FACING GOLIATH

A sermon by the Rev. Dr. James G. Kirk

Harundale Presbyterian Church

Glen Burnie, Maryland

June 22, 2003

Text: “Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17: 32

First Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

Second Reading: Mark 4:35-41

No one needs to retell the story of David facing Goliath, since it’s one of the best known stories in the Hebrew Bible. Yet, it’s very interesting how Saul first questions David's ability for his encounter with the Philistine, then wants to get him dressed with the helmet and coat of mail that he’ll need. How many times have we as parents or adults questioned those younger than we as to their abilities to face some challenge? Or, once they’ve convinced us of their strength for the task we want to dress them up so that they’ll have a better chance of survival.

For a while David goes along with Saul’s request, puts on the bronze helmet and the coat of mail. He even straps Saul’s sword over the armor. According to Saul, now he’s ready to face the Philistine. Again, that’s very typical when we deal with those we think unable or inexperienced to accomplish some task. Today, we celebrate our graduates. I’m sure they’ve heard from everyone they’ve met what they ought to do with the rest of their lives and how they ought to accomplish whatever they choose to do. Graduation speakers have given them advice. Aunts and uncles have given them advice. Grandparents have given them advice. Parents for sure have given them advice. Everyone has had a piece of the action, telling them what they ought and ought not to do in order to succeed.

Unfortunately for David, with all of the armor he’s got on he can’t walk. I’m sure that if we really wanted to listen to the graduates they’d tell us the same thing. It’s not that they don’t appreciate the advice all of us want to give them. It’s not as though we’re going to stop giving it to them either. It’s just that, like David, they’ve got to be able to walk in their own shoes and not be weighed down by everyone else’s opinion of what they ought to do with their lives.

So, sure enough, David takes off all the elaborate gear that Saul has given him, goes to the stream, picks up five smooth stones, puts them in his bag, grabs his sling shot and he’s ready to face the mighty warrior. If you haven’t already seen it you have got to see Finding Nemo. It’s a movie for all ages from youngsters to adults. Everyone can learn good lessons from the little adventurous fish who, along with his father, faces peril after peril. Without giving the story line away, just let me say that what gets the adventure started is the basic fact that Nemo’s father just doesn’t trust Nemo’s ability to do much of anything. Of course there’s a reason that the father is so cautious and not trusting, but you should really find that out by going to see the movie.

Many of us as parents, even as friends have difficulty letting others do what they feel they have to do and in such a way that is uniquely their way. Many times we want to control what they do and the manner in which they do it. We shouldn’t do that, because inevitably they end up, like David, unable to walk in Saul’s shoes and choosing rather to walk in ways and armed with the tools with which they feel more comfortable.

Of course, the point to the whole story is that it really isn’t Saul who’s controlling the situation. Nor is it David. It is God and David is simply God’s instrument to spread about the knowledge of God. As the story ends David tells the Philistine, “For the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.”

But before we end the story there’s another important point of view and that is David’s himself. How many times have we faced a mighty warrior of some kind? It doesn’t need to be someone huge: it could be a crippling illness, divorce or separation, the loss of a loved one through death, a change of employment, going off to college or out into the workplace; anything that makes us feel unable or ill prepared to cope.

Thursday night at the meeting of Baltimore Presbytery, there were two speakers, both of whom testified to God’s working through them in spite their own very weak and vulnerable condition. The first was Scott Calkins. Scott appeared before the Presbytery because he’s received his first call to be a pastor and is now ready to be ordained. His preparation has not been an easy one. Three years he contacted stage two of Lyme Disease, the stage that takes away the ability to speak, to read, or do much of anything until the body rids itself of the disease. He’d only completed one year of seminary, so everything was put on hold. Someone asked him during his examination how the disease affected his thinking now about the ministry. Without a pause he told us how better able he was now to minister with those who would face such uncertainty about their future. He’d been there and God had brought him back.

The other testimony was from Nam Min, a Korean who’s going to his first call as Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in California, PA. Ten years ago he was a very successful businessman in Korea with his own chauffeur, but felt the strong call of God to enter the full time gospel ministry. He brought his family to America, learned the English language, enrolled in seminary, forsaking all the comfort, the wealth, and the security he’d previously known. Thursday night he appeared before us having faced his Goliath and was obviously at peace with the decisions he’d made.

Awhile ago I had put Joe Brockman on the prayer list. Joe had been a good friend since I was pastor of St Mark in Newport Beach, California. In fact, he’d been my dentist as well as a member of the church and a faithful choir member. In the last few years Joe had developed type B diabetes. It had gotten to the point where he’d lost a leg below the knee. But last year when I visited Joe and Leslie his spirits were good; we’d had a good party at their home and reminisced about the good times we’d spent together. It seemed that he was facing his Goliath pretty well. Well, after I left things began to get worse and Joe was in and out of hospital for the next six months. That’s when I put him on the prayer list. In April Joe died and now it was up to Leslie to face her Goliath. I got a letter from Leslie this past Friday and one of the things she mentioned was to thank all of you who sent both her and Joe notes of encouragement. Here they were perfect strangers to many of you and you reached out with the love of God to guide them through their difficult days.

Time and again we face the Goliaths in our lives. People like Saul may offer advice on how we need to approach the Philistine, but ultimately we have to choose our own five smooth stones. But, like David, remember that behind the Goliath we have the face of God who will deliver the Philistine into our hands. We will see God’s face in the prayers we offer for one another. We will see God’s face in the visits we make and the vigils we keep at one another’s bed sides. We will see God’s face in the cards of well wishes we send. At the end of the day, to God will be the honor and the glory for the goodness God continues to shower upon and with that beside us no Goliath will be able to stand up to us.

Thanks be to God,

Amen