There always have been, and are, two basic kinds of prophets: the court prophet who tells those in power what they want to hear and retires with a handsome pension, and the free-lance prophet like Jesus who tells those in power what they need to hear, and whose career usually does not end well.
In today's text [I Samuel 16:1-13] Samuel, is on the way to Bethlehem, to overthrow the government. He is going to anoint a new king while the old king, Saul, is still on the throne, and afterwards they can duke it out. The drama is magnified when we realize that the first king Saul actually replaced two of Samuel's sons who were corrupt and inept. Imagine the emotions racing through the prophet Samuel! This is dangerous business, but when people are suffering and justice is not being served, God expects his people to get political. Samuel looks at several attractive prospects for the Throne but bypasses them for young David the shepherd. He will be enthroned and he will become truly the prototypical Jewish king for all time, even though he was an adulterer, a murderer, and a liar. Truly "it is good to be king," when one needs to escape capital punishment and get a second change. The repentant David served well and truly.
What are our take-aways? First of all, God wants us involved in politics. Jesus was political. Except for the very late New Testament writings in which church members are encouraged to cosy up to Caesar (who claimed to be divine, in competition with Jesus), the consistent genuine biblical witness is the call to protect the poor and needy, indeed all those who are most vulnerable, against the predations of rich and powerful hypocrites. We have a positive duty to identify the important issues facing our community, state, and world, and to find effective ways to address the issues that really matter. And we work in a culture that exalts and listens to today's court prophets who serve the wealthy and powerful.
Second, we need to try to "see with God's eyes." How does our divine parent view what is going on in the world of humanity, every member of which is his beloved child? How does he view the present distribution of wealth? I am reminded of the line in the film Oh, God in which John Denver asks God, played by George Burns, why he allows suffering and starvation in the third world and God replies, "I gave you all this is." It isn't God's fault that our greed precludes sharing our blessings.
I also recall a continuing education professor making the comment that when we Americans stand before the Throne of God for judgement, we will not be asked, "How low were your taxes?" but rather "What did you do for the least?"
Finally, we can be encouraged that when we fulfil our role as prophets (servants of the prophetic Jesus) we can sure that God does not give up on those he has called. He will equip us for our holy work. The great prophets made many excuses -- not smart enough, too young, not very articulate -- and God refused all excuses, giving them what they needed to fulfil their mission. He will do the same for us when we are faithful to our prophetic calling.
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