1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,833 Again from our reading, 2 00:00:02,366 --> 00:00:04,766 when they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, 3 00:00:05,533 --> 00:00:07,866 surely the Lord's anointed is before him. 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:09,833 But the Lord said to Samuel, 5 00:00:10,133 --> 00:00:12,066 do not look on his appearance 6 00:00:12,866 --> 00:00:14,066 or on the height of his stature, 7 00:00:14,833 --> 00:00:16,366 because I have rejected him. 8 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,233 For the Lord sees not as man sees man looks 9 00:00:20,233 --> 00:00:21,366 on the outward appearance, 10 00:00:22,166 --> 00:00:24,300 but the Lord looks on the heart. 11 00:00:24,833 --> 00:00:26,166 So, so far our text. 12 00:00:26,833 --> 00:00:29,166 Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father 13 00:00:29,166 --> 00:00:31,333 and the Lord and Savior, the good shepherd, 14 00:00:31,533 --> 00:00:33,133 Jesus Christ, Amen. 15 00:00:34,466 --> 00:00:35,833 All right, so it's 2024, 16 00:00:35,866 --> 00:00:37,566 which means it is election season. 17 00:00:37,866 --> 00:00:39,766 Oh no, he's getting political at a servant. 18 00:00:39,933 --> 00:00:40,566 You might be thinking, 19 00:00:40,733 --> 00:00:42,766 but just bear with me for a moment, 20 00:00:42,766 --> 00:00:44,100 because it is relevant. 21 00:00:44,566 --> 00:00:47,733 Because every time the season rolls around, 22 00:00:47,766 --> 00:00:50,266 we start looking for a number of qualities 23 00:00:50,266 --> 00:00:53,300 or qualifications in a candidate. 24 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:55,100 And just like any other job, 25 00:00:55,100 --> 00:00:56,933 we might be drawn to their track record, 26 00:00:57,533 --> 00:01:00,266 their history, how they present themselves, 27 00:01:00,733 --> 00:01:01,933 their values, that is, 28 00:01:02,133 --> 00:01:04,966 are they pushing an agenda that is in line 29 00:01:04,966 --> 00:01:07,533 with our own sense of morality of what is right and wrong, 30 00:01:08,033 --> 00:01:09,533 and what is best for the community. 31 00:01:10,433 --> 00:01:14,333 And in our reading, Israel is in a similar boat. 32 00:01:14,966 --> 00:01:17,700 Of course, they're a theocracy, not a democracy, 33 00:01:17,733 --> 00:01:20,166 which means they don't get to pick their kings by voting, 34 00:01:20,666 --> 00:01:23,666 or even by strange women lying in ponds distributing swords. 35 00:01:25,066 --> 00:01:26,866 They didn't get that one last night. 36 00:01:28,733 --> 00:01:33,466 But that doesn't mean that they don't have a series of ideas 37 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,466 about what they might want in a leader. 38 00:01:37,633 --> 00:01:40,233 And so Israel is looking for this king, 39 00:01:40,333 --> 00:01:41,100 someone to take charge, 40 00:01:41,233 --> 00:01:43,766 someone to make them into a great and prosperous nation, 41 00:01:43,766 --> 00:01:45,566 like all of their neighbors. 42 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:48,200 And after following the prophet Moses 43 00:01:49,266 --> 00:01:51,433 through the wilderness for 40 years, 44 00:01:51,433 --> 00:01:53,333 and then maybe a series of judges 45 00:01:53,333 --> 00:01:54,966 that were honestly hit or miss, 46 00:01:55,100 --> 00:01:57,600 who's to blame them for wanting a little bit of stability? 47 00:01:58,233 --> 00:02:01,333 So Israel wants this king, someone to defend them, 48 00:02:01,700 --> 00:02:02,966 somebody to supply for them, 49 00:02:03,066 --> 00:02:05,066 do all of these great things that they want in a leader. 50 00:02:05,633 --> 00:02:07,633 And so initially, they look to Saul. 51 00:02:08,266 --> 00:02:10,933 And Saul is this great and strong warrior. 52 00:02:11,733 --> 00:02:13,500 He presents himself, simply put, 53 00:02:13,733 --> 00:02:16,566 he looks and talks like a king should. 54 00:02:16,966 --> 00:02:19,766 But we're in chapter 16, not chapter 15, 55 00:02:19,766 --> 00:02:21,400 because back in chapter 15, 56 00:02:21,666 --> 00:02:24,166 God rejects Saul for his rebellion against him. 57 00:02:24,766 --> 00:02:26,566 But then God says to the prophet Samuel, 58 00:02:27,533 --> 00:02:32,300 do not grieve Saul, for I have somebody better in mind. 59 00:02:33,233 --> 00:02:36,266 And God then tells Samuel to fetch the sons of Jesse. 60 00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:39,300 And among these men are warriors, 61 00:02:39,666 --> 00:02:42,366 men who had fought alongside Saul in combat, 62 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:43,933 proven leaders under stress. 63 00:02:44,433 --> 00:02:46,133 And these are desirable qualities 64 00:02:46,133 --> 00:02:47,733 that you might want in a king. 65 00:02:48,533 --> 00:02:49,766 And God says to Samuel, 66 00:02:50,333 --> 00:02:52,300 I will pick my king from among them. 67 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:54,466 And so these sons of Jesse, 68 00:02:54,666 --> 00:02:57,533 these strong, handsome warriors come marching in, 69 00:02:57,733 --> 00:03:01,433 and immediately Samuel finds himself drawn to the eldest. 70 00:03:01,433 --> 00:03:04,766 He's this tall, handsome warrior named Eliab. 71 00:03:04,766 --> 00:03:08,633 And he says, surely God's chosen is standing before me. 72 00:03:08,900 --> 00:03:13,800 And that's when God says, do not look on his appearance 73 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,533 or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. 74 00:03:18,333 --> 00:03:21,333 For the Lord sees not as man sees man looks 75 00:03:21,333 --> 00:03:22,766 on the outward appearance, 76 00:03:23,366 --> 00:03:26,133 but the Lord looks on the heart. 77 00:03:27,533 --> 00:03:31,033 So what do we see when we look at each other? 78 00:03:31,766 --> 00:03:35,300 Just like Samuel, just like Samuel sized up Eliab, 79 00:03:35,433 --> 00:03:38,400 we size each other up based off of these outward appearances, 80 00:03:38,433 --> 00:03:39,300 not just physically. 81 00:03:39,733 --> 00:03:42,333 We look at the degrees somebody might have, 82 00:03:42,333 --> 00:03:44,133 all of the letters they have after their name, 83 00:03:44,266 --> 00:03:46,433 or the number of children, the year of their car, 84 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:47,566 or the size of their house. 85 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,300 And then we start sizing each other up in other ways too, 86 00:03:50,300 --> 00:03:53,733 like the color of their skin, or their home of origin, 87 00:03:53,733 --> 00:03:56,833 or the amount of money in their bank account. 88 00:03:57,700 --> 00:03:59,600 And then we start saying things like, whoa, 89 00:04:00,066 --> 00:04:01,133 I know the real you. 90 00:04:01,666 --> 00:04:03,233 Everybody else thinks that you're Superman, 91 00:04:03,233 --> 00:04:05,366 but I know how bad you really are. 92 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:06,833 I remember what you said. 93 00:04:06,966 --> 00:04:08,166 I remember what you did. 94 00:04:08,833 --> 00:04:11,000 And these are outward appearances. 95 00:04:11,866 --> 00:04:14,266 Whether or not there are these status symbols, 96 00:04:14,433 --> 00:04:17,399 or they're secret sins, or public sins on our heart, 97 00:04:17,533 --> 00:04:20,433 if it's what we see when we look at someone, 98 00:04:20,466 --> 00:04:22,866 and we start drawing any kind of conclusion about them, 99 00:04:23,133 --> 00:04:25,433 then we are looking at the outward appearances, 100 00:04:25,533 --> 00:04:28,000 and we are not looking at the heart. 101 00:04:28,100 --> 00:04:30,200 We are not seeing as God sees. 102 00:04:31,133 --> 00:04:32,166 And so back to our story then. 103 00:04:32,366 --> 00:04:35,666 Picture Jesse's sons as this line of soldiers 104 00:04:35,666 --> 00:04:37,400 standing before Samuel, 105 00:04:38,233 --> 00:04:41,466 and Samuel believes that God is going to pick His king 106 00:04:41,466 --> 00:04:46,733 from among these ostensibly supremely qualified candidates. 107 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,433 And so who does God pick? 108 00:04:50,866 --> 00:04:55,066 Well, it's David, who is the youngest, smallest, 109 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:56,566 feeblest of the bunch. 110 00:04:56,766 --> 00:04:58,433 He didn't even make the initial lineup 111 00:04:58,933 --> 00:05:01,166 when the sons of Jesse were told to present themselves 112 00:05:01,166 --> 00:05:02,266 before Samuel. 113 00:05:02,566 --> 00:05:04,333 They had to go fetch him out from the field 114 00:05:04,333 --> 00:05:05,100 where he was working. 115 00:05:05,933 --> 00:05:08,533 And then the reading describes him as being ruddy 116 00:05:08,533 --> 00:05:10,666 and having beautiful eyes. 117 00:05:11,266 --> 00:05:13,733 He is a small, young shepherd boy. 118 00:05:13,766 --> 00:05:14,933 He's certainly not a warrior. 119 00:05:15,033 --> 00:05:16,133 He's certainly not a king. 120 00:05:16,733 --> 00:05:18,433 And remember that the David and Goliath story 121 00:05:18,433 --> 00:05:20,700 is not until the next chapter. 122 00:05:20,733 --> 00:05:22,466 So we don't know that about him yet. 123 00:05:23,133 --> 00:05:26,166 But God looks at this David and says to Samuel, 124 00:05:26,866 --> 00:05:27,966 that's my guy. 125 00:05:28,933 --> 00:05:33,000 And that is where the ruler of the kingdom of heaven 126 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:37,166 is found, among the least, among the meek. 127 00:05:38,466 --> 00:05:40,266 But we call David a type of Christ, 128 00:05:40,466 --> 00:05:42,866 that is this Old Testament figure 129 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,733 who embodies and foreshadows the future person and work 130 00:05:47,733 --> 00:05:49,000 of Jesus Christ. 131 00:05:49,333 --> 00:05:51,333 We call David a type of Christ 132 00:05:51,333 --> 00:05:53,900 because he's this chosen king of Israel. 133 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:55,500 And when Christ was crucified, 134 00:05:55,633 --> 00:05:57,733 the sign over his cross read the king of the Jews. 135 00:05:58,266 --> 00:05:59,633 And we also call him a type of Christ 136 00:05:59,633 --> 00:06:00,866 because he is a shepherd. 137 00:06:01,466 --> 00:06:03,366 And we know that Jesus is the good shepherd 138 00:06:03,366 --> 00:06:05,133 who lays his life down for the sheep. 139 00:06:06,066 --> 00:06:07,833 But I propose that he is a type of Christ 140 00:06:07,833 --> 00:06:08,866 for another reason. 141 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,033 And that is because it is in him 142 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,833 that God sees what he's looking for 143 00:06:14,833 --> 00:06:17,966 when all that we see is, as the reading says, 144 00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:21,200 the outward appearances, the weaknesses. 145 00:06:22,566 --> 00:06:24,700 Because God doesn't care about outward appearances, 146 00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:26,766 accomplishments, or lack thereof, 147 00:06:26,966 --> 00:06:29,033 or any of these things the way we do. 148 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,433 He cares about what is on the inside, the reading says. 149 00:06:33,833 --> 00:06:35,433 So what is on the inside? 150 00:06:35,533 --> 00:06:38,000 What matters in the eyes of God when he looks at us? 151 00:06:38,766 --> 00:06:41,800 Well, if it is truly what is on the inside that counts, 152 00:06:41,933 --> 00:06:42,533 then it's hopeless. 153 00:06:42,633 --> 00:06:44,433 Because when I look inside myself, 154 00:06:44,833 --> 00:06:46,733 I see sins that I'm ashamed of. 155 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,566 I see bitterness and jealousy and wrath. 156 00:06:52,433 --> 00:06:55,233 And so that can't be what the reading is speaking of 157 00:06:55,233 --> 00:06:57,633 when it says that the Lord looks upon the inside 158 00:06:58,166 --> 00:07:00,733 and not the outward appearances that man sees. 159 00:07:01,733 --> 00:07:04,766 Because what God sees as worthy when he looks at you 160 00:07:04,766 --> 00:07:07,866 is deeper, it's more fundamental 161 00:07:07,866 --> 00:07:10,433 than these outward appearances 162 00:07:10,433 --> 00:07:13,566 that we identify with as who we truly are. 163 00:07:14,566 --> 00:07:17,133 Because what God sees when he looks at you is not your job, 164 00:07:17,166 --> 00:07:19,233 he doesn't identify you by your sins, 165 00:07:19,300 --> 00:07:21,800 he doesn't decide who we are 166 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:23,266 based off the life that we've lived. 167 00:07:24,266 --> 00:07:26,933 In fact, the more that we identify with those things, 168 00:07:26,933 --> 00:07:30,400 the more we are obscuring the truth of who we are in God. 169 00:07:31,366 --> 00:07:36,433 Because what God sees when he looks at you is his own life. 170 00:07:38,433 --> 00:07:40,733 When God looks at you, he doesn't see what you see, 171 00:07:40,866 --> 00:07:44,166 he doesn't judge as what is worthy or unworthy 172 00:07:44,166 --> 00:07:45,100 in the way we do. 173 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,933 Instead, when God sees you, He sees His own Son 174 00:07:48,933 --> 00:07:52,066 and judges you based off of the perfect life of Christ 175 00:07:52,666 --> 00:07:53,666 that He's given to you. 176 00:07:53,666 --> 00:07:57,433 And that is exactly how we inherit the kingdom of heaven. 177 00:07:58,333 --> 00:08:01,033 The true king of the universe, the author 178 00:08:01,033 --> 00:08:06,166 and ruler of all reality imparts to you His own life. 179 00:08:06,766 --> 00:08:09,200 And our sinful, mortal lives, 180 00:08:09,466 --> 00:08:12,400 this temporary construction of outward appearances, 181 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:14,666 well that doesn't live into eternity. 182 00:08:14,966 --> 00:08:17,433 Because what lives into eternity is this redeemed life 183 00:08:17,433 --> 00:08:19,533 that God has given to you in Christ. 184 00:08:20,466 --> 00:08:23,433 I'm not a fan of proof texting, 185 00:08:23,833 --> 00:08:26,266 it's that habit of saying something 186 00:08:26,266 --> 00:08:29,400 and then listing umpteen, seemingly random verses 187 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:30,766 that's supposed to prove a point. 188 00:08:30,833 --> 00:08:32,433 But I wanna take a bit of an exception here 189 00:08:32,433 --> 00:08:35,466 because this theme is found all over the New Testament. 190 00:08:35,633 --> 00:08:39,233 And as Christians, it is truly worthy of our meditation. 191 00:08:40,266 --> 00:08:42,900 And so here, here how God does not identify you 192 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:46,166 based off of the ways you may, but instead with His own son. 193 00:08:46,866 --> 00:08:50,066 So Paul says in his letter to the Galatians, 194 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:52,666 he says, I've been crucified with Christ, 195 00:08:52,733 --> 00:08:54,900 therefore it is no longer I who lives, 196 00:08:55,100 --> 00:08:56,833 but Christ who lives in me. 197 00:08:57,733 --> 00:08:59,433 And then in his second letter to the Corinthians, 198 00:08:59,633 --> 00:09:01,366 he says, examine yourselves. 199 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,533 Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you? 200 00:09:06,633 --> 00:09:08,600 And then to the Romans, he continues this thought, 201 00:09:08,700 --> 00:09:11,966 but if Christ is in you, although the body is dead 202 00:09:11,966 --> 00:09:15,366 because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 203 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:17,100 And that's God's righteousness. 204 00:09:17,766 --> 00:09:19,433 And because that is Christ's righteousness, 205 00:09:19,566 --> 00:09:21,833 that is your righteousness. 206 00:09:22,966 --> 00:09:24,566 And then to the Colossians, he says, 207 00:09:24,766 --> 00:09:28,200 there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, 208 00:09:28,466 --> 00:09:30,266 barbarian, Scythian, slave-free, 209 00:09:30,333 --> 00:09:32,766 but Christ is all and is in all. 210 00:09:32,900 --> 00:09:35,200 Paul is saying that all of those things, 211 00:09:35,766 --> 00:09:39,533 those outward appearances, the barbarian, Jew, slave-free, 212 00:09:40,733 --> 00:09:44,166 those are the things that we claim as our own. 213 00:09:44,166 --> 00:09:47,433 But what is truly eternal is that life of Christ 214 00:09:47,433 --> 00:09:49,533 that God has given to us, 215 00:09:49,833 --> 00:09:51,766 that gives life to the whole world. 216 00:09:52,066 --> 00:09:54,300 That's the good news, that is the gospel, 217 00:09:54,633 --> 00:09:56,933 is that it is Christ's life, 218 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,433 gifted to us freely through His incarnation, 219 00:10:01,233 --> 00:10:03,033 His humiliation, His self-sacrifice, 220 00:10:03,233 --> 00:10:04,933 the self-sacrificing life of God 221 00:10:04,933 --> 00:10:07,900 that is illustrated so painfully clear on the cross, 222 00:10:08,533 --> 00:10:10,733 which is worthy of eternal life. 223 00:10:11,733 --> 00:10:15,666 And that is the life that God sees when he looks at you, 224 00:10:16,100 --> 00:10:20,233 not this outward appearance that Paul says is wasting away. 225 00:10:21,566 --> 00:10:23,400 And that's why we call Him the Good Shepherd 226 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,266 when He lays His life down for the sheep. 227 00:10:26,933 --> 00:10:30,766 That is Him saying He is giving you His own eternal life 228 00:10:31,300 --> 00:10:35,566 in exchange for our temporary, sinful, impermanent life. 229 00:10:37,166 --> 00:10:39,466 So bring the whole thing back to the story 230 00:10:39,466 --> 00:10:40,533 that we are reading. 231 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:43,566 Why does God look at David 232 00:10:44,166 --> 00:10:46,833 and see the future king of Israel 233 00:10:46,833 --> 00:10:48,700 if we know that the true king is Christ? 234 00:10:49,766 --> 00:10:51,533 Well, because it is in David, 235 00:10:52,233 --> 00:10:53,966 it is David who is gentle and lowly, 236 00:10:54,766 --> 00:10:56,600 that David is humble, meek, 237 00:10:56,966 --> 00:10:58,633 one whose outward appearance 238 00:10:59,166 --> 00:11:01,900 is so easily overlooked by passers-by, 239 00:11:02,433 --> 00:11:04,666 and that is exactly where Christ is found. 240 00:11:05,733 --> 00:11:06,800 It is that it is Christ. 241 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,966 There is none more meek, none more humble and disregarded, 242 00:11:11,266 --> 00:11:13,633 none more lacking in outward appearances 243 00:11:14,366 --> 00:11:17,233 than the Good Shepherd who is hung on the cross, 244 00:11:17,333 --> 00:11:20,766 convicted as a criminal, left to die naked. 245 00:11:22,100 --> 00:11:25,266 And when we look at the cross and we see Jesus humiliated 246 00:11:26,166 --> 00:11:28,033 and emptied of all of the things 247 00:11:28,033 --> 00:11:31,800 that we would treasure and desire in an earthly king, 248 00:11:31,833 --> 00:11:35,266 then we are seeing what God sees when he sees us, 249 00:11:35,933 --> 00:11:37,966 which is His own life stripped bare 250 00:11:38,733 --> 00:11:41,733 of the outward appearances that we treasure in ourselves. 251 00:11:42,866 --> 00:11:45,400 For the Lord sees not as man sees. 252 00:11:46,333 --> 00:11:48,066 Man looks on the outward appearance, 253 00:11:48,466 --> 00:11:50,333 but the Lord looks on the heart. 254 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,466 And that heart that God sees is Christ. 255 00:11:56,533 --> 00:11:59,000 And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding 256 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,833 guard your hearts and minds 257 00:12:01,333 --> 00:12:02,833 in the true faith in this Christ. 258 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:03,800 Amen. 259 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:05,533 Please rise.