Absentee Auditioning

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Where are we in the story?

So God relents after a long period of whining by the Israelites. 

Everyone else has a King, we want one too! 

Saul it is, and he totally looks the part

…tall, majestic, strong and handsome.

Surprise!  Saul is a disaster! 

Soon we find Samuel grieving mightily for Israel under this King’s leadership. 

God sends Samuel (after telling him to cut out his own whining) to Jesse in Bethlehem.

Today’s text tells the story of the auditioning process.

(The thought brings up memories…bad memories)

All the sons of Jesse file in for a good ‘look-see’ by Samuel. 

There is plenty of

tall, majestic, strong, and handsome

but Samuel remembers what God instructed:

"Do not judge from his appearance 

or from his lofty stature,

because I have rejected him.

Not as man sees does God see,

because he sees the appearance

but the LORD looks into the heart."

I am so trained to see what I expect to see.

Such sight is its own blindness!

God’s command is perennial

Look into the heart

But to get there, there is so much to

  Look through

  Look beyond

  Look over

  Look underneath

Look in such a way as to uncover the heart

         Of an issue

         Of a conflict

         Of a person

When Samuel did, ‘the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.’

Simple enough lesson…I think...