted. Share on X
Like a Mom handing the keys of the car to her son who just passed driver’s ed, got his license and she says Listen to me: obey the traffic laws. I’m not paying for tickets or a lawyer or bailing you out if you screw up. And the young man takes the keys, whips out of the driveway and, shortly down the road, causes a five-car pileup.
GOD didn’t cause the people to jump the gun and anoint Saul before they were supposed to. GOD didn’t cause the people to let Saul get all twisted about as king. But when GOD saw this happen, GOD regretted the decision. GOD mourned their loss of innocence. GOD wanted a take back. GOD saw this whole thing as a mistake.
We’re told that GOD doesn’t make mistakes, that GOD is perfect. But that isn’t true. GOD was doing what parents do: trusting. GOD had to let them do this.
Then GOD went about making up for it. The problem with Saul was that he actually was a great leader, the quintessential king; and that’s the problem. GOD went in the wrong direction. GOD offered the ideal king. What they needed instead was one with the ideal relationship. They needed an imperfect king who had the perfect relationship with GOD. For as flawed as David was, David kept his relationship with GOD.
The ways of GOD
In Samuel and in these parables from the gospel we call Mark, we receive these strange clues about GOD and what GOD is doing. Clues that seem scattered or counter to the perfect ideal image we have of GOD. Our tradition has us describing GOD as unchanging and immovable, but GOD changes constantly in scripture and is frequently moved by people. Tradition talks about GOD being perfect, but we see examples of GOD making mistakes and sometimes owning them. Tradition talks about GOD as reigning supreme over all creation, but we see in these stories, a GOD who allows us to act and decide and flounder and rise from the ashes.
We receive a GOD, who like Samuel, weeps over Saul and the people’s rejection. Or scatters seeds in strange places and allows them to grow, even without our help. Or sends us a promise in a new king, one who doesn’t rule, but teaches; who doesn’t command, but invites; who doesn’t demand, but tells stories.
Stories that aren’t magic boxes with singular solutions. Teachings that are not about having the special key, allowing you to unlock their meaning. Stories that confound and inspire, not only the first time you hear them, but the twelfth and fortieth times.
Even stories about seeds. Seeds scattered. And seeds so very small. Seeds with incredible power, but not because they are big or showy or work in an instant. We don’t plant them and they suddenly bring forth their tremendous growth.
And we don’t spend every second of every day cultivating them. We don’t go sleepless night after sleepless night, massaging the soil and constantly watering and placing lamps on them so that they can grow, even when the sun goes down. We don’t make it happen all by ourselves.
Those small seeds become a tender and delicate shoot before they become the strong and powerful tree later.
as the ways of humanity
What strikes me about these parables is how different they are from what we read in Samuel. Jesus compares the kingdom of GOD to a small seed, which grows slowly, delicately, and produces a different sort of greatness: one which contrasts mightily with the bold power of King Saul, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome; the commander and replacement king for GOD.
Just as David was placed in the equation to contrast with Saul, and Jesus to contrast the whole king-enterprise, these teachings contrast the very way we look at leadership and power and success. That the kingdom isn’t about power and strength and perfection: it isn’t overpowering, commanding, eclipsing, but changing the game. Changing hearts and aspirations.
How do we need to reevaluate our values: our hearts and aspirations? What ways do we look for a king when we should be looking for GOD? In what ways should we be planting seeds and doing our part to help them grow?
We have ways we can do that in our lives. Practices of devotion and connection. Praying the daily office, reading poetry, going to the opera or seeing Coldplay. We can sit and talk at Java Haute or Grand Traverse Pie Co. We can put together bags for the homeless or prepare our space for VBS.
And as a community, we are being called to reevaluate how we understand our sense of “success” and doing things “right”. How we compare ourselves with our neighbors and pray “all the other people have a _king_ so please give us one too.” We evaluate ourselves on power and influence and numbers and effectiveness at beating the rest. So how might we evaluate that mustard seed? Or do we?
Is not the true purpose our devotion? Our life and work for GOD? Is not this the only true measuring stick? That we so love GOD that we embody the Christ to one another?
Let’s let that be our start.
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