Texts Referenced:
1 Samuel 3:1-10
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
John 1:43-51
There is a story about a farmer who had a horse. One day, his horse got out of his pen and ran away into the wild. His neighbors, hearing the news came over to his house and said, “We heard your horse ran away. What bad news!” The farmer looked at them and said, “Good or bad, it’s hard to say.” A few days later, the farmer went out to do his morning chores and found that his horse had returned to the barn and there were six new wild horses as well! Hearing about the farmer’s fortune, his neighbors came over. “We heard about your good fortune! Six new horses! What good news!” The farmer looked at them and said, “Good or bad, it’s hard to say.” The farmer now had to train the new horses and so he and his son set themselves to the task. One day, while the farmer’s son was riding one of the wild horses, it bucked him off and broke his leg quite badly. The doctor said it would take a long time to heal. A few moments later, the neighbors once again came over. “We heard about your son’s leg. How unfortunate! This is bad news, yes?” The farmer again looked at his neighbors and shrugged, “Good or bad, it’s hard to say.” A few weeks later, some men in military uniforms arrived at the farmer’s house. The country was going to war, and they were conscripting young men into the army to fight. “Your son is of the right age,” said the officials, “We need to see him.” The farmer called his son to come out of the house, and his son appeared, on crutches and his leg in a splint. The officials took one look at him and said, “Thank you for your time sir, we will not be asking for your son.” And they left. A few hours later, the farmer’s neighbors once again came over. “We heard your son was spared from fighting. This is good news!” The farmer shrugged his shoulders and once again said, “Good or bad, it’s hard to say.”
Is it a good or bad thing to be called by God? Good or bad, perhaps hard to say. Yet our two stories about calling – Samuel by God and Nathaniel by Jesus as one of his 12 disciples – do not ask this question. Instead, these two stories raise two other questions: What type of person is called by God? What does one need to do to follow God’s calling?
In our stories today, Samuel is but a small boy, no older than 12 years. The only thing we are told about Nathaniel is that he is an Israelite. We are not told if either possesses a keen intellect for theology or Biblical studies, or an exceptional demonstration of faith. Samuel and Nathaniel are not powerful, well-known people. Who is called by God? According to these stories, it does not require one to have any special qualifications or to be a person of status. It is not only pastors, priests, politicians, or rulers that are called by God. God calls everyday people and the most unlikely of people. Those considered ordinary by the world. God calls people like you and me.
What must one do to follow God’s calling? There is a lot of talk on the “right” way to follow God. One must speak and act in a definite way. They must believe the right things. They must look a particular way, and be of a certain race, ethnicity, or gender. Unfortunately, such talk has infected the Church and how the Bible is interpreted. For example, the use of the word “prostitute” in our reading from 1 Corinthians has led some to believe that all women can never have a call in the Church. Today’s stories suggest a different approach to following God. We are to simply use our senses. We are to listen like Samuel. We are to “come and see” like Nathaniel.
Earlier this week, Kelly welcomed two new young people from the United States to complete their year of service in Eastern Hungary. They had previously started their year in Jerusalem/West Bank but had to end their time early when war broke out in Israel-Palestine this fall. However, when offered the chance to continue their year of service, they said yes. While they are quite remarkable for having the courage to continue their year of service in a second country, they are quite ordinary, everyday people otherwise. As Kelly and I got to know them and heard their reasons for coming to Hungary, this was clear. Both bear the image and likeness of God to the places they’ll serve. And where they go, they are seeking to see the image and likeness of God in those they meet.
You are called by God to live out God’s calling for you. You are called to bear the image and likeness of God in the places you go and seek the image and likeness of God in those you meet. And while it’s not always clear whether it’s a good or bad thing to be called by God, we can give thanks that God calls such people as you and I, and that we can respond to that call by simply hearing and seeing - experiencing the presence of God and Christ in the places we go and the people we meet. Amen!