Community and Grace

Jim:

1 Samuel 8:1-22
The words of verse 7 really struck me this morning. “(A)nd the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.’” At the time Israel amounted to a confederation of tribes. The monarchy would unite the nation, but, as Samuel tries to convince the people, it would bring a significant downside. But they weren’t willing to take his warning and insisted on a king so that they could be like all the other nations. God had established a unique relationship with the people of Israel, one that should have carried them forward in prosperity and peace, but the people were not interested in maintaining it. They wanted to be like all the others. How sad! But then, how often do we reject a relationship with God to pursue other goals? How often do we turn our backs on the unique relationship that God has established with us through Jesus Christ? Too often. And we get ourselves into trouble when we do so.

Acts 6:15-7:16
I wonder what it means that Stephen’s “face was like the face of an angel” (16:15) Perhaps it means that the members of the council could not deny that he was a messenger from God, or that he had utter confidence in what he was doing. We say someone is angelic when they are beautiful or very well behaved, especially children. But I don’t think that’s what this would mean. But it must have been important for Luke to mention it here in Acts. Did God so fill Stephen with the power of the Spirit that it showed in his demeanor, that he radiated God’s grace? If so, why did the council end up stoning Stephen anyway? The people of God are often called on to accept difficult challenges but to do so with grace and with a positive attitude. I admit that I don’t always act like an angel when I find myself in a difficult situation, and that’s something I need to work on.

Luke 22:24-30
Verses 25 and 26 echo back to what Samuel was telling the people about kings. “But (Jesus) said to (the disciples), ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves.’” Of course, this is radical thinking, but you can see how it is based on the same unique relationship that God had with the people of Israel. When we trust God we don’t have to worry about “who’s in charge” because we know that God is. Jesus called together a new community based not on authority, but on humble service reflecting the love of God. Wow! What a concept!