Hearing The Word

August 4, 2024 homily on 2 Samuel 12:1-7a and 2 Timothy 3:14-17 by Pastor Galen

Stories have the power to communicate truths that might otherwise be difficult to hear or understand. 

The Four Brothers and the Lion

There’s a story told in India about four brothers who decided to venture out into the world on their own so that they could each learn an extraordinary skill.

After some time they came back together, and each of them bragged about the special skill he had learned. The first one said, “I can create the flesh of a creature from a single bone of the creature.” The second one said, “I can make the hair and skin of a creature.” The third one said, “I can create the limbs of a creature”. The fourth one said, “And I can infuse life into that creature.”

Together they went into the forest to find a piece of bone so that they could put their skills to the test. They happened to find a lion’s bone lying somewhere in the forest. Using his special skill, the first one created the flesh over the bone. The second one added skin and hair to the lion using his powers and the third created the lion’s limbs. The fourth young man was waiting to flaunt his skills, and when his turn came, he chanted some mantras and infused life into the lion’s body. As soon as the lion came to life, it pounced on the brothers and devoured all four of them.

This story illustrates the importance of common sense and wisdom and reminds us that just because we have the skills or ability to do something, doesn’t mean that we should do it. As we develop skills and increase in our abilities, we also need to grow in wisdom and discernment.

This story is also a cautionary tale that could be applied to our society, where scientists and engineers are continually researching and developing new and more advanced technologies. Manufacturers are manufacturing products and marketers are marketing them, often without considering the ethical or moral implications or long-term social or psychological impact. And this doesn’t apply just to technology, but also to medicine and finance and art and architecture and laws and government, and the list could go on.

Just because we as a society can do something doesn’t mean that we necessarily should. We need people who are going to stand apart from the crowd, who are not just going to go with the flow but who are going to speak words of caution, and correction. People who are willing to say, ‘’Yes we can do this, but should we?”

The Prophet and the King

The prophet Nathan was just that sort of person for King David. We saw a few weeks ago that the prophet Nathan stood up to King David when David wanted to build a temple for God. Now, there wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with building a temple, it’s just that David was not the person that God had in mind who would do that. Nathan was willing to convey the difficult truth to David that just because he had the power to do something didn’t mean that he should do it.

And that’s exactly what Nathan did here in 2 Samuel 12 after King David abused his power as king to steal another man’s wife and attempted to cover it up by having the man killed. This was a horrendous abuse of power, but King David was unwilling to admit it. And he might have gotten away with it if the prophet Nathan hadn’t spoken up. Nathan was wise enough to know that if confronted, King David probably would have flat-out denied what he had done. So Nathan told him a story that he knew would force King David to acknowledge the terrible deed he had done.

The Rich Man, the Poor Man, and the Little Lamb

The story was about a rich man who had many herds and flocks of sheep. His neighbor, who was very poor, had one little lamb. The poor man loved this little lamb and kept hiim in the house as a pet. The little lamb drank from the man’s own cup, and the man shared the little bit of food that he had with the little lamb.

One day a traveler stopped by the rich man’s house, but the rich man was too selfish to share his own food. He took the little lamb that the poor man kept as a pet, and he killed the lamb, and served it to his guest for dinner. 

Not realizing that this story was a representation of what he had done, David was outraged. He wanted to find the rich man and make him pay for the crime that he had committed. But then the prophet Nathan turned to David and said, “You are the man!” Only then did David begin to come to grips with the horrendous deeds that he had committed, leading eventually to the repentance demonstrated in Psalm 51, which we looked at last week.

The Weight of the Word

Stories like the one Nathan told David, and fables like the one about the four brothers and the lion, have the power to communicate truths that might otherwise be difficult for us to hear or understand. This is one reason why the Bible is filled with stories — both stories that actually happened, and parables like the ones Jesus and the prophet Nathan told — because in hearing and reading these stories we are often able to face truths about ourselves that might otherwise be difficult for us to hear. Through stories, we learn from the mistakes and failures of those who have gone before us, and we (hopefully) avoid making the same mistakes ourselves. Through stories and parables, we learn and are forced to face truths that we might otherwise not be willing or able to comprehend.

Currently, we are in the midst of a worship service about “worship,” in which we’re looking at the various aspects of our worship service, and what we can learn about them from events in the life of King David. Today we’re looking at the aspects of our worship service in which we hear the Word. Typically this refers to our Scripture reading and sermon, but the Word is also proclaimed through our liturgy (Call to Worship, offertory prayer, etc.), our hymns, and our fellowship and sharing together.

Now, given that most of us probably have multiple copies of the Bible at home and on our phones, what role does Scripture reading and a sermon have in our worship service? Why can’t we just read the Bible on our own, or watch YouTube videos of our favorite celebrity preachers from home?

Well, I hope you do read the Bible on your own. And it can be wonderfully encouraging and enriching to listen to sermons on YouTube throughout the week. But there is something powerful that happens when we gather together to hear and read Scripture — when we hear a word that has been prayed over, and sometimes wept over, and delivered real-time within the context of our own community. A word that is delivered with real-time response from the congregation is very different from a sermon that is recorded for YouTube. It’s like the difference between watching piano tutorial vidoes online and have a teacher sit with you and give you real-time instruction and feedback as you’re learning to play the piano.

The Word We Need, Not Always the Word We Want

Now, I know that the Scriptures we read each week might not be your favorite. They may not be the Scriptures you would naturally turn to for a word of encouragement. But that’s part of the point, because like King David, sometimes we need a story that will startle us and wake us out of our slumber and help us see and understand truths that we might not otherwise be willing to hear.

This is one of the reasons I frequently preach from the Lectionary readings for a particular Sunday— because, as we go through the 3-year cycle of Scripture readings, we hear and study passages from throughout the Bible, not just the passages that I personally might want to preach on. Rather than asking myself, “What do I want to preach on this Sunday?”, preaching from the Lectionary readings for that Sunday has led me to say, “Lord, what do you want to say to me and to our congregation through these passages of Scripture?”

This is also one of the reasons why Methodist pastors are appointed to churches rather than chosen by the congregation. In some traditions, prospective pastors deliver a “trial sermon” to the congregation, after which the congregation selects the person they want as their pastor. In the Methodist system, however, pastors are appointed to congregations and occasionally rotated to different congregations. This practice allows congregations to hear the Word delivered in various ways, through different pastors, and helps them grow in new directions.

Hearing and Doing the Word

So how might this event in the life of King David shed light on the role of the Word in our worship services?

1. As people who have been commissioned to share the Good News of the Gospel with others, we should take a cue from the Prophet Nathan and remember that stories are powerful means of communication. Even if you are not a teacher or preacher, we are all called to proclaim the Good News about Jesus Christ. And stories are one of the best ways to do that. Start by sharing your own story of faith — how God transformed your life, or how God kept you from harm, or how God has answered your prayers. Stories can be a powerful way to communicate truth.
2. Remember that the Scripture(s) you may hear expounded upon in church every Sunday may not always be your favorite. The topic might not always be something you want to hear about. But, as we’re reminded in 2 Timothy, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Spend some time soaking in the Scripture either before or after the service. Re-read it a few times throughout the week, asking what God may want to say to you through the Word. Use the questions for personal reflection at the end of the sermon to reflect on the significance of this Scripture for you.
3. As you prepare to come to church or read the sermon each week, ask God to give you an open heart and open mind to what God might want to say to you. 

Like the prophet Nathan, may we recognize the value of stories to communicate truths that may be difficult to hear but are essential for our growth and repentance. As we listen to the Word in our worship services each week, may we come with open hearts and minds, ready to receive and reflect on the messages God has for us. And may we commit to not only hearing the Word but also living it out in our daily lives, allowing it to shape us into the people God has called us to be. Amen!

Questions for Personal Reflection:

1. What can you learn from the Prophet Nathan’s approach to speaking truth to power?
2. How do you usually engage with Scripture during worship services? Do you find it challenging to connect with certain passages?
3. Why is it important to hear and reflect on the entirety of Scripture, even the parts that are difficult or uncomfortable?
4. How can you prepare yourself to receive the message God has for you each Sunday?
5. How can you use your own stories and experiences to share the Good News with others?