There are tremendous parallels between the Old Testament lesson about little Samuel and the story of 12-year old Jesus in the Temple. As I studied I noticed some interesting parallels between the two stories and also some interesting opposites. It was a natural fit with my current turmoil and uncertainty about where I fit into the system of ordained clergy and I realized - once again - that nothing is simple.
The Revised Common Lectionary texts for this week are:
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Psalm 148
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
Here's the word cloud preview:
And the sermon:
Let’s start with Samuel.
Samuel’s mother Hannah wanted a baby, even though her husband said “aren’t I enough?” She prayed hard – so hard the priest thought she was drunk. But she was not drunk. She prayed in faith, and Samuel was born. Hannah was so delighted that she sang a song.
But then there’s also Jesus:
A long time after Hannah sang with joy about Samuel another woman was delighted that God favored her with pregnancy. That woman, Mary, also sang a song that we know today as the Magnificat – the same song Hannah sang.
When he was old enough – which is not to say he was all that old! – Samuel went to live in the Temple. He ministered before the LORD before he even knew who the LORD is, and every year his parents came to the Temple. Hannah brought Samuel a little coat.
Jesus, on the other hand, was carried away to Egypt because Herod wanted to kill him. Wanted to kill him SO MUCH that he killed ALL the boy babies, just to make sure. But God was going to have it God’s way and Mary and Joseph kept Jesus safe in Egypt.
But then Herod was gone, and Mary and Joseph would take Jesus to the Temple each year, on a pilgrimage much like that of Hannah and Elkanah. Samuel was already there when Hannah and Elkanah arrived, so nobody would have been surprised to see him talking with the teachers. In fact, Samuel was apparently some kind of prized pupil, since the teachers made a point of complimenting him every year to his parents.
Jesus did not live there, though. Jesus just showed up each year with his parents. And when he sat with the teachers and AMAZED them with his understanding, his parents were exasperated. But so was Jesus, who seemed to think it was the most normal place in the world for him to be and could not fathom why his mother was upset.
And Mary was indeed upset. She kept a lot of things in her heart: the news from the angel that she was pregnant AND a virgin, the Magnificat, escaping to Egypt, going to Temple every year. But this time she was just undone. She took it personally: WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US??
So Jesus WENT HOME, and obeyed his parents. Mary had one more thing to treasure in her heart. And Jesus (just like Samuel) increased in wisdom and years and in the favor of the LORD.
Did you know that Samuel and Jesus had such parallel stories?
We call that a “type” of Christ, and Samuel isn’t the only one – Moses was a type of Christ (the rulers wanted him dead, too, and that’s how he ended up being adopted by an Egyptian princess). Types of Christ have something in common with Jesus. Their stories have great parallels to the life story of Jesus.
And according to Martin Luther, we are all called to be types of Christ, too.
In order for our stories to be parallel to those of Jesus, we have to first realize that when Jesus was born to Mary he became ONE HUNDRED PERCENT HUMAN. It is so critical that it is what we celebrate at Christmas: the God came as a human baby.
And here we are, Jesus and us, all being human together. So then we have to figure out how we know if we are acting out of our broken humanness or out of the perfect humanness that Jesus (and only Jesus) displayed. Because we want to do MORE of the Jesus stuff – and less of our own broken stuff.
This is a pretty important question to me in these days of considering my call into ministry. How do I distinguish between God’s call, and the rules of human beings? How can I tell when it’s me being stubborn or arrogant, and when the system is leaving out people (like me) who have calls that look different than calls have looked in the past?
And I have found great comfort in the parallels between Samuel and Jesus:
SAMUEL was the ultimate insider. He lived AT THE TEMPLE. The adults who formed him were priests and teachers. He WORE AN EPHOD. Ephods are priest clothing… like when the acolyte or assisting minister wear white robes. It’s something official. From his earliest memories, all Samuel knew was “growing up in the church.” He knew he was going to be a priest.
JESUS, on the other hand, was born far from home and among strangers. Then his parents had to go to Egypt to keep him alive. When they got back from Egypt, they went to the Temple once a year for the festival, but mostly he stayed home and listened to his parents. Oh, Jesus was CLEARLY gifted. When he was 12 the priests and teachers were so amazed at him. But were they amazed because of what he knew, or because he has such knowledge and wisdom AND WAS AN OUTSIDER?
You see, to the casual observer Jesus was no Samuel. Jesus was just a kid who showed up once per year.
AND YET.
Jesus lived his call, as did Samuel. Samuel the insider went on to help Israel navigate their first kings: Saul (who did not work out) and David (who did). The insider Samuel listened to God’s call on his life, and picked out the way-outsider David to become ancestor of Jesus.
Jesus lived the life that teaches us how to live (as only one who was present at Creation would know) and they killed him for it. He loved so hard that the ruling class – the ones who boasted the most about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and about being the Chosen People – those people with the religious power could not stand it.
Samuel followed God’s call by being the little boy on the inside, wearing the priestly robes, and then as an adult picking out the most unlikely of leaders.
Jesus was God by being the boy on the outside, surprising everyone with his understanding and loving without fail.
The little boy Samuel went where his parents sent him, and lived the life they expected. Lived it so well that the priests and teachers thanked Hannah and Elkanah every year.
The little boy Jesus knew where he was to be and he went there – and was astounded when his parents did not realize that it was the right thing to do.
The grown man Samuel was God’s messenger to navigate the brand new thing called “King” that the people wanted.
The grown man Jesus was God’s Own Self, come to earth to navigate the system that had gone so far off course since those days of Samuel, that no longer served the people, that prioritized wealth and power and preservation of wealth and power over the wellbeing of people and service to and love of those who are poor and weak and suffering.
Jesus gave himself over to God’s will completely in his life – in all those times he hung out with the wrong crowd and defied the ruling class by being on the side with the impoverished and persecuted.
And then Jesus gave himself over to suffering, and death.
And then Jesus declared that it was all done. Jesus came back to life. Jesus was Resurrected.
That Jesus who followed God into the Temple instead of heading home with his parents showed us that there is much to learn from the systems. Samuel showed us that people growing up in the thick of the earthly systems are sometimes sent to call people way on the outside.
And from them both we see this:
We can be Little Christs inside of the system – and outside of it.
We can be Little Christs on the political left and the political right, in social work and in business, in work and in play.
We can be Little Christs as women, or men. Within any expression of sexuality or gender identity. Regardless of the health and robustness of our bodies, or the color of our skin, or the DNA that carries so much of who we are.
Because what we learn from the life of Jesus is that we are called. That following God’s call on our lives – the call to love each other in as many different ways as we can collectively imagine - is the most important thing.
And here is the best news of all: We are COMPLETELY FREE to live that life! Inside the system, outside of the system, or somewhere on the edge. Because the Law is fulfilled and we are free to love lavishly, extravagantly, and without any fear whatsoever.
We can be, with Samuel, Little Jesus.
Amen.
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