Favor with God and Favor with People
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Favor With God and Favor with People
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Psalm 148
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
The King of Kings has been born and he is Christ the Lord. Our Christmas adventure is now complete because our savior reigns. After some time, there were some Maji whom we call the wiseman, who studied the stars and studied prophecies and so they traveled to the land of Judea in search of the prophesied king. They sought and found the boy and bestowed upon him gifts of incense, gold, and myrrh. All of things provided by the Lord and once again making his plans possible. All of these gifts would help the family survive while they had sought refuge in Egypt. Amazing how God uses the free will of man to fulfill his plans. Other times he does intervene directly such as he did for warning Joseph about Harid’s plans. Joseph had the choice though to trust God and the warning or to ignore everything since it would be easier to just stay put rather than travel once again and even farther this time. But Joseph listened and obeyed.
There are many examples to follow in the Bible of people who lived lives in which we as believers and followers of Christ should live. Samuel is one such person. It is interesting in how Samuel was raised because he was not raised by his parents but he was raised by the church. He was given to the Lord as an offering as a result to an answer prayer and a promise. His parents would visit him yearly but the tent of meeting was his home. It is interesting though how even though the sons of Eli the Priest and Samuel were both raised by the same person, they ended up very different. Eli’s sons were sinful and took advantage of their position as sons of the priest. Samuel however, chose to be humble and live righteously. It says at the end of our opening scripture passage that “Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.” Scripture is written very specifically with a specific purpose. We read this phrase in scripture not just with regarding to Samuel but with Jesus as well when he was a boy. But you notice there is an order to this. First is favor with God and then favor with people to follow. I believe that this order being used twice in the same way means something. One should seek the favor of God first and as a result they will also have favor with people.
It is interesting that this morning we have two stories about two men during their boyhood. Luke is the only one who gives us some sort of insight of Jesus as a boy. Every year they would go to the temple for the Passover. Just as every year Samuel’s parents would do the same. On this trip though Jesus disappears from his parents because he stays behind just as Samuel always stayed behind as he lived at the Tent of Meeting. Mary and Joseph were very worried and were searching for him for 3 days until they found him in the temple. When asked why he did this he told them that he had to be in his father’s house. They did not understand this but he understood who his father was. We are told that when he returned, he continued to be obedient to them and he also “grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
How do we gain favor with God and man though. What is it that these two would do in order to gain this favor. I think we have some insights into this in Colossians 3:12-17. As God’s chosen people we are to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another other if any of you has a grievance against someone.” “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Who would want to follow someone who is not compassionate, kind, gentle, and patient. Often times the reason many people quit their jobs is because their managers or supervisors lack these qualities. Many churches will fall apart if their pastors, and even members lack these qualities. As God’s chosen were are to present ourselves with these virtues and by doing so, we will gain favor with God and then with people as well. Would you want to keep going to a church wear the people were continuing to be bitter and fight each other and lacked patience with each other? Would you want to keep going to a church where the pastor was always grumpy and seems like they are always yelling at you when they are preaching? Would you want to keep going to a church if you were in need or suffering from an addiction and the people were not compassionate with you? Would you want to keep going to a church where you see some people holding grievances against each other and lacking any forgiveness? I think the answer would be no.
What shall we do then? We are told in Colossians to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.” “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Let his word admonish and correct people instead of your own words. We are called to instead forgive and seek peace. When we do these things, we gang favor with God and when people see that we have favor with God we will gang favor with them. When Christ dwells in you richly and as he had favor with both God and people, we two will have the same thing.
From the time of childhood God provided for Jesus. He sent gifts from a far-off land. He gave him parents who would love and protect him and bring him up to know His father in heaven. God provided for us by giving us his son so that we may know him more and so that we may show love to others. Our desired should not be for fame or to gain influence over others. Our desire and focus should first to have favor with God and to love as he loves. As a result of us seeking God first we will also gain influence a favor with other people. May the love of Christ dwell in you richly. A love and compassion for his people, for his creation. May you gain influence through this love so that others may experience the love of God through you and by doing so gain faith and be transformed into someone who also has compassion for others and who also seek favor with God before favor with man. They will learn from your example. Are you presenting yourself as that example to learn from?