I Samuel 16:1-13, John 9:1-41, Ephesians 5:8-14
There are an abundance of variations to the joke--all known as "three wishes jokes." In the classic version there are three men stranded on a desert island. After several weeks with little food and drinking water they are beginning to lose heart. Suddenly a bottle floats into the shore and when the bottle is opened a genie swirls forth. "I grant three wishes when freed from the bottle," the genie announces. "And since there are three of you I will grant you each one wish." The first man says, "I'm really not sure what to wish for, let the others go first." So the genie turns to the second man who after a few seconds of thought says, "I wish I was driving a sports car down Michigan Avenue in Chicago with a million dollars in the bank." Instantly the man was gone, his wish granted. The third man said, "I wish I was back home with my wife and two small children living in a house on the shores of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin." Just like that he also disappeared. The genie turned back to the first man and said, "Okay, you've had enough time, what do you wish for?" The first man scratched his head and said, "Gee, I'm just not sure. I wish those other guys were still here to help me decide." The moral of most of these jokes is clearly, "Be careful for what you wish, you just may get it."
Our lessons for today reflect the fulfilling of wishes with some very curious results and powerful lessons for us. The Old Testament text for today is an ancient story involving the prophet Samuel. When I think of the prophet Samuel I often find myself thinking of the medieval magician Merlin found in the stories of King Arthur and the knights of the round table. If you have ever seen the animated film "The Sword in the Stone" or read E.B. Whites wonderful book "The Once and Future King" on which the film is based you have some idea of the curious figure we find in our lesson for today. Samuel was the last Judge of ancient Israel before the time of the great kings. Samuel led the people into battles against their enemies and rallied the people to worship the true God. Ultimately it was Samuel to whom the people of Israel came demanding that he approach God about the possibility of a King. It was Samuel who tried to dissuade the people from having a king. He warned them that kings establish governments with bureaucracy which would mean building palaces and buildings to house the governing agencies. Things haven't changed all that much. And armies to provide for government security which would mean taxes to ultimately pay for it all. But the people insisted that every other country around Israel had a king. They were the only people without a king--everyone else has one, they whined. So Samuel is led by God to find the people a king. Samuel's choice was a relatively unknown farmer from the smallest of the 12 tribes who more or less wanders into the town looking for some lost donkeys. Samuel seems a bit confused about why God would pick Saul although he does admit that Saul is a head taller then the average Israelite and looks very kingly. Samuel will learn that appearances can be deceiving. Nevertheless, Samuel anoints Saul by pouring a flask of oil over his head and charging him and the people to stay faithful to God's word. As Israel's first King, Saul starts out doing pretty well, leading the armies against Israel's enemies and with God's help winning many battles. Saul tries to do the right things and listen to Samuel's words from God. Saul creates for himself quite a court with a good sized army. He begins to build a kingdom and executes power over most of the land, and of course there are the taxes. But ultimately Saul fails to be the king that Samuel had hoped for and that God had expected him to be. Saul is rejected by God and Samuel is directed to anoint a new king.
That is where our first lesson begins for today—with old grey haired Samuel grieving over the decision to anoint Saul in the first place and now the need to anoint a new king. Samuel seems to be trying to avoid the inevitable. God comes to Samuel and announces that it is time to fill the hollowed out horn he carried with fresh oil and head off to find a new king. Samuel knows that King Saul will not take kindly to the idea of being replaced. Samuel is afraid but God tells him to pretend that he is just going to Bethlehem for religious observances. Samuel's reputation as the greatest warrior prophet in Israel, the maker of kings and closest confident of God has preceded him to Bethlehem. He is greeted very cautiously by the local leaders who wonder why the great prophet Samuel would visit little Bethlehem? What is described next is like a scene out of some contemporary reality television program—a cross between the Bachelorette and the Apprentice. The proud father, Jesse, is invited by Samuel to bring his sons to a special dinner. Jesse is no fool. He knows that Samuel would extend such an invitation only if something very important was afoot. Jesse comes with his sons and our text tells us that when Samuel saw the first of Jesse's sons he immediately thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is here." Just like Saul, Jesse's first son must have been a tall, handsome, powerful, and kingly looking man. But then Samuel hears God's voice deep within him cautioning, "Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." So Samuel looks at the next son--Abinadab--and then the next son--Shammah, and then the next and the next. In all, seven of Jesse's sons are interviewed by Samuel and not a one was told they were hired. It is at this point of the story that Samuel turns to Jesse and asks, "Is this all your sons?" And like a scene out of some fairy tale or romantic novel Jesse says, "Well, there is one more boy but he is the youngest out tending the sheep." And Samuel says, "Send for him." So it is that the youngest of Jesse's sons comes in from the hills with no preparation or planning. Our text does tell us that he is ruddy and handsome with great eyes. That, of course, is the important descriptive note--the eyes. For even the ancients thought of the eyes as the gateway to the soul. Look into my eyes--meet my gaze--There is something special about her eyes. And Samuel saw something he had not expected or understood. he arose and anointed David as Israel's second king. Here would be a king who saw beyond the moment. Who would see in the threat of a giant named Goliath the test of a nation's faith. Who would see in those who were among the poorest and most oppressed of the ancient world an army that would rise up in faith and Godly trust to become a great people. David's reign as king would bring in the golden days of Israel. His words and deeds would become the foundation for talk of the promise of a Messianic age that would enlighten all the people of the world. David had eyes to see beyond appearances. Not just concerning people but life itself.
We know of David's vision not just from the histories of the kings but also from his poetry. Like the 23rd Psalm in our worship this morning. A psalm often credited as are many of the Psalms to King David. A king with eyes to see that even in the midst of life's threats and shadows the Lord is still present just like the watchful shepherd that he knew so well on the hill country around Bethlehem. God gives a different kind of vision--the vision of king and prophet. Eyes that see and discern something more than mere appearances. This is not the kind of insight that selects an academy award winning film or the next American idol. It is not the kind of talent that selects the best players for the team or the student with the greatest potential for the scholarship--it is something more. When Jesus gave sight to the blind man in our Gospel lesson for to day it quickly becomes apparent from this rather lengthy story that there several ways of seeing. There is the basic idea of moving from physical blindness to sight, darkness to light--formlessness to full discernment. But there are other ways of seeing people and events. The dialog between Jesus and the religious leaders. between the blind man's parents and those in authority, and between the blind man and Jesus lead us to realize that there are many ways of seeing the world and a miracle of grace. It all depends on what you are looking at. Like Samuel trying to pick out the likely candidate for being king, the many figures in our Gospel text get distracted by any number of superficial items that appear to be important. Was this a real miracle by God? Should there be miracles on the Sabbath? Why was there a need for the miracle in the first place. Who sinned? Who really sees what God wants us to see? It all depends on how you see. The old prophet learned to look beyond the external appearance. And yet it is so human to see what we want to see. Maybe even what we need to see.
One of my favorite stories is that of some members of the local chamber of commerce. The chief of police, the mayor, a local business leader and a corporate executive. They were leaving a meeting at the area high school. It happened to be a fine spring day and the school grounds were filled with students engaged in a variety of outdoor activities. The police chief looked at all the students and commented that what he saw when he looked at all that youthful energy was the need for greater police presence to keep the young people in line.
The mayor observed that he saw future voters who he needed to get to know better. The business leader just smiled as he thought of the promise these young people held in their purchasing power and supporting his stores. The executive really didn't see all that many young people. He was actually focused on only one young person. His daughter running across the playing field and he thought how much he loved her and cared about her future. We see the world in many ways through many different eyes. It is easy to get distracted--to focus on the wrong things--to see without any real sight. But we do not have to be so limited. St. Paul makes it clear in his letter to the Ephesians. "Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light." To see with the eyes of faith--it doesn't come easy.
If you had three wishes what would you wish for? That was the question one of the young people from our Tuesday LYFE program asked Bill Lynn the other afternoon. I had gone along to help her find Bill's house and to introduce her to Bill. As most of you know Bill has been a quadriplegic confined to a wheel chair for 14 years now. If you were unable to walk or move or touch another human being except by your words and your sight what would you wish for? Three wishes she gave him and I listened, waiting for the answer I knew that I would give--Three wishes. "Well, I suppose I would wish for world peace," he said with a smile. "But that sounds like some beauty queen contestant." He paused for a minute and said softly, "But there has to be peace in the middle east. There has to be peace." Then his eyes kind of drifted a little becoming reflective and he added, "Then I would wish for an end to homelessness and hunger." I waited for the third wish as he continued, "And then an end to disease--especially AIDS in Africa." And his eyes took on a satisfied look. As if he had seen beyond the moment to find his answer. His three wishes complete he smiled again. In my head and heart I was almost screaming. "But what about walking--moving--getting out of the wheel chair." It was then I realized that there are many ways of seeing. And those who live by faith trust in God to see what they need. Trust in God to give them eyes to see beyond themselves. To see beyond those around them. God has given us so much more than three wishes. God has graced us with a gift of vision to see not just wants and needs but hopes and dreams and resources and solutions and even miracles. All we need to do is open our hearts and our minds and our eyes.
Narrator --John 9:1-41 As [Jesus] walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet." The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out. Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.
Amen