A Shepherd, a Thorn, and Jesus' Hometown (Free Version)
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Mark 6:1-13
Our Old Testament text this week (2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10) features David’s third anointing. The first was by Samuel, when David was just a young shepherd boy (1 Samuel 16). The second was by the elders of Judah, his home tribe when they wanted him to become their king (2 Samuel 2:1-4). Now, finally, he is anointed by the elders of Israel to rule over the unified kingdom.
By using the term “shepherd,” the elders of Israel have shifted the idea of “kingship.” God had warned Israel against having a human king in the first place. Saul has shown the dark side of kingship, taking his power as a license to set himself in the place of God, bullying instead of blessing. The elders now take the word “king” and put it in the context of “shepherd.”
Throughout the scriptures, God seeks for Israel to understand that his kingship is different from the kingship of this world. God’s leadership looks more like shepherding than like dominating. This imagery, of course, is limiting. But it paints a picture of the ways that God continues to form his people in a way that is different from the other nations of the world.
In our Epistle text (2 Corinthians 12:2-10), Paul writes of the “thorn in the flesh,” that he has been given which keeps him from becoming conceited.
Here’s the gist of Paul’s statement: visions and revelations are a thing. They do happen. Christians are, almost by definition, a people who believe that there is more going on in the world than what we can see. But we also need reminders that we are mortal, that we are weak, broken creatures. We don’t know the identity of Paul’s “thorn,” but it was something humbling, something that made him weak. It tormented and hindered him.
After Paul prayed for God to take it away, God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness.” The main message here? “When I am weak, I am strong.” So Paul says now he boasts in his weaknesses, because he knows that in weakness, God is made strong. Somehow, our God is the God who makes weakness into strength, turns resistance into glory.
In our Gospel account (Mark 6:1-13), Jesus returns to his hometown. This is weird because these are people who knew him “back then,” and he is now saying that Kingdom had now come, and was coming in Him.
They can’t handle it and they reject him. God comes to bring restoration, and there are those who specifically reject that restoration. The folks in Jesus’ hometown could not receive Him.
But, just as miracles are a signpost of the Kingdom, rejection and resistance are also a signpost of his Kingdom. Central to the Christian faith is always the reality that everything in our world rejects the way of Jesus. So, for disciples, suffering always comes with it. And that includes ridicule, even by those who are the closest to us.
Looking for more? Discover more context, commentary and illustrations, by subscribing to our “Wade in the Water” version (4+ pages) for $50 per month. This week’s notes feature some notes on July 4th and the OT story, and more on the themes of judgement and hope.
Or…take a Deep Dive with 9+ pages full of context, commentary and illustrations for $1200 per YEAR (which works out to $100 per month). PLUS a weekly Zoom call with other pastors. This is by far the best value. This week’s notes feature in-depth exploration of shepherding in scripture, quotes from early church fathers, and a discussion on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.