Open Lines of Communication – For any relationship to prosper, the lines of communication must be clearly open. Although GOD had spoken directly and audibly with Moses and Joshua, His spoken word became rare during the 3 centuries of rule by the judges. By Eli’s time – during the 1100’s BC – no prophets were speaking God’s messages to Israel. Why? People were either refusing to listen to GOD; or allowed greed to get in the way of their relationship with Him.
Eli judged Israel for 40 years. The recognition and respect he earned in public did not extend to his handling of his private affairs. He may have been an excellent priest, but he was a poor parent. He responded weakly to situations rather than solving them. He had become more concerned with the symbols of his religion than with the God they represented.
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Listening and responding is vital in a relationship with God. Although GOD does not always use the sound of a human voice, He always speaks clearly through His Word. To receive His messages, we must be ready to listen and to act upon what He tells us. Like Samuel, we must be ready to say: “Here I am” when GOD calls us to action.
It would normally be expected that an audible message from GOD be given to the priest Eli and not to the child Samuel. Eli was older and more experienced, and he held the proper position. But GOD’s chain of command is based on faith, NOT age or position. In finding faithful followers, GOD may use unexpected channels – so we must be prepared for Him to work at any place, at any time, and through anyone He chooses.
When we witness to others, we need to tell them what CHRIST has done, not about our own abilities and accomplishments. People must be introduced to CHRIST, not to us. Serving people requires a sacrifice of time and personal desires. Being a follower of CHRIST means serving others, even when they do not measure up to our expectations. GOD has given us His Holy Spirit to proclaim His Good News to others.
Our Gospel passage for Pentecost 2 tells of the Disciples picking wheat on the Sabbath and JESUS healing a man’s hand on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, of course, were more concerned about the Sabbath laws being broken than with any positive outcomes. The Pharisees interpreted the actions of JESUS and His disciples – the picking of grain and of the eating of it as they walked through the fields – as harvesting; and so, they judged JESUS as a law-breaker. But JESUS and His disciples clearly were not harvesting the grain for personal gain; they were simply looking for something to eat.
The Pharisees were so focussed on the words of the rule that they missed its intent – and JESUS used the example of David and his men eating the Bread of the Presence to point out how ridiculous their accusations were. GOD created the Sabbath for our benefit. We are restored both physically and spiritually when we take time to rest and to focus on GOD. For the Pharisees, Sabbath rules had become more important than the Sabbath REST. and others.
Both David and JESUS understood that the intent of GOD’s law is to promote love for GOD and others. That makes love the highest rule, but it also moves us as Christians toward personal sacrifice, discipline and responsibility – which are scarce in today’s world. When confronted with rules other than those of God’s making, they need to pass 4 tests:
1. Does the rule serve God’s purpose?
2. Does the rule reveal God’s character?
3.Does the rule help people to come into GOD’s family or keep them out? 4. Does the rule have biblical foundations that can be supported in the context of all of Scripture?
GOOD RULES PASS ALL FOUR TESTS.
The Religious Leaders of the time were jealous of JESUS because of His popularity, His miracles, and the authority in His teaching and actions. This had caused them to idolise both their standing in the community and their personal gain instead of pointing people towards a relationship with GOD. It also probably caused them not to recognise JESUS as their Messiah. When JESUS exposed their attitudes, He became their enemy instead of their Messiah and they began looking for ways to kill Him – thus breaking God’s law by plotting murder.
The Pharisees, like Eli and his sons, had allowed their faith to become more about them than about JESUS. Standing in the community and power and wealth had become their gods rather than the true God. Our lives need to be transformed into becoming more like JESUS and love must be the representation of our relationship with Him. De Colores—Fr Steve