For the past couple of weeks we have been hearing
biblical accounts of two different men, who at the time were less than extraordinary.
Each week we have heard accounts of them growing in to their positions and becoming known as Kings. For the most part, we have only spent time talking about one of these two, Jesus but it seems important
to also follow the path of David.
The first week we heard how David was chosen
to be King and then we heard the parables of the seeds. How fitting of course
to hear the lineage of Jesus in a way and then going in to the parables about the mustard seed and the seeds that are scattered. We heard of how something so small can have great faith while hearing of David the
youngest and the smallest of sons being chosen to do great and wonderful things. At
first glance these are just stories we have heard many times, but putting them together how much more impact. Hearing the tales of David and Jesus when they just were starting out what a wonderful way to fully embrace
the human lineage of God with us.
The following week we talked about the calming
of the sea and heard the story of David and his battle with Goliath. Sometimes
the lectionary confuses me. It takes a while to figure out why the lessons are
paired the way they are; sometimes it just seems random, but in the case of coming to power if you will of David and Jesus
within Samuel, and the gospel of Mark, their lives seem to flow together while years and years apart. Within the beginning of their time as leaders, they both had major moments in which they needed to conquer
what to others would be impossible. David just a young lad facing an enemy of
magnificent height, and Jesus calming a violent storm with a simple phrase, peace be still.
From those moments, these two were looked at differently.
Then last week we heard of David and a great
battle where God’s anointed army fell to the sword, and we heard of Jesus healing the woman who bled and a young girl. How David and Jesus faced great sadness in their time.
They followed similar paths, leading the people of God with love and compassion.
David was saddened by the great loss of life in battle and Jesus was touched by the faith of those he encountered.
This week the tales continue, but in a different
direction. Our first scripture today talks about David being anointed King of
all Israel and then how he was told
he was not welcome in Jerusalem. And we heard of Jesus not being known among the people
and of sending his disciples out. When thinking about these two passages the
title really came to my heart of a Tale of Two Cities but alas, it has already been written.
But to borrow a line from Dickens from that text, “It was the best of times and it was the worst of times”
this seems to fit these two stories.
With David, we begin with his being anointed
King of all of Israel, truly a best of times, we hear from Samuel, “Then all the tribes of Israel came to David
at Hebron, and said, “Look, we are your bone and flesh. For some time, while
Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The LORD said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall
be ruler over Israel.” So all the elders of Israel came to the king
at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign.” I hear those words and take comfort in them.
There is just something about hearing and reading that David was to be the shepherd of the people of Israel. It is a foreshadowing to the coming of Christ, the true shepherd of God’s people.
But the story continues, and we hear of a setback
for David, we hear of him not being allowed in Jerusalem, probably a worst of times. David having the Lord of
Hosts on his side took hold of Zion and called it the city of David and ruled with excellence from that time on.
“The king
and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not
come in here, even the blind and the lame will turn you back”--thinking, “David cannot come in here.” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of
David. David had said on that day, “Whoever would strike down the Jebusites,
let him get up the water shaft to attack the lame and the blind, those whom David hates.”
Therefore it
is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” David
occupied the stronghold, and named it the city of David. David built the city all around from the Millo inward. And David became greater and greater, for
the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him.”
The
very people that Jesus would teach love towards we hear the words that they were hated for they did not accept the anointed
King of Israel. What a turnaround we will soon have. From these words of the blind and lame will turn you back to them being the very people who couldn’t
get close enough to Jesus and the promises he offered.
We then pick up with Jesus as he returns home
to the town that knew him. After a few moments of connecting Jesus to the town,
we hear of his brothers and his sisters, this is one of only a very few times when there is any mention of relatives of Jesus.
“He left
that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been
given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of
James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus
said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.”
5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.”
We hear
it here in order to make the connection that he grew up here and how could they possibly take him seriously because look his
sisters worship here with us. So how can their brother possible come in to this
place and speak to us. He is a child of sorts; it is kind of like when a pastor
goes up to the church they were raised in to preach, very few can look upon them with the same presence of mind as their regular
pastor. Instead, they see the child they watched grow up. The one they saw baptized and the one who was confirmed there. They
see the child who played a sheep in the Christmas pageant and who sang in the choir.
To return home as an adult is always a tricky thing for everyone always sees you as the child they watched grow up. It is even more difficult for an adult who goes home as a pastor. The child they once taught now seeks to teach them. It is
a tricky situation for anyone, and here Jesus is, walking in to town after he healed the little girl and brought her back
from the dead. He was a hero in some ways to so many. He went from town to town with great followings. Then when
he enters his home town he is welcomed by people questioning how this man they watched grow up could possibly be so wise,
and they did not accept his teachings. He had to expect it, but still to return
to the town he knew as a child and was not accepted.
But our scripture continues, he responded by
sending his disciples out, by gathering his followers and sending them out to teach.
Much like how David responded to not being welcomed into Jerusalem, Jesus was not welcomed into his hometown and instead rolling over, both men took on leadership roles
and continued the work that had to be done. Our Mark text says…
“And he
was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them
out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except
a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse
to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out
and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed
with oil many who were sick and cured them.”
Jesus took up the task that he was sent to earth
to complete; to spread the good news of God’s unconditional and unceasing love for all people. Jesus took the best of times of healing and sharing God’s love and went to his home town, he was
met with disbelief and doubt, a full on worst of times, but he made it a best of times, by sending his disciples out to the
local towns sharing this same message.
Often times we as the imperfect children of God
that we are get caught up in these times, the best of times or the worst of times, and that is all we can see. But thank goodness for the example of David and Jesus that in times where things are rough they seek to
follow God. We have journeyed with these two kings this summer, we have experienced
them come into their leadership and heard as they overcame difficulties, we hear these two together to show us the faithfulness
of God.
Our scriptures today show us how the message
has changed, but the intent has remained the same. For David, he was challenged
in his role as King by those whom Christ would come to put first. Those who had
shunned David were the ones Jesus was spending the most time with. And we hear
from Mark that Jesus persevered through his trip home, he didn’t allow those who did not accept him to prevent him from
doing what he was sent to do.
At surface level, all I have accomplished is
to make connections between Jesus and David, not really worthy of a sermon, but taking a closer look, we have seen how the
great king of the Old Testament and our Savior handled situations even when things didn’t go quite according to plan. Neither of them threw in the towel. Neither
of them just sat around and waited for things to get better. Neither of them
went overboard to make things turn around. Neither of them truly acknowledged
that there was a problem. What they both did was fix the situation while moving
ahead. Neither of them got stalled in their tracks or lost track of their focus,
but instead they continued on. David set up his ruling city and followed God. Jesus gathered his disciples and empowered them to go out and continue his work.
Is this how we handle the worst of times? Do we continue on with our goal without succumbing to the temptation of stressing
out? Do we get lost in the stress and overwhelming emotions of a situation gone
awry, or do we fix the problem and continue? There is a lesson in this for us
all, when a hard situation catches us off guard do we allow ourselves to be paralyzed in the moment or do we find that inner
strength and work towards our final goal. Whether in our personal lives or within
the life of the church these questions hold true.
In this time when our church is facing a budget
crisis, do we throw in the towel, get stressed out, panic, or do we roll up our sleeves and work together to overcome this
situation? The same holds true of moments in our own lives, if we are faced with
a situation like David and are tossed aside by those whom you want to help, do you give up or do you get creative and help
in other ways? What about the situation Jesus faced? You come to face to face with people who you are relying on to help you and they doubt you and turn their
backs on you. Do you in return turn your back on them, or do you continue to
respect them while working to help them see the good you are doing?
We each face moments when we are let down by
the people we care the most about, those who we have put our trust and respect
in, and those whom we thought would never hurt us. If we allow the pain of those
moments to overtake us, we are forgetting the lessons that David and Jesus have taught us.
To continue on finding a new way to reach out to those who might seek to have us lose track of our goals. As was said of David, “David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with
him”. And what we hear of Jesus, he didn’t even lose a beat, “And
he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.”
So I encourage you to not allow a setback to
bring you defeat but to follow the example of David and Jesus and listen to the words from the letter to the church in Philippi, “I press on toward the goal for the
prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” May this be how you
live your lives.
