Loving God, just as Samuel learned how to listen to you, teach us how to listen through the Holy Spirit.  Help us to discern your call in the midst of all of the other messages we receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

         You may have noticed over the past number of weeks that we have heard quite a bit about God calling people.  We heard about God’s call to Abraham and to Moses, and this week, God is calling Samuel.  Throughout the Scriptures, it seems, whenever things get into a mess, God calls somebody into service, in order to bring people back to what God has in mind for them.

         In Samuel’s case, Israel has just come through the period of the Judges, where various leaders are raised up as judges and deliver the people from their enemies.  However, invariably this state of affairs only lasts for a while, and then the people fall away from God and end up ruled by their enemies once again.  In fact, if you’ve ever read the book of Judges, you will know that some of the things that happen can rival any horror story.

         And then we get to Eli and his sons, who are members of the hereditary priesthood passed down from Aaron.  They are supposed to serve God on behalf of the people, and the people on behalf of God, but instead, they are serving themselves.  Eli’s sons have been taking the best parts of the offerings that people bring to the temple for themselves – sometimes even taking it by force (1 Sam. 2).  They have also been lying “with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting” (1 Sam. 2:22).  We are not told if these women had any say in the matter, but this seems unlikely.

         And so, we have Eli, who is supposed to be a mentor to Samuel – who knows what his sons have been doing, and has not managed to stop them.  In fact, a “man of God” has already come to Eli and told him that his family would be destroyed and his sons would both die on the same day.  Samuel, however, does not know this, and does “not yet know the Lord,” as we are told in today’s reading.  And this is when God calls him by name.  The experience that follows teaches Samuel how to recognize God’s voice and starts him on his way to becoming a faithful prophet in Israel.

         Once again, in this story, we see God’s persistence.  Three different times, God calls Samuel’s name, and he runs in to see Eli.  It is only the fourth time that God calls where Samuel is ready to listen.  We saw that same persistence when God was calling Moses, and it still shows up today when God is calling any of us into ministry.

         Many of us, it seems, have gotten really good at either blocking out or discounting any call from God.  That was certainly the case for me when I experienced the call into ordained ministry, and many of my colleagues have shared similar stories.  I should clarify, however, that very few people actually hear God’s voice like Samuel did.  God’s call most often comes in other ways – including through other people, inner promptings, dreams, and answers to prayer.

         We were reminded earlier that every time things are in a mess, God calls somebody into service.  That pattern has never stopped, and most would agree that there are many things that are in a mess these days.  Of course, we all have different skills and abilities, and we all have different spheres of influence, so God does not call all of us to do exactly the same things.  Additionally, as we are reminded in today’s gospel, God empowers us by the Holy Spirit in order to fulfill our calling.

         It is significant that throughout the Scriptures, God calls those who are very young, as well as those who are very old.  Both men and women are called into service, in order to fulfill God’s purposes.  And often, there are great reversals, like in today’s reading where it is not just Eli who teaches Samuel, but the child who receives God’s message and becomes a prophet.  “And a little child shall lead them” (Is. 11:6).

         The challenge for each of us today is to learn how to listen for God’s leading.  We are invited to pay attention to the things that God puts right in front of us, and to listen deeply to the Scriptures.  We are invited to breathe deeply, and welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit, and to pray by listening, and not just speaking.  We are invited to be aware of the gifts and abilities that God has given us, and to use them in order to bless others and ourselves.

         We are also invited to listen to Jesus in today’s gospel, who speaks to us along with those first disciples.  For, Jesus also says to us, “Peace be with you.  As the Father has sent me, so I send you…. Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jn. 20:21, 22).  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Pentecost 21 (NL 4)                        1 Samuel 3:1-21

October 17, 2021                             John 20:21-23

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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