1113AFC040111 Fourth Friday in Lent “I once was blind but now I see.”
Read it online here.
1 Samuel 16:6-7, 12b-13 As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice, Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.”
Eliab was Jesse’s eldest son, King David’s oldest brother. His name, Eliab, means “God is my Father.” When Samuel saw that Eliab was tall, good-looking, with that kingly-appearance the People had so admired in Saul when he was chosen King of Israel, Samuel thought, “this must be the one!” But Samuel was blind to the qualities in Eliab that made him unfit to be King. Eliab was argumentative (See 1 Samuel 17), and, as first-born, carried a sense of entitlement that made him a bossy big brother. Samuel couldn’t see that because he was looking at the exterior – in other words, the Worldly view. Even a Man of God can get distracted by the World and totally miss out on what the Spirit sees.
After Samuel had looked at all of Jesse’s seven sons, he discovered there was yet one, the youngest, tending the sheep. Samuel sent for him, and when that lad – David – arrived, all became clear because…
The LORD said, “There—anoint him, for this is the one!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
God told Samuel he was looking at the heart of David, not the exterior. Now, the description of David here makes it clear he was a good-looking man, too. But what God saw on the inside – and there in David he saw “a man after my own heart.” (See Acts 13:22 and 1 Samuel 13:14.) And with David’s anointing with oil by Samuel, God infused his Life into David’s life through an anointing of the Holy Spirit. As we know, that did not prevent David from committing monumental sins, but we also know that David had an equally monumental capacity for repentance leading to reconciliation and forgiveness from God. David’s sins happened when he took his eyes off his Creator and focused instead on all Creation. He was blind to God when he sought his satisfaction in The World. He preferred the darkness of his own lusting to the Purity of God’s Light. He chose to be blind and to live in his self-imposed darkness even to the point of madness.
Ephesians 5:8-10 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. … Therefore, it * says: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
* Many Bible scholars believe this was part of a hymn used in the early Christian church, one that would be familiar to the Ephesians much like “Amazing Grace” is familiar to Christians everywhere today.
When we love another, we try to please one that person. We find out what the other likes, what pleases them, and strive to provide whatever it is at whatever the cost. Such is love; the deeper the love, the deeper the cost. No one can outdo God’s generosity, and it is foolish to try, even foolish to believe we can somehow repay him. How then can we please him?
There’s the ultimate Bonus Question! “If I could answer that, I’d make millions!” Well, I don’t know about that, but I do know the answer isn’t that hard. Why? Because God seems to never tire of telling us what it takes to make him happy.
• Don’t make anyone or anything else more important to you than I AM.
• Do what I tell you to do and do that all the time
• Don’t be afraid of me; I love you and you are mine.
• Take care of yourself and your neighbors.
• Be kind to widows, orphans, prisoners, and foreigners.
• Don’t hurt anyone, but don’t be a wimp either. You can be humble and still be strong.
• Honor me by accepting and using all the gifts I give you
• Be like me. I AM Light. I AM Love. I AM justice tempered with mercy. I AM righteousness. I AM an integral part of you.
• Wake up! Stop dying in the Darkness and start living in the Light!
• All I need from you is a humble and contrite heart so there is plenty of room for me to fill up your life with countless blessings.
John:35-41{Jesus} said {to the man blind who had been blind from birth and whom Jesus had given his sight}, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him; the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and he worshiped him. Then Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.”
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.”
This man, who is unnamed, is blind from birth – as was the world in which he lived. He took a leap of faith and asked Jesus to make him see. Jesus’ actions were … well, to me they seem a little unusual. He spits in the dirt, makes some clay, smears the clay on the guy’s eyes, and sends him to go wash off the mud at a pool in Siloam – a word that means “sent.” The man is sent by the Son of God who was sent to heal the world by washing clean the “clay” from which we are made, by cleaning the World off of us and out of us so the Light – Jesus – can be seen. And at the same time, the people who were supposed to be filled with the Light, to be the servants of I AM, are becoming more and more blinded by looking only at the worldly aspect of this healing – the “how” – and totally overlooking the spiritual meaning of the healing – the “who.” Who? A man in darkness all his life saved by the Light because he did as God asked.
Little Children, my Beloved, let us seek the Light and only the Light for that is what best pleases the Father of Lights. See James 1:17.
May God our Father continue to richly bless you in all things!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service, Beloved
Share-A-Prayer
Thanksgiving and praise to God from the family of Prince and Kembo, two Brittany Spaniels who embarked on a week-long adventure and were finally returned to their loved ones. Dehydrated, a little the worse for wear, they are back at home recuperating. C&K thank all of you for your prayers on their behalf.
Our hearts and hopefully our wallets still go out to the people of Japan, and to the millions of people around the world suffering from the aftereffects of that tragedy. Please continue to prayerfully support all the recovery efforts.
Pray for our leaders – local, national, and international – that they will govern with morality, compassion, wisdom, and justice so that we can all live together in Peace. Pray especially for those who make it a point to be contrary to those four virtuous characteristics.
For MS and others who suffer from Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, we pray for strength throughout the treatment and healing process. Find out more at Madelyn Spence’s Corner.
Pray for all the Christian missionaries of whatever denomination, creed, or rite who carry the Word into the World. Pray that soon and very soon every living soul will have the Truth of Jesus delivered to them.
“It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.” Let your little light shine, Beloved. It is such a comfort to many in these Dark times! See the Light! BE the Light!!
