1 Samuel 3:1-10; John 1:43-51
“The word of the Lord was rare in those days.” This is the setting in which the young boy Samuel first heard the call of God to him. It was the period of time before there were kings in Israel, a time when Israel was ruled by judges, and if you have read the book of Judges then you know it was not a high point in Israel’s history. As the closing words in that book says, “all the people did what was right in their own eyes.”
The word of the Lord was rare in those days. It was not one of the good times.
The boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the temple under the authority of Eli, and Samuel was there for a reason. Before he was conceived, his mother Hannah was childless. She was married to Elkanah, who loved her, thankfully. But in a world where a woman’s worth was measured in the number of sons she produced, Hannah’s inability to conceive brought her much pain.
Even worse for her, Elkanah had taken a second wife, Peninnah, who was blessed with many children. And who seemed to enjoy being a constant reminder to Hannah of her failure. It may be hard for us, today, to imagine Hannah’s pain and even harder to understand her shame. But the world in which Hannah lived told her that without sons she was nothing.
Hannah prayed with all her heart that God would give her a son. And in the great tradition of bargaining with God, Hannah promised that, if she was blessed with a son, she would dedicate this child to the Lord. Astonishingly, this is what she said she would do: Give. Him. Back.
And she was true to her word.
As soon as he was weaned, Hannah took her son, Samuel, to the temple along with her offering. And she left him there with the priest Eli. And so the boy was brought up at the temple, ministering to the Lord under Eli.
And it was not a good time. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas exemplified this. They were just bad – scoundrels, the book calls them. They served in the temple, alongside their father, for the priesthood was sort of a family business. But they cheated, they stole, they were corrupt in every way. We get the sense that they were a deep disappointment to Eli. Yet, he seemed to be powerless to affect them.
Everyone was aware of how bad they were, and people spoke to Eli about it. There was one man who came to him and declared that he had a message from God, warning him that all will be lost if his sons continue in this way. But, still, Eli seemed unable to do anything.
These were not among the good times in Israel. But into this setting, God called out this young boy, Samuel…And it began in the still of the night when Samuel heard a voice calling his name.
He didn’t know, right away, who it was. At first, Samuel assumed that it was the priest Eli calling him, so he rose from the floor and went to his master and said, “Here I am.” He probably woke Eli, who replied, “I didn’t call; go lie down.”
It wasn’t until the third time Samuel heard his name and ran in to Eli that Eli finally knew something was up. So Eli told Samuel that he should go back, wait for the call again and then say, “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.”
It took three times, but God finally reached them. We aren’t often ready to hear a word from the Lord – especially, perhaps, in times like those were. It was not one of the good times in Israel. But into this dry and desolate season, God called Samuel.
It happened again in Galilee, when a man named Jesus set out to begin a ministry. He went here and there and he called people to him. It was similar to the call of Samuel that happened a thousand years before. Jesus said to Philip, “Follow me,” and Philip somehow knew. Philip then went to Nathanael and said, “We have found him; come and see.”
Nathanael was skeptical at first, but he was willing to come. Maybe Philip promised him a nice lunch if he would just humor him. When he arrived, Jesus called Nathanael: “Here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael asked, “How do you know me,” and Jesus replied, “I saw you under the fig tree.” It was a moment for Nathanael. Somehow, now, he knew.
How did he know? Once again, these were not among the good times in Israel. The land they had been given was no longer really theirs. They were now an occupied nation, living under the heavy-handed rule of the Roman Empire. They were dispirited and angry and searching for something. There were all kinds of would-be leaders popping up – some who wanted to lead sectarian groups off into the caves, and others who wanted to lead revolutions. There was plenty of tension all around.
And into this came Jesus, saying to this one, “Follow me,” and to that one, “I saw you under the fig tree.” And they listened; somehow, they knew.
But how?
There is no particular formula when it comes to the call of God. How you know it is … you just know it.
Eli knew because it finally clicked for him that something rare was happening and, perhaps, he had a dim recollection of a time in his life when he too had heard God calling him. Maybe Samuel knew too, but was looking for the guidance of his master Eli. It was not something either of them expected, but somehow they recognized.
And the ones Jesus called, somehow, just knew. It wasn’t in the words he said because he used very ordinary words. But it was something that touched them inside.
Jesus said to Nathanael, “I saw you under the fig tree,” and who knows why that got him, but it did. He immediately declared Jesus the Son of God.
I wish I could tell you exactly what it is like when God calls, but I can’t. I wish I could say that it is as easy as getting a letter in the mail addressed to you, or a phone call with God on the other end. But it’s not. When God calls, it’s an experience that you might know intuitively … instinctively. And you have to listen to your instincts, as hard as that is – because we live in a time when the word of the Lord is rare; a time when vision is not widespread.
It does help if you are in the practice of listening – by which I mean prayer. worship. scripture reading. It does help to make some space in your life for God to speak into. I doubt that Eli’s sons ever heard the call or had a vision because their greed filled up that space into which God might speak. But when you do hear the call, you are offered an opportunity to make the world a better place.
This weekend we celebrate the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. and I think about how he was able to hear the call of God, and how that enabled him to work for the betterment of the world. He wrote one of his most impactful writings while he sat in a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama. The story is often told that he wrote it on toilet paper because that was all he had available. But as good as that sounds, it isn’t true. He was not pampered, by any means, but he did manage to get scraps of paper and, eventually a writing pad.
He wrote in response to a letter printed in the local paper. It was written jointly by eight white clergymen. Their letter asserted a call to unity – which meant stop the protests. Wait. Shut up and pray.
I take no pleasure in saying to you, beware the call for unity – it is often the choice of people resisting change and the consequences that change will bring.
Reverend King wrote an inspired response from his jail cell, words that are among his most often quoted. He wrote that in the history of oppressed people “wait” has most often meant “never.” That time alone does not cure ills, but it requires the tireless efforts of dedicated people of good will. And, perhaps most pointedly, that the white church must take a principled stand or risk being dismissed as an irrelevant social club.
Over time, his words have been quoted, his writings have been reprinted again and again, because they speak timeless truths. They speak to us today as much as they did to the church in 1963. I am thankful that Dr. King heard the call of God.
I want you to know that each one of us might hear the call of God in some way. We may not lead lives as influential as King or Samuel, but each of us, in our own small way, may contribute to the betterment of the world by listening. Learn to expect a word. Look for vision. And, with Nathanael and others who follow Jesus, we will see greater things.
May we hear the Word and see visions – because, heaven knows, this world needs vision.
