This week I’ll be reflecting on 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-10. Here are a few highlights from my message at Whitley Memorial UMC this past Sunday…
In 1 Samuel we read that the Lord sent Samuel to go select a King from among Jesse’s sons. When Samuel asked Jesse to bring in his sons before him, he did so, bringing all, except David. The Lord made it clear to Samuel that none of the sons Jesse brought before him was the one the Lord had chosen and he had Samuel ask Jesse to send for David. You see David was out tending to the sheep and was not considered likely to be one chosen to be a king. God reminds Samuel not to look at David’s outward appearance because the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. David apparently did not have the stature of a King. God knew that strength and might come from within and David was anointed by God to serve in a very special way.
In our Corinthians text, we are reminded that we are to walk by faith, not by sight. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul makes it clear that we are not called to have minds of our own, rather, we are to make it our goal and aim to take on the mind of Christ. Our goal should be to emulate and please Christ, not ourselves and our self-interests. Paul tells us that we are not to boast in outward appearances, but rather, we are to take on the heart and mind of Christ. If we do, we will no longer judge people by what we see on the outside, we will see others for what really matters – what is on the inside.
The “isms” that separate us from others were not born in us, they were taught to us. Most of them by well-meaning people who inherited all sorts of notions from others that may have gone unexamined for generations.
We need to repent of the ways that we have judged people by what we’ve seen on the outside, often without ever taking the time to know what is on the inside.
There is a divine spark in each person who God created. We were ALL created in God’s image. All races and genders and people of all nations were created in God’s image. Let us seek to recognize, appreciate and value the divine spark in all people, like Jesus teaches us by example.
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Claire – Reflecting
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