PM: Psalm 33
Today's readings are, in effect, the stories of three men, each of whom had a job to perform and who, in the course of that performance were discredited or plotted against. Each had a mission and more than enough obstacles in the way of that mission, yet each, in his own way, did what needed to be done.
Samson was, in a way, like Isaac,
Samuel, even John the Baptist, in that he was born to a childless couple who
had pretty much given up hope of any child at all. From birth he was dedicated
as a Nazirite, a dedication to God involving several specific actions: no
contact with corpses, refraining from eating or drinking anything that came
from a vine (specifically grapes and wine), and the hair must not be cut. That
last one played an important part in Samson's story. Samson's weakness seemed
to be his love of (or lust for) women. Delilah the Philistine was able to worm
the secret of Samson's great strength out of him but she wasn't the first to
use that tactic on him, merely the last one. Once she had the secret she merely
waited for Samson to fall asleep and then beckoned in a barber to perform his
tonsorial duties. Samson lost his strength, was captured and blinded by the
Philistines and put on display like a chained bear. His revenge was to use the
strength gained from the regrowth of his hair to pull down the temple in which
they were exhibiting him, killing himself but also a huge number of Philistines
in the process. It was a deliverance for the Israelites
In the epistle, the deacon Stephen
was giving a lengthy oration in front of the council trying him for blasphemy.
The speech covered salvation history from Moses to Jesus and, in the reading
for today, he is discussing the difficulty Moses had with people who didn't
really accept his leadership or his mission. While Moses was on the mountain
conferring with God, the people took things into their own hands and had Aaron
make them an idol they could see and worship like the Egyptians. Moses returned
to resume leadership over the recalcitrant Israelites although many of them
died as a direct result of their disobedience and, many of their descendants
would be sent into exile in Babylon for repeating the errors of their ancestors
in the desert. Moses survived to bring the Israelites to the borders of the Promised
Land but was forbidden to enter it. He died alone but undoubtedly peacefully
with God watching over him. Stephen did not die quietly but rather was stoned
for his faith. Both accomplished their tasks during their lifetimes which is
not a bad epitaph.
Jesus, like Stephen, was killed for
doing his job although the Jewish hierarchy and the Romans thought of him as a
blasphemer and a troublemaker. Funny how people who do their jobs conscientiously
often are seen that way. At any rate, Jesus was doing the things he was supposed
to: teaching, preaching, healing, exemplifying what a life lived in God and
totally with God was supposed to look and be like. He gained followers during
his all-too-brief career as an itinerant preacher and healer but after his
death his message spread like wildfire. It is still spreading, but the full
import of those teachings has not been realized as there are still poor,
hungry, thirsty, sick, imprisoned, oppressed, damaged and dying people who
haven't yet benefitted from the kind of help Jesus offered and instructed his
followers to continue to offer.
Samson had a career as a strong man,
able to defeat enemies like a superhero yet he had feet of clay when it came to
women. Did Moses have a weakness? Perhaps impatience was his biggest flaw.
Stephen probably had weaknesses but they were not part of his story, only the
strength of his commitment to the Christ in whom he believed so fervently.
Jesus didn't have a weakness unless it was a heart wide open to the
disadvantaged. Yes, there was the Syrophoenician woman who begged for his help
but who Jesus tried to rebuff. She didn't take no for an answer and in her
persistence, Jesus changed his mind. Was that a weakness or was it a teaching
moment, when he showed his disciples yet again that all should be heard and
helped, even if they weren't people whom the disciples would normally have
expected to tend.
From Samson I think I should learn
that when someone consistently tries to worm something out of you, even if that
someone is a person you’re crazy about, perhaps that’s a sign that maybe that
person isn’t the right one to establish any kind of long-term relationship
with. Another thing is to not have secrets that anybody would want to know,
especially if it could make things dangerous or even deadly.
From Stephen I think I should learn
that sometimes service can get you in real trouble but that standing for your
beliefs and doing your job, even when the cloud of potential harm or death
hangs over your head is the right and honorable thing. If, when threatened, you
can calmly give a good speech that directly bears on why you were doing what
you were doing, you might win some converts to your position but it might still
end up badly. You have to try anyway, though.
From Moses I think the lesson is to
keep going forward, even when those surrounding you are busy trying to go in
another direction.
From Jesus there are so many lessons
to learn that I don’t know that anyone could literally learn them all much less
practice them. I’m supposed to try my best, however, and trust that God will
look after me. Thinking about it, the trusting part may be the easiest.
From Jesus there are so many lessons
to learn that I don’t know that anyone could literally learn them all much less
practice them. I’m supposed to try my best, however, and trust that God will look
out for me. Thinking about it, the trusting part may be the easiest.
Whether it is holding off people who
want to have some leverage, standing up to enemies, herding cats, or getting
the message of the gospel across in a way that makes others want to pass it on,
I can look to the four men in today’s reading, all of whom faced the challenge
of delivering their message.
As every good performer knows,
whether it is a great punchline or a message of hope, delivery is everything.
Originally published at Speaking to the Soul on Episcopal Café Saturday, August 16, 2014.
Originally published at Speaking to the Soul on Episcopal Café Saturday, August 16, 2014.
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