The Shepherd who Became king...

Yet another long reading so long that one is tempted to sit down while the reading was going on.

Samuel a great judge, prophet and king maker chosen while he was still a child came to Bethlehem to offer sacrifice. At noon the field was filled with people and the elders had got everything ready. Jesse and all his sons were invited. When Samuel arrived for sacrifice, the crowd became silent because he Samuel came with a horn of oil in his prophet belt. That means a special coronation service which no one knew of will take place. After the public service, Samuel faithful to God went to Jesse’s house. Poor Jesse, it must have been a great privilege for him to have Israel’s king maker and prophet visit his house hold.

‘Jesse’ said Samuel, ‘I would like to see all your sons’. Poor Jesse invited all his sons except one “Israel’s shepherd king.” The prophet wanted to anoint Eliab because of his appearance and height. But GOD was looking for something more than that. He was looking for a man after his own heart, a man that he could easily connect with. God must have watched David play the harp for his family, He must have watched him fight fierce battle to save his sheep, He must have noticed the tender loving heart of David and say to himself, “at last I have found a king who will console me even while these people sin against me”. David was naturally gifted in music and music can easily touch the heart of men. How much more will praise do the very being of God? God knew this but Jesse and Samuel didn’t.

Again the prophet turned to Jesse and said ‘are these all your sons?’ no said Jesse, ‘One more David the youngest, but he is with the sheep.’ Send for him said Samuel. The boy David-handsome, well built with a friendly smile stood before Samuel. Samuel looked into the boy’s eyes, hesitated a little and stood up. He took the great horn from his belt and said ’Jesse, this boy David the shepherd, your youngest son will be the next king of Israel; a great king he will be, greater than Saul and will reign many years to come “but” he will know great danger. However, God will protect him because he has chosen him.

Jesse looked at David and tried to figure it out for himself. David! King? Why David, why not Eliab with well built muscles also a warrior? He loved David because David was just like his dead wife. Good looking, beautiful eyes like that of his mother, her love for music David had inherited and delights the family occasionally with his harp and songs. So, naturally they loved David in the family because he was capable of making the family happy with his music when they are sad. Jesse was a little worried why? Because for him, there was nothing princely or kingly about David, yet God had chosen him. Wasn’t Samuel making a mistake? He must have thought to himself. Poor Jesse was sad and happy because one of his sons will be king of Israel some day but it was not the son he had expected.

The story didn’t end yet. Years later, Israel’s greatest king, leader, song writer and a man after God’s own heart was reflecting on the circumstances surrounding his election as a king. He couldn’t help crying and that was how he composed a hymn for a “Being” who saw the king in him even while he was a shepherd boy. A being who made a shepherd boy (more like a Fulani cattle boy according to Nigerian tradition) a king. And so, David in appreciation to God gave us our responsorial psalm- “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD-I SHALL NOT WANT. Even when people see the failure I had become, He-God sees the king in me. God sees opportunity where the human eyes see failure.

 Know this, there is a king in each and every one of us and a king maker coming to make you a better You. When the king maker comes, people from distant land will come and wake you just like they did for David.


God was looking not just for a warrior king but for a man after his own heart. David was one such man. When God decided to choose a man for a task, that man is in trouble, but he will always give him/her the grace to face the troubles. The first thing God did was to allow a demon to torment Saul why? So that David would perfect his music skills. If he could drive a demon out of a man like Saul, he will be able to console God when the people of Israel sin. God also wanted David to know that no matter how great a man is, there is always a “but” to human greatness, fame and pleasure. He was to see this in the life of Saul. A great king but tormented with demon like a child.

See many of the problems that come to us in life, God is just using it to point to something in the future. But our churches today. People catch miracles in the air. Miracles everywhere, God is sure a God of miracles, I believe in miracles because God is a miracle working God but I also believe in a God that leads the people HE loves step by step (teaching them great lessons in life) and each step is a miracle.

Jesus was to properly illustrate this in the gospel. He was asked, “Rabbi, who sinned? This man or his parents, for him to have being born blind?” Neither he nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered, “He was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” How will the work of God be displayed in a man born blind from birth.

The Pharisees on the other hand wouldn’t acknowledge that God can and is still a miracle working God even on the Sabbath day. The blind man was able to stand firm and ask an important question I like-“why are you asking me? Do you want to also become his disciple?” when you can make a comeback from blindness, you can face almost anything. Even while his parents were afraid, “ask him” they said. He was able to stand firm.

When you are able to come out victorious from the lessons of unemployment, divorce, looking for a life partner etc. that God is teaching you, you can become a worthy employer tomorrow, you can talk to divorce and lonely people tomorrow, you can raise God fearing kids tomorrow. You can talk the talk because you have walked the walk with God…

peace...

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