[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 6B: “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “So When Did You Become God?”

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded: 



-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Jun 16, 2018 8:51 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 6B: “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “So When Did You Become God?”



DearFriends,
 
ThisSunday’s sermon is entitled “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or “So When DidYou Become God?” or “People judge others by what they look like, but God judgespeople by what is in their hearts.”and deals with the Old Testament lesson (1stSamuel15:34- 16: -13).  Here it is: 
 
Thismorning’s Old Testament Bible lesson is one of my all-time favorites- the onein which David is chosen by God to become king. You see, God was displeased with Israel’s first king- Saul and decidedto replace him with David.  God told theprophet Samuel that one of Jesse’s sons was going to be the new king- didn’ttell him which one, and therefore he should go to Jesse’s home-town ofBethlehem to anoint the new monarch.  Hewas to do it under the guise of a sacrifice to the Lord.  Samuel told Jesse to have all of his sons atthe celebration.  Samuel had each ofJesse’s sons pass in front of him so God could tell him which one toanoint.  The oldest, Eliab, camefirst.  Holy Scripture says he was talland handsome, so Samuel just knew God had chosen him, but Samuel’s guess waswrong.  The Lord reminded Samuel of atruth we need to tattoo into our brain: “People judge others by what they looklike, but I judge people by what is in their hearts” (1st Samuel 16:7b).  Since Eliab wasn’t the one pickedby God, Samuel had each of the other sons pass in front of him, but God did notchoose any of them.  Samuel must havebeen frustrated, because he asked Jesse if perhaps he had any other sons.  “Yes,” he admitted, but you wouldn’t beinterested in him.  He’s just a kid! He’sout watching the sheep.”  “Bring him!”said Samuel.  Of course- this was David,God’s chosen.  No one would have guessed,not even his father.  We might have,because we know: “People judge others by what they look like, but God judgespeople by what is in their hearts.”  StPaul reminds us of the same thing, but he carries it further.  He says, “We are careful not to judge peopleby what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way.   Anyone who belongs to Christ is a newperson. The past is forgotten, and everything is new” (2nd Corinthians 5:16-17).   
 
Isee three lessons from these Bible selections: 
U  FIRST:God doesn’t care about your clothes, your style, your color, age, sexuality,size.  He cares about YOU, not theoutward stuff.  That’s how we must be aspeople come and go through our lives. The outward stuff absolutely doesn’t matter.  The inward center is what counts.  
U  SECOND:So let’s look at the inward part: Ladies, it’s OK to get your nails done and goto the hairdresser.  Gentlemen, it’s fineto tool around in a brand-new car if you can afford it.  Kids, go ahead and buy those fashionablesneakers.  Everybody- just don’t mistakequality on the outside for quality on the inside.  Are your values Jesus ‘values orself-centered values?  True beauty inGod’s eyes centers around compassion- not judging, sharing- not being stingy,honesty- not sneakiness.
U  THIRD:Not only should we treat other people that way, we need to expect others totreat us that way.  Never let someonedestroy your God-given self-esteem because of the way you were created.  
 
Let’sclose with a lesson I learned the hard way about this Bible concept.  Quite some years ago, I was teaching 6thgrade at Longstreet School (now closed, about four blocks away fromchurch).  I had a really difficult classthat year.  In that class was a young manwho drove me crazy!  His mother had died,his aunt was trying her best to raise him, and he was really difficult.  In retrospect, he was suffering and let hisanger out on his classmates, teacher, anyone around him.  I worked with him and worked with him.  He ended up having a decent year, but I waspretty sure he didn’t have a chance at life, and that I’d be reading about himnegatively in the newspaper.  Abouttwelve years passed, and someone in the office called me on the speaker to askif I would see a visitor in my room.  Isaid, “Sure”- wondering who it would be. In walked this handsome man in his twenties wearing a navy officer’suniform.  That was my formerstudent!  Who would have guessed that hewould have been a star diver on Saginaw High’s swim team, joined the navy,became a husband and father, and gotten his life together?  Not me! I guess I learned my lesson.  Ifhe could do it, anybody could do it! That was the last student I pre-judged.
 
Sowhat do we want to remember for the week? “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” or“People judge others by what they look like, but God judges people by what isin their hearts” and so should we.
 
For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updatedAfrican-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under“Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org.
 
Blessedpreaching,
JudyBoli
St.Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw,Michigan

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