For What Does He Anoint Us?

Prayer-Soldier · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:59 am Post subject: For What Does He Anoint Us?

For What Does He Anoint Us?

Scripture:

And the Lord said to Samuel: How long will you mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and come, that I may send you to Isai, the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

And when they were come in, he saw Eliab, and said: Is the anointed of the Lord before him? 7 And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man seets those things that appear, but the Lord beholds the heart.

Isai, therefore, brought his seven sons before Samuel: and Samuel said to Isai: The Lord has not chosen any one of these. And Samuel said to Isai: Are here all your sons? He answered: There remains yet a young one, who keeps the sheep. And Samuel said to Isai: Send, and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. He sent therefore and brought him. Now he was ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face. And the Lord said: Arise, and anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha. (1 Samuel 16: 1, 6-7, 10-13)

For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light. For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and justice and truth: Proving what is well pleasing to God. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness: but rather reprove them. For the things that are done by them in secret, it is a shame even to speak of. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for all that is made manifest is light. Wherefore he said: Rise, you that sleep, and arise from the dead: and Christ shall enlighten you. (Ephesians 5:8-14)

And Jesus passing by, saw a man who was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him: Rabbi, who has sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered: Neither has this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night comes, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

When he had said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and spread the clay upon his eyes, and said to him: Go, wash in the pool of Siloe, which is interpreted, Sent. He went therefore and washed: and he came seeing. The neighbors, therefore, and they who had seen him before that he was a beggar, said: Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said: This is he. But others said: No, but he is like him. But he said: I am he. They said therefore to him: How were your eyes opened? He answered: That man that is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me: Go to the pool of Siloe and wash. And I went: I washed: and I see. And they said to him: Where is he? He said: I know not.

They bring him that had been blind to the Pharisees. Now it was the sabbath, when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Again therefore the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. But he said to them: He put clay upon my eyes: and I washed: and I see. Some therefore of the Pharisees said: This man is not of God, who keeps not the sabbath. But others said: How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say therefore to the blind man again: What say you of him that has opened your eyes? And he said: He is a prophet.

The Jews then did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight, and asked them, saying: Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see? His parents answered them and said: We know that this is our son and that he was born blind: But how he now sees, we know not: or who has opened his eyes, we know not. Ask himself: he is of age: Let him speak for himself. These things his parents said, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had already agreed among themselves that if any man should confess him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore did his parents say: He is of age. Ask himself.

They therefore called the man again that had been blind and said to him: Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner. He said therefore to them: If he be a sinner, I know not. One thing I know, that whereas I was blind. now I see. They said then to him: What did he to you? How did he open your eyes? He answered them: I have told you already, and you have heard. Why would you hear it again? Will you also become his disciples? They reviled him therefore and said: Be you his disciple; but we are the disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses: but as to this man, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said to them: why, herein is a wonderful thing, that you know not from whence he is, and he has opened my eyes. Now we know that God does not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God and does his will, him he hears. From the beginning of the world it has not been heard, that any man has opened the eyes of one born blind. Unless this man were of God, he could not do anything. They answered and said to him: You were wholly born in sins; and do you teach us? And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when he had found him, he said to him: Do you believe in the Son of God? He answered, and said: Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? And Jesus said to him: you have seen him; and it is he that talks with you. And he said: I believe, Lord. And falling down, he adored him. And Jesus said: For judgment I am come into this world: that they who see not may see; and they who see may become blind. And some of the Pharisees, who were with him, heard: and they said unto him: Are we also blind? Jesus said to them: If you were blind, you should not have sin: but now you say: We see. Your sin remains. (John 9:1-41)

Reflection:

Do we understand to what we are called? We hear and read the stories of those who were anointed, those who were great leaders and great kings of their people; but who are we? For what purpose has our Creator created us? For what reason did He form us in the womb of our mother? Why has He formed us with the talents which we have?

We might be tempted to ask, how is it we are to know for what we were anointed? In our baptism, we are anointed as priest, prophet and king, but within that calling, we also have the unique purpose for which He has created each one of us. Even if we have not received the blessing of baptism, it still remains within our choice to listen for His voice and accept his purpose for us. As we pray for Him to enter our heart, do we not also receive Him? Did He not come to us as priest, prophet and king and therefore, is He not also priest, prophet and king within our heart? Do we not also seek to fulfill His Word and live according to His belief? Is it not possible that through us, His work may be done?

As we invite the Holy Spirit, we also invite the responsibility to share in His sacraments (priest), share in His teaching (prophet) and share in His caring for the people (king). We understand the ministry of the priest and the sharing of teaching, but do we clearly know what He expects of those anointed as kings?

We may be tempted to have the vision of kings as those set to sit on thrones, rule over others and to be served by their subjects; but God anointed His kings to care for the children of His creation. He anointed kings to lead His children so that they may live in harmony. He anointed kings as servant leaders, just as He came to the world as a servant so that through His example, all might see the blessings of His love. He is master and teacher, yet, still washes the feet of His disciples. As servant leaders to those who surround us, we are anointed to be examples of His Word, examples to help others know His love; not to impose rule and subjugation, but to live as an example so that His light may shine through those who have received Him in their heart. As we learn from Him and He is within us, we are called to share of what we have learned from Him, to provide ministry from what we have been taught, and to be a light through which the lost are reclaimed from the darkness with love.

What we do, then, to care for others, allows us to respond to the calling to be king. It is not appearance, clothes or possessions which makes one worthy to be His anointed, but what is in the heart. He sees beyond what we have of the world to what He has crafted within us. It is our choice to accept or deny the purpose for which He has granted us our talents, but it is through such gifts we have the opportunity to minister, to share His Word, and lead the lost to the light.

In the beginning, He was the One who said: Let there be light. He was the One who declared that the light was good and the light would separate the night from day. As He created His children, He created them with the power to choose between the light and the dark. Blessed are those who seek the light, for it is He who is the light of the world and the source of all which is good. It is He that shines through the faithful.

While we have all been granted great blessings through Him, we might be tempted to wonder at our afflictions, for what reason would we be allowed to suffer? And so it was, His disciples would ask an academic question: Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents that he should bear the affliction of blindness? And in His answer, we see what others saw as an affliction was truly a gift. Jesus responded that it was neither the sin of this man or his parents that he was so afflicted, but so that through him, the works of God might be seen. How, then, should we see our own afflictions? We might be tempted to dwell with questions as to why, or, we also have the choice to ask in prayer: Dear Lord, to what purpose do you desire that I put my affliction? What is it Lord that You desire for others to see through me?

It was through the one born blind that the Son of God would reveal the light of the world was not seen by all who professed to see. Though some witnessed the miracle and the evidence stood before even more, the people struggled to comprehend. Some saw and reasoned, who but One from God could perform such wonders? Others saw only the world before them. Some chose to see and others chose to remain blind.

Even the parents of the one who received the miracle were fearful of the conclusions they might draw, for if they were to chose in opposition of those in power, the parents might be exiled and lose all which brought them comfort in the world. In this moment, they did not comprehend the struggle about them; they did not see the light which walked among them and they chose what they believed to be safe in this world.

In hindsight, through the generations, we might be tempted to judge what they did; but if we were the ones to witness, are we sure what would come from us? Would we be able to see and discern the works of God, or would we calculate only by our comprehensions of this world. Are we willing to raise our voices in praise and worship for our Savior, or are we willing to be silent as the evil one desires for us to be silent, so that we may be accepted by the society which surrounds us? Are we able to see and discern that which is important and for which we should stand, or are we frightened to lift our voice for fear of what others may speak of us? Would we be willing to give up all within this world so that we might keep our soul?

In this day, as it has been through the generations, there are those who are corrupted by power, corrupted by the darkness, corrupted by selfishness; and through the corruption of the darkness, endeavor to persecute the children of faith. Blessed are those who stand in courage and confess their Savior before others, for He will acknowledge them before the Father. The light which the evil one seeks to extinguish shall shine forever through the faithful and in the kingdom of heaven.

It matters not who triumphs in this world, for He will remember every act of persecution and every act of faith. If the people stand together in faith; can all be exiled, can all be imprisoned, can all be persecuted? The leaders who persecute and those who support them in their persecution will only find the darkness, for their beliefs and their works are opposed to the light. The selfish are blind and do not see that through their selfishness, they will eventually destroy all which is about them until they destroy even themselves. Blessed are those who see His light, for they understand that by giving, they shall receive such that all are sustained through the wealth of His love. If we we struggle with comprehending our purpose, then, let us turn to works of love, for through love, we fulfill the greatest of His commandments.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier