Monday 23 May

1 Samuel 13:1-14:23

Poor old Saul.  I actually feel a little bit sorry for him.  I am one of those keep-glancing-at-the-watch-she-said-she’d-be-here-two-minutes-ago kind of guys so I can understand why he decided to press on without Samuel.  After all, Samuel was really old and gray.  Maybe his mobility scooter had broken down, or maybe he had just dropped dead?  Surely the absolute best thing to do would be to sacrifice to the Lord and then get on with bashing the Philistines?  But Samuel arrives and cuts Saul down for his actions.  “You acted foolishly” he said.  Why?  Because Saul thought it was down to him to beat the Philistines.  Did he not know that God had made a covenant to protect Israel and bring them into the land if only they would worship him and obey him?  Saul should have been more willing to trust God to protect his own people.  And this same ignorance of God led Saul to believe that the offerings were just about performing certain religious acts to satisfy a distant deity.  But he was tragically wrong.  The great prophetic voices of Isaiah and Amos had not yet been heard in Israel but their sentiment was already well established (see tomorrow's reading) - God desires mercy not sacrifice, love for him and obedience to his commands rather than ritualistic fulfillment of certain prescribed activities.  Saul just didn’t seem to know God. He didn’t seem to trust God and he didn’t seem to love God.  His son did (as we see him seeking God’s guidance about attacking the Philistines) but Saul did not.  When it comes to priorities in the kingdom, the knowledge and love of God comes above them all, even above arriving on time for meetings.

John 13:18-38

Two crackajack snippets in this passage: what an incredible level of disclosure that Jesus would tell John in advance that Judas would be the one to betray him.  It could have put the whole cross and resurrection plan in jeopardy if John had jumped up and started berating Judas and yet Jesus takes that risk for the sake of deepening his relationship with John.  It almost feels reckless.  I believe Jesus is equally reckless in pursuit of deeper relationships with us.  If we would just recline next to him and ask him questions we may be gobsmacked by what he discloses.  And, for Jesus to say he is giving a ‘new command’ is quite something isn’t it?  And for him to say that it will be the defining mark of discipleship? Wow.  I think we really do seek to love one another at SWLV.  We have been overwhelmed by how much people have done for us while we have been here.  But I still want to press into this more.  I want to give people more time, more encouragement, more support and more of the Father.  I think that is what it means to love “as (Jesus) loved (us)” but I’m such an amateur in this I know I need to learn more from Jesus and from the rest of us.  Oh God would you please help me to recline by Jesus and ask him questions and to lavish love on my fellow followers of you.

Psalm 66:13-20

“I will sacrifice fat animals to you”.

 

“don’t worry kitty, this won’t hurt a bit...”