1 Samuel 9:25-10:1b Anointed

 

Observation: The people of Israel have lived under judges for centuries. Now they have asked God for a human king, like other nations have. After giving them a stern warning that kings are more trouble than they're worth, the prophet Samuel concedes. God reveals to him Saul, from the house of Benjamin. In this scene, Samuel privately anoints Saul as king over Israel, to "reign over the people of the Lord and save them from the hand of their enemies all around." This anointing with oil was an important part of the coronation of kings from then on (I know it continues to be practiced in the coronation of European kings and queens to this day. You can see this dramatized in the Netflix series "The Crown.") Anointing with oil symbolizes God's mandate for a ruler to reign in God's name, for the good of the people. 

Anointing is a very important part of Christian theology, as well. "Christ" is not Jesus' last name, but rather his title. It is Greek for "anointed". In Hebrew the word is "Messiah." And to those who believe in Jesus, it means he is God's chosen ruler of the people of Israel, and God's world. 

Application: It's kind of strange to refer to myself as "anointed," but since I'm baptized, that's what I am. We are anointed with oil after our baptism, to show that we too are connected to Christ, tasked with "ruling" in his name. But if you know Jesus, you know this simply means we serve and love others in his name. Unlike King Saul, who quickly let power go to his head, the power we receive from Christ at our anointing should be humbling. It means we have a duty to live in this world, and fully engage in our communities as ambassadors for Christ, our king. It means we have authority to speak boldly to the powerful, in defense of the powerless. And it often means taking up a cross, as Jesus did, rather than use our power and privilege to defend ourselves. It's awesome, in the true sense of the word. But in the colloquial sense, it does not always feel awesome. To quote a favorite movie, "with great power comes great responsibility."

Prayer: Jesus Christ, anointed king, I have been anointed in your name. I didn't do anything to deserve it, and apart from your Spirit, I do not have the gifts to live up to it. But because you have chosen me, help me and equip me to live as your ambassador. In your name I pray, Amen.  

 

2 Kings 5:9-13 Faithful in a Little

 

Observation: Naaman, the powerful and well-known Syrian military commander, has been laid low by leprosy. He hears about the prophet Elisha, from Israel. Naaman is angry when Elisha, without even leaving his house to address Naaman directly, simply sends him away to wash in the Jordan and be healed. Yet his servants talk him down, by saying, "if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'wash, and be clean?'" The story concludes, of course, with Naaman doing what Elisha says, and being healed by the Lord.  

Application: A hard lesson I have to learn over an over is that the small stuff counts. Even the tiny choices matter. The other night I found myself talking with my sons about manners. Just basic stuff, like saying "thank you" for a gift, even if it's not our heart's desire, or saying "I'm sorry" if you hurt someone, even if it's an accident. My oldest son especially has problems understanding why you can't just be honest about how you feel, and why any of this is a big deal. I remember as a kid, and even as a teen, thinking something similar: a lot of the social conventions my parents drilled into me seemed kind of "fake," like putting on airs, rather than just leveling with people about how you're feeling. Why say "thank you" if you're not thankful? Why say "sorry" if it isn't your fault? 

What I found myself saying to my kids is something that relates to this reading about Naaman. If you believe in big acts of kindness, then little ones are great practice. If Naaman would have been willing to do something big to be healed, then why not do something little? Not every day will be a great hero's journey. Some days will just be to the bus stop and back. Yet God gives you the short trips to make you ready for the longer ones. How we treat others when the stakes are low can have an effect on how the bigger days will go. I don't know who said it, but I think Elisha would agree: "If you're too big to do the small things, you're too small to do the big things." 

Prayer: God, train me to be faithful in small things. Help me value this day, no matter how big or small the choices in it will be, as a gift from you.