06/20/21 - Stoney Resistance - Westminster Presbyterian Church Westminster Presbyterian Church | Serving God and others with open mind, hands and heart - 06/20/21

06/20/21 – Stoney Resistance

STONEY RESISTANCE

June 20, 2021
4^th Sunday after Pentecost
1 Sam.17:32-49; Ps.9; 2 Cor. 6:1-13; Mk. 4:35-41
Rev. Denise Clark-Jones

Throughout history, nations have struggled with determining what type of government will rule them. The national and international news attests this issue continues. Modern Israel’s parliamentary government has been the focus of much attention in the last few weeks. Our Old Testament readings in the past few weeks have centered on ancient Israel’s transition from leadership by judges to a monarchy. The people wanted a king like the nations surrounding them. It was their fear of the Philistines, Israel’s archenemy, that drove the people to demand a king over God’s objections and the prophet Samuel’s dire warnings. They were afraid of “those other people” across their borders and wanted a king to lead an army to defend them. God directed Samuel to anoint Saul, the strong, tall, handsome young man, that looked like a leader, to be Israel’s first king. But Saul proved to be a disappointment. His level of obedience to God just wasn’t up to God’s standards. God decided to replace Saul and his family’s line of succession in favor of David, the young shepherd boy from Bethlehem.

Today, we read that Saul does not yet know his days as king are numbered. In the previous passage, David’s father, Jesse, sends him to bring food and supplies to his older brothers who are soldiers in Saul’s army. The Philistines are at the border threatening war and conquest. The biggest, meanest bully the Philistines have taunted the soldiers, challenging Israel to send someone to represent Israel in mortal combat. If Goliath wins, Israel belongs to the Philistines. If Israel’s warrior wins, the Philistines will retreat. To make a long story short, David is the only one who volunteers. At first, Saul forbids David to be Goliath’s challenger. His kingdom is at stake, it would be foolish to send such a young, smaller, inexperienced man to go up against this well-armed giant. David convinces Saul of his strength, experience, and God’s favor and Saul relents. David eschews Saul’s offer of weapons, armor, and shield and takes with him only a slingshot and 5 stones.

Miracle of miracles, David slays the giant. Don’t we just love it when an arrogant bully is humiliated, when an underdog team comes from behind to beat the reigning champions, or a villain is brought to justice? This is why the David and Goliath story is so satisfying. As vulnerable mortal beings, we are all faced with problems that are beyond our control. Disease, accidental injuries or the inevitable decline of our strength and health with age are Goliaths to our David. Like the disciples with Jesus on the stormy sea, we need the courage and trust in God to weather the storms that threaten our small boats on the sea of life.

In our quest to acquire wealth and power to provide our own sense of security, our fragile egos want to believe we are like David against the Goliaths of this world. If we fail, it is because there is a greater power against us. If we succeed, the obstacles we perceive to be on our path make us all the more heroic. We rarely, if ever, consider the possibility that we may be someone else’s Goliath. It is easy to slip into Goliath’s role, even David himself did it.

Once crowned king, David, with God’s blessing, united the kingdom of Israel, created a central location of political power in Jerusalem, and built up an army to defend Israel’s borders. For a long time, David remained solidly faithful to God. But as his successes grew, so did his appetite for absolute power. Not satisfied with his many military victories that secured Israel from encroaching nations, he needlessly conscripted men for military service to build a larger army than needed for defense and envisioned conquering his neighboring nations. He also placed himself above the law, which ran counter to the justice and obedience God desired.

David’s abuse of power and self-indulgence led him to take advantage of the married Bathsheba. When she became pregnant, he lied to his general and arranged to have Bathsheba’s husband Uriah, a loyal and honest soldier, sent on a suicide mission so David could marry his widow. David’s extravagant spending at the palace was financed by heavy taxes placed on the people. This generated resentment, which his son, Absalom, exploited to launch a coup. After Absalom’s defeat and death, David furthered the division between the Northern and Southern tribes, favoring his southern tribe, Judah. The Northern tribe initiated an armed rebellion, which David quashed. However, the underlying discord continued to foment, eventually splitting Israel into two kingdoms under his grandson’s rule. History does keep repeating itself, doesn’t it?

David misused God’s blessings, eventually becoming more like Goliath than his younger self. It isn’t easy remaining faithful and humble when the world offers individual and immediate rewards, which demand opposition to God’s will and the common good. We sentimentalize David’s courageous stand against the much larger Goliath, using only a slingshot and a stone. Yet, as the boastful Goliath armed himself with weapons, shields, and armor, we do likewise with our devices and designs to stockpile our sources of security to protect our power, privilege, and sense of superiority. We might enjoy the legend of David using only a slingshot and five stones, but like Goliath, we prefer an arsenal to defend our own individual kingdoms – large savings accounts and sound investments, neighborhoods, and schools protected from “people not like us,” and support for maintaining systemic inequality that favors us at the expense of others.

In our society, even Christianity itself has become a Goliath, arming itself with nationalistic political weapons and wealthy megachurches to maintain an illusion of worldly power. Jesus preached that we should resist the temptations of worldly power, wealth, and privilege with non-violent opposition and acts of loving-kindness and mercy for our neighbors, particularly those most vulnerable. How can we reject his message and claim the name of Christ? The Apostle Paul preached a message of “power in weakness” to the early Church. The author of what is known as the second letter to the Corinthian church announced: “[we] are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way so that no fault may be found with our ministry,” (II Corinthians 6:3) and urged the congregation to “open wide their hearts.” (6:13) The Church was not intended to be victorious in worldly power and prestige – a Goliath. As Christ’s body in the world, Jesus commissioned his disciples to be the stones thrown against poverty, injustice, and violence.

In the words of Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, vicar of St. Martin in the Fields Church in England, former dean of Duke University Chapel, and author of several books on Christian Social Ethics: “The Cross and resurrection aren’t techniques for Jesus becoming a cosmic bully like Goliath. They’re our windows into the heart of God. God isn’t interested in becoming Goliath. God transforms the world through the Son of David. God isn’t interested in us becoming Goliath. In fact, our desire to become Goliath is a sign we’ve lost faith in God and lost sight of who God is. David did both, later on.” (sermon preached at Duke University Chapel, June 21, 2009)

The young David knew how to serve God in whatever way he could, as a humble shepherd or as a slayer of giants. He knew himself, both strengths and weaknesses. He knew God and trusted God to work for good, no matter what the outcome was for himself. These were the real stones in David’s slingshot. These are stones with which we can arm ourselves against the evils by which God does not want us to be afflicted or to afflict on others. May our hearts not fail us.

Amen. May it be so!

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