Pastor's Corner: Von Anderson

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1Samuel 16:7, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on heart.” (ESV). This week we are going to leave Jonah for a quick moment. I am going to write briefly on the status in our country. I will be doing this from a Christian perspective and not as a secular(worldly) perspective, yes there is a difference. 

So let’s go back to the old testament first, and the early part of the nation of Israel. They have been delivered out of bondage from Egypt, wandered for 40 years in the desert, and finally crossed over into the promised land. They have settled in this land and have been lead by “judges” men and women that God has raised up out of their own people to lead them through times of difficulty and sometimes judgement. 

Israel is looking around and after the death of Eli, they decide they want to be like all the other nations and have a king in place of leadership. They plead with God and the prophet Samuel and eventually God allows them to make this poor decision. They choose a man named Saul. Now, Saul looked exactly as a king should. Scripture says that there was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome that Saul. He was tall, broad shouldered, strong, and carried himself with self-confidence. Now, Saul was a good man and had care and concern for the people of Israel, yet he also had an arrogant streak. He eventually decided he no longer needed God’s assistance to lead the people. He became very prideful and his heart followed not after God.

God eventually rejected Saul, too Samuels dismay, and turned His favor away. Instead, God instructed Samuel to go and anoint the next king of Israel. One that God himself had chosen to lead His people. So Samuel was lead to Jesse the Bethlehemite. While he was there the sons of Jesse passed before Samuel, beginning with the eldest Eliab. When Eliab passed before Samuel, Samuel’s first thought was surely this is whom the Lord has chosen, but the Lord impressed on Samuel not to look on his outward appearance. 

Eventually, seven of Jesse’s sons had passed before Samuel and God had not chosen any of them. So Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons that had yet been brought before him. Jesses informed Samuel that his youngest son was still out tending the sheep. So Jesse called for David to come and meet Samuel. Now David wasn’t horrible to look, nor had some sort of deformity, it was that he didn’t stand out above the crowd. As soon as he passed before Samuel, God said unto Samuel this is the one whom I have chosen, arise and anoint him.

I Samuel 13:14, …”But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be price over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”(ESV). In so many, many ways we are no different than the nation of Israel. When this country was first founded, it was founded on the principle of coming to a place where the people could worship and follow God without governmental interference. 

The constitution and so many other of your founding fathers documents are grounded in scripture. Yet, through time the people slowly walked away from the foundations and decided that they wanted to be like everyone else. We no longer searched for men who sought God with all their hearts as they governed this country. Instead we continually found individuals who look like they should be the leader on the outside but really don’t care about the inside as long as they agree with our world view.

We still judge mankind by looking on them with the eyes of men instead of the eyes of God. We determine their worth/value in this life based on the outward and very little with the internal and more importantly the eternal. We look at skin color, clothes that they are wearing, what part of town they live in, their employment/or lack thereof, their educational background, their financial resources, and dozens and dozens of other surface indicators that mean nothing.

I will leave you this week with this account and pick it back up next week. Sunday morning rolled around as it does every week. Service were getting ready to start. People coming in from the parking lot, being greeted by friendly faces. Hugs and handshakes all around as people who may not have seen each other all week, get a quick catch up on the weeks events. No one noticed him at first as he come walking up the front entrance. 

No one could remember what car he got out of or if he even drove. He just seemed to appear out of nowhere. The only reason why he stood out among the crowd was because he looked out of place. A vagrant, bum, homeless man would be how most would have described him. Clothes tattered, worn, looking as if he had worn the same outfit for years. Hair a shambled mess, shoes held together with duct tape. You need only walk within his space to know he hadn’t bathed in a good long time. Yet there he was, proceeding with everyone else who had come to worship. He even carried a Bible. It looked a lot like its owner, torn and worn, but he held it as if it was the most precious thing he owned, which it was probably the only thing he owned. No one shook his hand, no one gave him a hug, at best he received was a kindly nod or a small smile. As he entered into the sanctuary he made his way toward the front. 

Two ushers kindly asked him to sit toward the back, as the front pews were being reserved for some special guests today. He took his place toward the rear, some sat near but not too close. There were some pointing and shaking of some heads, and a few not so quite remarks, “Why would someone come to church looking like that?” The services began, but you could tell there was some nervousness on the front platform. The worship leader and other staff seemed a little off as if there was something missing. 

Finally. the worship leader said that they would begin with a few songs as their guest speaker had not shown up yet and was expecting them at any time. As the congregation was into their third worship song the vagrant slowly made his way out of his pew and to everyone’s surprise began moving forward to the pulpit area. As he approached the first step of the podium he quietly went to his knees and began to pray. The church became as silent as graveyard at night, wondering what was taking place. Slowly they could hear the man’s prayer as it raised and fell in volume and pace. The man pouring his heart out to God, begging, pleading that God would allow His people to see mankind with God’s eyes, and the hurts that was happening all around. When he finished praying he slowly stood up and faced the worship leader who looked like a deer in headlights. The man reached out his hand and slowly the worship leader took and they became to converse. The man introduced himself as their guest speaker for the day. He had purposefully dressed this way to see how he would be received. The church realized that they had completely failed to truly understand what it means to love all of our neighbors as ourselves, not just the ones who look like us.

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