Sermon for Proper 6B

[Judy]

Dear Friends,

 

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “So When Did You Become God?” or “People judge others by what they look like, but God judges people by what is in their hearts.” and deals with The Old Testament lesson (1^st Samuel 15:34- 16:13) and the epistle (2^nd Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-7).  Here it is:

 

This morning’s Old Testament Bible lesson is one of my all-time favorites- the one in which David is chosen by God to become king.  You see, God was displeased with Israel’s first king- Saul and decided to replace him with David.  God told the prophet Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons was going to be the new king- didn’t tell him which one, and therefore he should go to Jesse’s home-town of Bethlehem to anoint the new monarch.  He was to do it under the guise of a sacrifice to the Lord.  Samuel told Jesse to have all of his sons at the celebration.  Samuel had each of Jesse’s sons pass in front of him so God could tell him which one to anoint.  The oldest, Eliab, came first.  Holy Scripture says he was tall and handsome, so Samuel just knew God had chosen him, but Samuel’s guess was wrong.  The Lord reminded Samuel of a truth we need to tattoo into our brain: “People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts” (1^st Samuel 16: 7b).  Since Eliab wasn’t the one picked by God, Samuel had each of the other sons pass in front of him, but God did not choose any of them.  Samuel must have been frustrated, because he asked Jesse if perhaps he had any other sons.  “Yes,” he admitted, but you wouldn’t be interested in him.  He’s just a kid! He’s out watching the sheep.”  “Bring him!” said Samuel.  Of course- this was David, God’s chosen.  No one would have guessed, not even his father.  We might have, because we know: “People judge others by what they look like, but God judges people by what is in their hearts.”  St Paul reminds us of the same thing, but he carries it further.  He says, “We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way.   Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new” (2nd Corinthians 5: 16-17).  

 

I see three lessons from these Bible selections:

• FIRST: God doesn’t care about your clothes, your style, your color, age, sexuality, size.  He cares about YOU, not the outward stuff.  That’s how we must be as people come and go through our lives.  The outward stuff absolutely doesn’t matter.  The inward center is what counts. 

• SECOND: So let’s look at the inward part: Ladies, it’s OK to get your nails done and go to the hairdresser.  Gentlemen, it’s fine to tool around in a brand-new car if you can afford it.  Kids, go ahead and buy those fashionable sneakers.  Everybody- just don’t mistake quality on the outside for quality on the inside.  Are your values Jesus ‘values or self-centered values?  True beauty in God’s eyes centers around compassion- not judging, sharing- not being stingy, honesty- not sneakiness.

• THIRD: Not only should we treat other people that way, we need to expect others to treat us that way.  Never let someone destroy your God-given self-esteem because of the way you were created. 

   

  Let’s close with a lesson I learned the hard way about this Bible concept.  Quite some years ago, I was teaching 6^th grade at Longstreet School (now closed, about four blocks away from church).  I had a really difficult class that year.  In that class was a young man who drove me crazy!  His mother had died, his aunt was trying her best to raise him, and he was really difficult.  In retrospect, he was suffering and let his anger out on his classmates, teacher, anyone around him.  I worked with him and worked with him.  He ended up having a decent year, but I was pretty sure he didn’t have a chance at life, and that I’d be reading about him negatively in the newspaper.  About twelve years passed, and someone in the office called me on the speaker to ask if I would see a visitor in my room.  I said, “Sure”- wondering who it would be.  In walked this handsome man in his twenties wearing a navy officer’s uniform.  That was my former student!  Who would have guessed that he would have been a star diver on Saginaw High’s swim team, joined the navy, became a husband and father, and gotten his life together?  Not me!  I guess I learned my lesson.  If he could do it, anybody could do it!  That was the last student I pre-judged.

   

  So what do we want to remember for the week? “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “People judge others by what they look like, but God judges people by what is in their hearts” and so should we.

   

   

  For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under “Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org .

   

  Blessed preaching,

  Judy Boli

  St. Paul's Episcopal Church

  Saginaw, Michigan