Loving God, your people have always gone astray, and you have always brought them back again, blessing the world with your love.  Continue to work among us by the power of your Spirit, leading us according to your will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

           In both of the readings that we heard today, things were not as they should be.  The sabbath had gone from being a life-giving practice to a life-destroying list of rules.  The priests who were supposed to be serving God and the people were serving themselves instead.  And so, in each case, God steps in and does something about it.  Let’s begin with the call of Samuel.

         The setting is the temple at Shiloh.  Samuel was still a child, staying at the temple with Eli the priest in order to learn how to serve God.  However, it turns out that Eli and his sons were not particularly good examples for Samuel.  Eli’s sons had been taking the offerings for themselves – pulling out the best parts of the meat before it could be offered to God.  They had also been helping themselves to the women who served at the entrance to the temple (1 Sam. 2).  And Eli, even though he knew these things, had done nothing to stop them.

         God, then, steps in – calling Samuel by name in the middle of the night – and Eli is so tuned out to what is going on that it takes three times before he realizes that God is the one who is calling Samuel.  And when Samuel finally says, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam. 3:10), it is the beginning of his vocation as a prophet – one who will be trustworthy and will speak God’s word.

         Today’s gospel also involves some religious leaders.  These ones are not willfully disobeying God’s commands like the sons of Eli, but they have lost sight of the big picture.  As many of you probably know, one of the 10 Commandments is, “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8).  The sabbath is described as a day of rest that belongs to God and goes all the way back to creation – for on the seventh day, God rested.  However, after centuries of discussion and teaching, many rules had been developed to clarify how you remember the sabbath and keep it holy.

         They had defined what constitutes work and what does not, and what is permissible on the sabbath and what is not.  Then, by the time we get to today’s gospel, it is not permissible to eat when you’re hungry (if that involves plucking grain) or to give life and health to somebody who has suffered for many years.  Hence, Jesus enters the picture and starts to challenge some of these assumptions.

         The sabbath, at its core, is all about self-care and community-care.  All of us need a sabbath rest – “pausing to find perspective – to notice and meet the needs of mortal flesh and the earth” (sundaysandseasons.com).  In fact, the sabbath laws do extend to all people, animals, and the land.  “The sabbath was made for humankind” because humankind needs it (Mk. 2:27)!

         All in all, it shouldn’t be particularly surprising to us that, where human beings are involved, sometimes things are not as they should be.  Rules get added that have very little to do with Jesus.  Judgment, and even hatred, enter in, in place of God’s mercy and love.  Greed becomes more important than serving others.  Rules become more important than love.  And then, every so often, God steps in and does something about it.

         There have been big things – at least within the church – like the Protestant Reformation.  There have been smaller things – ministries and congregations here and there, coming and going.  There have been individuals and communities who have been called by God to new ventures and renewed faith.  There have been young and old, men and women, called by God to prophesy, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

         The hope would be that we don’t need the really big things in order for God to get our attention.  One might also hope that we would recognize God’s call when it comes, and keep God’s purpose for us front and centre without requiring God’s intervention.  There is hope, after all, in spite of the times when things are not as they should be.  In fact, there is good news in the midst of human frailties and failings.

         While this may not seem like good news at first, we are reminded today that priests have been misbehaving since well before 1000 BC, and, in spite of this, God continues to be at work in the church and in God’s people.  We are also reminded today that Jesus supports food for the hungry, healing for those who need it, and sabbath rest for all of God’s creation.  Not only this, but, already in chapter two of the gospel of Mark, Jesus is on his way to the cross, as the religious leaders conspire about how to destroy him.  This is part of the good news of Jesus Christ – not just his death on the cross, but his death, resurrection, and ascension, that we might have life in his name.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Lectionary 9(B)                                 Mark 2:23-3:6

June 2, 2024                                    1 Samuel 3:1-20

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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