How God 'sees'
Monday, August 1, 2016
*Rogelio Zelada
Samuel has perfumed and filled with new oil the bowl that he has hidden with fear under his cloak. He knows very well that Saul has a bad temper and is more than convinced that the king will not hesitate to put a knife to his neck if he learns that Samuel is heading to Bethlehem to consecrate his successor.
The kings of Israel, chosen and anointed by God, did not have much compunction about using violence to get rid of any pretender threatening their power and their throne, even if God himself had chosen the competitor.
Although the prophet’s friendship with the Lord God of Israel is strong and profound, Samuel cannot avoid feeling a cold shiver through his bones when the Lord orders him to go to Bethlehem to anoint a son of Jesse. God, who knows nature and human weakness perfectly well, proposes a ploy to Samuel in order to mislead Saul: He shall take a heifer of the sheepfold and if someone meddles, he should say that the purpose of his arrival in Bethlehem is none other than to offer a sacrifice, as the Lord has told him to do.
While walking to the small village, he repeats in his mind the words that God has spoken to him: “Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for from among his sons I have decided on a king.”
The Lord “has seen,” that is, “he has observed.” He has chosen an unknown and has done it by completely taking the lead in a story that He will reveal little by little. The biblical text affirms the absolute freedom of a God who does not need human strength, but human weakness, to carry out his plans. He sees the course of history differently, especially its leading characters. He chose Abraham, an old man with a wife who was barren, aside from elderly. He chose Moses, a stuttering fugitive. And now He has chosen a child who takes care of the family flock in the fields.
Hagar, who flees to the desert fearing the wrath of Sarai, receives God's comfort and the announcement of a bright future for her son Ishmael, and exclaims excitedly: “You are God who sees me.” Centuries later, in the presence of the burning bush that was not consumed, Moses hears in amazement the voice of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: "I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt."
That "seeing" of God is an unfathomable mystery that can only be approached with a foolproof confidence. When Samuel arrives at the house of Jesse, Samuel thinks that Eliab, with his great stature and strength, is the chosen one whom he must anoint. He has seen with the wise eyes of a prophet, but his eyes cannot approach the profoundness of God, “who does not see the appearance, but looks at the heart.”
Abinadab, Shammah, and five more children were presented before Samuel, but none of them was chosen. Uneasy, the prophet senses that there must be another child in the family.
- Are these all the sons you have?
- There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.
- Send for him.
Finally, Samuel anoints David, a good looking and blond youngster with beautiful eyes, upon whom the Spirit of God has been poured out abundantly and will remain in him forever.
It is clear that the Lord chooses regardless of what human beings value as a condition for success. In this case, He has not chosen the firstborn, but the last of Jesse’s children. The weaker the instrument He chooses, the greater the clarity with which we can recognize that it is the work of God.
The people considered the prophets as seers. Knowing that God grants them the ability to see and understand things in a special way, far beyond what the wise of this world can perceive, the people recognize in them a keen eye to discovering what God wants to communicate.
The way that God sees became an opportunity for salvation when he “saw” his oppressed people in Egypt; it now presents itself as an important key to understanding, for Samuel and for every believer. God affirms that history, life, events, communities and individuals should be looked at from the profound, divine viewpoint that goes beyond appearances and delves into the depths of all that is possible in reality. At the time, David did not have the conditions needed for the colossal task that awaited him. Preparing him will be the work of the Lord.
While imprisoned by Herod, John the Baptist becomes concerned when he hears that Jesus speaks of forgiveness, of inclusion, of salvation for sinners and the outcasts of Israel. That image does not seem to match what he, as a prophet, has intuited. Startled, he sends someone to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
Mary of Nazareth cannot see the full scope of what the angel is proposing, but she does not need to know everything. To unconditionally accept the proposal, it is enough to know who it is coming from. She has fully trusted the gaze of God.
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