28^th January 2015

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 18 January 2015

Lessons - 1 Samuel 3:10-13; 12:19-25; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; John 1:29-34

'As for me, far be it that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will continue to instruct you in good and righteous living.'
(1 Samuel 12:23)

Considering what has gone before, Samuel's reaction is extraordinary!

Earlier he had railed against idolatry and immorality that had thrived under the current crop of priestly leaders. Eli's two sons (Hophni and Phineas) were 'scoundrels'. They were flippant about their religious duties, treating the offerings of the Lord with contempt. They had sex with women who served at the entrance to the special 'Tent of the Meeting' in which the 'Ark of the Covenant' was placed to signify God's holy presence . They laughed-off their father's heartfelt plea to mend their ways.

However, this was no laughing matter. Samuel would have none of it! The Holy One of Israel, whose name could barely be spoken, would punish them and those whom they misled. They would die and the Ark of the Covenant would fall into the hands of the Philistines. When this happened, after a battle in which 30,000 soldiers were killed (including his sons), Eli was so distressed that he fell over backwards, broke his neck and died (4:12ff).

Samuel was aghast at the people's desire to be like their neighbours in matters of religion, behaviour and politics. He reminded them of their unique calling to worship the One God (not the myriad pagan gods), to behave morally (not to abuse their own or others' bodies) and to shape politics in the light of God's sovereign goodness and power (not unquestioningly trusting the divine authority of earthly kings).

How they longed to be like everybody else! Even when Samuel gave in to public pressure and arranged for Saul to be anointed as king of Israel (in what had been a loose-knit alliance of tribal groups), they were unhappy. Saul was not born into the aristocracy. He was a member of the lowly tribe of Benjamin.
Where they wanted a well-credentialed, highly respected leader who could mix it with the 'big boys' of Middle Eastern politics ca 1000 BC, Samuel showed them that what the world thinks is politically insignificant God uses for his purposes!

In view of the contempt of his contemporaries for his word of judgment on their misbehaviour, we might expect Samuel to tell them to 'go to hell'. That indeed was his message to those who continued to be pig-headed. God will not be mocked. It is no laughing matter to sneer at the holy love of God (by worshipping pagan gods that satisfy all their needs) and flout God's call to righteous living (by going along with immoral sexual practices or idolising their political leaders).

That is why Samuel's final words in his farewell address must not be ignored:
'But if you still do what is wicked, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.' (12:25)

However, if we were to take these words in isolation, we would completely misread Samuel's prophetic calling - as well as the calling of Israel and the Church. These communities of faith have been 'chosen', but not to foment hatred of those who dishonour God, as do some fundamentalist Christian groups. Nor have they been 'chosen' to embark on Holy Jihad to rid the world of evil by violent means, as do some Islamic groups. They have been 'chosen' to embody the costly, suffering, redemptive love of God in word and deed.

Samuel never distances himself from the community which he must call to account. He too is a part of those who are 'chosen' by God's grace. He is not holier-than-thou but grieves over Israel's waywardness - even holding out hope that, despite everything, 'the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself' (12:22).

Samuel closely identifies himself with his people! He is not tempted to be idolatrous or immoral, but by something that is just as serious. He might give up on them! But he does not! 'Far be it for me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; or refusing to continue instructing you in good and righteous living.' (12:23) Despite everything, he recommits himself to declare God's righteousness and mercy and to pray that those who have opposed him will see the light.

This is remarkable. The natural thing to do (as we all know) is to heap coals of fire on those who have wronged us or been deaf to our wisdom. This is no less true in the Church than in life in general. But it is not the way of those who have been grasped by God's grace.

Paul too takes this approach. He does not pull any punches about the consequences of actions by church members that are idolatrous, sexually immoral (permissiveness, adultery, homosexuality, prostitution), criminal, greedy or abusive. 'Do not be deceived. Those who continue to do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.' (1 Corinthians 6:9,10)

His uncompromising judgment on those whose actions violate God's purposes is accompanied by heartfelt pleas that they remember their 'calling'. A number of times he says, 'Don't you know?' (vv 15,16,19) implying 'Of course you know'! He reminds them that they used to be engaged in pagan worship, immoral practices and shonky behaviour of one sort and another. He also reminds them that, through baptism in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, they have been 'washed clean' of sins and treated as if they are just and holy (1 Corinthians 6:11). As they by God's grace have become members of Christ's body, they are to treat their bodies as 'temples of the Holy Spirit' (v19).

Like Samuel, Paul continues to speak God's word of righteousness and mercy and prays that 'the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit' will enable them to rightly embody their calling (1 Corinthians 16:23 and 2 Corinthians 13:13).

Who would have thought that these ancient writings are still relevant? Some things never change. We still want to be like our neighbours:

• We want to be non-judgmental about diverse forms of spirituality and sexual expression.
• We want to have political influence without taking account of how God exercises power in unpopular self-giving service like that of the prophets and the crucified and risen Jesus.
• We are wont to pray, not that the sins of our enemies be forgiven by the 'Lamb of God' (Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 23:34; John 1:29), but that those who mock religion and morality be eternally condemned.

In so many ways, we still want to be like our neighbours!

We need to remember that, as we face hostile challenges to God's Word, in the Church and the community, we have been chosen to teach the truth in love and to pray that even the most strident critics of the Gospel will see the light of grace and be reconciled to God.
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Rev Dr Max Champion is Minister in St John's Uniting Church, Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia.

Dr Champion is a member of the Council of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the UCA.