Epiphany 2 year B Sermon 09
Some people turn away from the possibility of hearing from God...by simply choosing to believe there is no God. And some make this choice gladly without a fuss... but most turn away reluctantly with sadness or even anger.
to listen for God’s voice and guidance.
Perhaps atheists and agnostics don’t mind this at all...but it’s a scary time for people who believe… when the communication port between themselves and God... seems to be closed.
It can happen... to anyone for a time...and the Bible suggests...it can even happen to whole nations.
‘In those days the word of the LORD was rare; and there weren’t many visions.’
Three thousand years ago right across the land of Israel... God’s voice... was rarely heard... and hardly anyone had visions.
Or so says the ancient book on the life of Samuel...a prophet and judge... before the time of kings...[pause]
Our storyteller...suggests when Samuel’s just a boy...communication between humanity and God just stop... why?
because the religious authorities are corrupt and greedy... focussed solely on their own status and power...
And though the Lamp of God… which illuminates the Tabernacle where the priest serve…though the Lamp is still shining… we're warned by our storyteller…that its light is about to be snuffed out…leaving the people in darkness.
Neither the boy Samuel nor the priests have any idea that Israel’s Philistine enemies from Gaza in the west…will soon tear down their sacred Tabernacle…and steal away the Lamp of God… and the Ark of the Covenant.
But for now the Lamp of God still shines.
And young Samuel is asleep on the floor of the tent…in the glow of the lamp light. [pause]
Samuel is young… he does what he’s told…he knows only human authority…
‘Now Samuel didn’t yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD hadn’t yet been revealed to him.’
Our story tells us the high priest Eli... and his sons...had turned the tent of God... into a disgrace.
Burnt offerings to God were desecrated and abused by the young priests...
‘they cared nothing for Yahweh'
Their sin was very great in Yahweh's eyes, because they treated offerings made to God by the people...
with contempt. There was corruption and pollution...in the Tabernacle of Moses. [pause]
Remember…the Tabernacle of Moses…where Samuel sleeps … is a huge windowless tent… and without the Lamp of God you literally… couldn’t see anything at all
…and the light is about to go out.
The priests are blind and deaf to God’s voice. And young
Samuel knows only human authority… and those powers are corrupt and care nothing for God. But it seems…
God is not deterred. [pause]
Everyone is asleep...and at first...Samuel sleeping too...in the glow of the Lamp of God...at first Samuel doesn’t recognise God’s voice... even though he hears it clearly.
And so naturally Samuel assumes... the only one who could be calling him...
is the shady old priest in the next room.
It wasn’t me...says the priest...three times...go back to sleep... and if it happens again don’t bother me...it might be God calling you... so just say speak LORD, your servant is listening.'
Well that was good advice… so on the fourth call… Samuel answers just as he’s been instructed…
and God tells him some shocking news… very unfavorable for Eli and his family…
news which confirms predictions that Eli and his sons will be banished from the priesthood… because of their contempt for their responsibilities. [pause]
So the very first time Samuel ever hears a word from God it’s bad news for those in power.
And naturally he’s afraid to tell them.
A prophetic word from God... can put the receiver in
an awkward position... sometimes the telling is going to make other people uncomfortable...maybe even anger them...and endanger the teller...
But three thousand years ago…a twelve year old boy… with no religious training…no experience of God…no exposure to scripture…this boy is called by God…to speak the truth to those in power…to warn them of the consequences of their actions.
And as he grew in wisdom and stature…Samuel became a strong reformer of Israel. Over the time of his tenure as prophet and judge… the people rid themselves of their Baals and Ashtaroths, turn away from their idols …
and turn back to serving God….
And over the centuries…tents and temples would fall…there would be good leaders and bad…time and time again Israel’s enemies would attack them…and Israel would attack their enemies…
and God would continue to call unlikely prophets…
to warn the people…to call them… to turn back to God’s way of Shalom…God’s way of peace with justice and mercy.
And mostly those prophets were ignored…[pause]
and then a thousand years after Samuel lived…for three years at least…the voice of God became much easier to hear… in the person of Jesus…and his followers would proclaim… God’s Word had even become flesh and dwelt among us…
During the three short years of Jesus formal ministry,it seems he never lost the ability to discern his father’s voice above the clamour around him…voices speaking temptation…misguided expectations… opposition… rejection… and condemnation.
and yes there were times when Jesus grew angry and frustrated…because no one understood what he was trying to communicate…but he loved even those who rejected him refusing to retaliate. Revenge and violence were never part of his vocabulary.
And today here… at the ends of the earth…our ears are deafened by a clamour of voices from every quarter…telling us what to believe is the truth…calling us to support this cause or reject another…we’re surrounded by commentators…spokespeople…and even religious authorities …we’re bombarded with screeching and competing voices.
And though we’d like to discern the voice of God in all the noise… it’s almost impossible.
But did you notice… when Samuel hears the voice of God… everything and everyone else is quiet…he’s in a place of silence.
And maybe there’s a clue in that for you and I
So when you wonder… whether you’re hearing the voice of God… in all the clatter…wondering whether you can discern a word from God in all the noise…
it pays to take time out as Jesus did… for utter silence… to tear yourself away from the television and the radio and the internet… to listen for God…in a quiet place…
to take some time to savour Gods life giving word…
in Jesus teaching…
And if the voices you’ve been hearing… don’t square with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount or his parables of the prodigal son…or Good Samaritan….If the voices you hear advocate violence and exclusion and indifference and injustice… why then you can be sure they’re not from God…even if they claim to be…and remember Paul’s advise to the first Christians at Thessalonica.
"Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; and hold fast to that which is good"
Today sadly… just as in Samuel’s time…I think it’s safe to say the word of the Lord is rarely heard by those in power in our world…and just as in Samuel’s time the people of Israel and Gaza are still enemies.
Maybe like Samuel we’re called to speak the unpalatable truth…to those in authority…to corrupt governments and religious powers…but like the boy asleep on the Tabernacle floor…sometimes it takes awhile for God to get through to us…we don’t always recognise the voice of God…sometimes God has to call our names again and again …before we answer ‘Here I am. Lord your servant is listening’.
My prayer is that you will listen and you will answer. Here I am Lord.
