WEBVTT - This file was automatically generated by VIMEO 0 00:00:01.100 --> 00:00:05.300 you 1 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:14.800 The Lord does not see as mortals see. 2 00:00:15.700 --> 00:00:17.800 They look on the outward appearance, 3 00:00:18.500 --> 00:00:20.800 but the Lord looks on the heart. 4 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:25.400 These words that God speaks to the 5 00:00:25.400 --> 00:00:28.800 prophet Samuel are confronting and 6 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:30.000 they're also good news. 7 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:33.700 Good news for us in our humanity. 8 00:00:34.800 --> 00:00:37.500 God's words reflect the reality of 9 00:00:37.500 --> 00:00:40.500 our limited fractured human nature. 10 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:45.000 God's words remind us that there can be 11 00:00:45.300 --> 00:00:48.600 a difference between how we might appear on the surface 12 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:51.500 and the deeper truth of who 13 00:00:51.500 --> 00:00:52.700 we are in our heart. 14 00:00:53.800 --> 00:00:56.900 The deeper truth of character, spirit, 15 00:00:58.200 --> 00:00:59.600 of the wholeness of a person. 16 00:01:01.700 --> 00:01:04.300 God says these words to Samuel the 17 00:01:04.300 --> 00:01:07.500 prophet whom God has sent to annoint the 18 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:09.300 next king for Israel. 19 00:01:10.800 --> 00:01:13.600 They're confronting words for Samuel because 20 00:01:13.600 --> 00:01:16.900 God worked through Samuel last time 21 00:01:16.900 --> 00:01:19.600 a king needed to be chosen for 22 00:01:19.600 --> 00:01:20.100 Israel. 23 00:01:20.900 --> 00:01:23.500 And God worked through Samuel to choose 24 00:01:23.500 --> 00:01:24.000 that King. 25 00:01:24.700 --> 00:01:25.400 Saul 26 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:29.500 A man who very much looked the part of a 27 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:29.700 leader. 28 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:33.300 But Saul turned out to lack the 29 00:01:33.300 --> 00:01:33.700 character, 30 00:01:34.500 --> 00:01:37.500 the principles, the integrity to fulfill 31 00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:38.700 the role of King. 32 00:01:40.600 --> 00:01:44.300 Saul was a man with a capable, strong, appealing 33 00:01:43.300 --> 00:01:45.000 appearance. 34 00:01:46.100 --> 00:01:49.500 But those qualities were not reflected in Saul's heart. 35 00:01:50.800 --> 00:01:53.300 Saul's appearance contrasted with 36 00:01:53.300 --> 00:01:55.600 the deeper reality of his character, 37 00:01:56.500 --> 00:01:57.400 his soul. 38 00:01:59.100 --> 00:02:02.600 Now this is not to say that Saul was unusually evil. 39 00:02:02.600 --> 00:02:05.400 I believe more that he 40 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:06.300 was deeply human. 41 00:02:07.800 --> 00:02:10.500 And I say that knowing how often I 42 00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:13.800 recognize in myself the difference between 43 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:15.300 how I want to be seen, 44 00:02:16.200 --> 00:02:17.600 and the condition of my heart. 45 00:02:19.100 --> 00:02:22.300 I'm sure that this is an experience that I share with 46 00:02:22.300 --> 00:02:22.400 you. 47 00:02:24.200 --> 00:02:26.500 All of us who are human are limited. 48 00:02:27.500 --> 00:02:29.400 We are often so disconnected. 49 00:02:30.900 --> 00:02:34.100 What we present on the surface often doesn't 50 00:02:33.100 --> 00:02:35.900 reflect what is going on inside. 51 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:39.500 There can be a lack of consistency, 52 00:02:40.300 --> 00:02:43.600 a lack of Integrity between our heart 53 00:02:44.600 --> 00:02:46.700 and what is seen on the surface. 54 00:02:48.700 --> 00:02:51.700 And so these words from God to Samuel, 55 00:02:52.500 --> 00:02:55.400 remind us of the limitation of our 56 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:56.300 human nature. 57 00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:00.700 God's words also reflect the reality that 58 00:03:00.700 --> 00:03:02.400 we have limited perceptions. 59 00:03:03.800 --> 00:03:06.900 We can be distracted or misled by 60 00:03:06.900 --> 00:03:08.500 what we see on the surface. 61 00:03:09.600 --> 00:03:12.600 On the surface of a person, or a situation. 62 00:03:14.600 --> 00:03:17.500 God's words reflect the truth that very 63 00:03:17.500 --> 00:03:20.500 often we do not have the ability to see. 64 00:03:21.700 --> 00:03:22.600 To really see. 65 00:03:24.100 --> 00:03:24.900 But God does. 66 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:28.400 God is the one who sees. 67 00:03:29.900 --> 00:03:32.300 God was the one who saw David, 68 00:03:33.300 --> 00:03:34.500 the youngest son 69 00:03:35.300 --> 00:03:37.800 the one who was overlooked and forgotten. 70 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:41.800 God's saw David. God saw 71 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:44.400 the truth of who David was in that moment. 72 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:48.300 And God shows David to be the 73 00:03:48.300 --> 00:03:48.500 king. 74 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:51.900 To be the leader of his people. 75 00:03:53.700 --> 00:03:56.500 God is the one who really sees. 76 00:03:59.100 --> 00:04:03.200 Our Gospel reading also plays with this idea and 77 00:04:02.200 --> 00:04:05.900 shows us how limited can 78 00:04:05.900 --> 00:04:07.900 be our human ability to see. 79 00:04:09.700 --> 00:04:13.300 Religious leaders witness Jesus healing a 80 00:04:13.300 --> 00:04:15.100 man who was born blind 81 00:04:16.100 --> 00:04:19.200 And they're confronted by that because when they look 82 00:04:19.200 --> 00:04:22.400 at Jesus, they only see that he's a 83 00:04:22.400 --> 00:04:24.000 man who breaks the Sabbath. 84 00:04:24.700 --> 00:04:28.100 That's all they can see - the outward appearance 85 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:28.500 of Jesus. 86 00:04:29.500 --> 00:04:32.200 A man who doesn't keep the law in the 87 00:04:32.200 --> 00:04:33.900 way they think He should. 88 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:38.500 They aren't able to see the deeper truth of Jesus' 89 00:04:38.500 --> 00:04:39.100 nature. 90 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:43.800 And they also can't see how very limited 91 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:45.000 their vision is. 92 00:04:47.400 --> 00:04:50.800 And this is also something that's confronting for 93 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:51.000 us. 94 00:04:52.200 --> 00:04:55.300 We are mortal. We're human and we are 95 00:04:55.300 --> 00:04:58.200 only often able to see what's on the outside. 96 00:04:59.700 --> 00:05:02.100 So we need to be careful with how we 97 00:05:02.100 --> 00:05:02.600 act. 98 00:05:03.200 --> 00:05:05.700 How we act on the basis of what we see. 99 00:05:06.700 --> 00:05:09.500 We won't know the full story. Only God 100 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:10.000 does. 101 00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:14.200 So I believe there is a caution for us here 102 00:05:14.200 --> 00:05:17.500 to be careful with our judgments based on 103 00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:18.400 what we see. 104 00:05:19.900 --> 00:05:23.400 To remember that only God truly sees 105 00:05:22.400 --> 00:05:24.100 the reality. 106 00:05:26.900 --> 00:05:28.200 And what about the good news? 107 00:05:29.400 --> 00:05:33.200 Well, it's the same only God truly 108 00:05:32.200 --> 00:05:35.400 sees the reality of who we 109 00:05:35.400 --> 00:05:38.000 are as frail human beings. 110 00:05:38.800 --> 00:05:41.100 God sees the truth of who we are. 111 00:05:41.900 --> 00:05:45.000 God sees what is in our hearts. God 112 00:05:44.700 --> 00:05:47.800 sees through our surface appearances. 113 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:51.400 And that is good news for us. Whether we 114 00:05:51.400 --> 00:05:54.800 look the part or not, whether we appear successful 115 00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:55.800 or not. 116 00:05:56.600 --> 00:06:00.100 Whether we're powerful and important or small 117 00:05:59.100 --> 00:06:01.200 and vulnerable. 118 00:06:02.200 --> 00:06:03.400 God sees. 119 00:06:04.300 --> 00:06:07.800 God is the one who truly sees. 120 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:12.600 May we each day be more and 121 00:06:12.600 --> 00:06:15.600 more shaped by God's way of 122 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:16.100 seeing.