Faithfulness:  Amidst Scoundrels

Read: The verses that surround the Lectionary:  I Samuel 2: 12-17, 22-25.

Focus: Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.

        - I Samuel 2: 12

Consider: The Sons of Eli clearly are scoundrels who take advantage of their positions.  They intimidate the faithful and thereby sin against God. In the selections provided by the lectionary writers, the sons of Eli are ignored. But the original passage writer gave us an opportunity for comparison by including them. The Sons of Eli are contrasted with the Son of Elkanah. In order to get that, we need to read between the lines.

This reading reveals the moral insight we need. Often it is to what is not in the text that the Spirit draws us. The obvious and common are not what we are meant to gain. A conventional approach to this lectionary passage would have us dote on the faithful journey of Hanna, Samuel and Elkanah. Better yet, we ought to look at what the scoundrels are doing. 

God enables in the writing that even as we embrace the sentimental, we ought not ignore the scoundrels. Our realm has more Sons of Eli than of Elkanah and Sarah. Will we be able to spot them? And stand up to them? To redeem them?

Pray:   Discerning God of moral clarity, enable us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, to which indeed we are called in the one body. And be thankful.