The Homily – June 12, 2024

This morning, I’m taking a look at our first bible reading, 1 Samuel 9:1-14. It’s all about a man named Saul, some lost donkeys, and God’s way of working through even the simplest everyday events in our lives.

Saul was the son of a wealthy man from the tribe of Benjamin named Kish. There seems to be emphasis on the fact that Saul was a handsome man. I turned to other versions of the bible, and one said that he was tall and extremely good looking, and another said ‘From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people”, another “a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel”; Ladies, you get the picture – The young man looked good.

One morning Kish found that his donkeys were missing. So, he called his son Saul and asked him to grab a servant and go and find the donkeys.

Now, I can imagine Saul’s reaction. Here he is, this tall, handsome guy probably thinking about how he might spend his day and all the things he could do. Instead, he gets called for donkey duty. Can you imagine this tall handsome film star looking man being asked to go and find lost donkeys?

But off Saul went, wandering through the hills and the valleys, and the land of Benjamin – basically, he’s doing a tour of the countryside, in search of these runaway donkeys. It must have been like a treasure hunt but with a lot of walking and very few clues, but a man with Saul’s height should have been able to pick up donkeys, because they were not small animals.

After a long and probably very frustrating search, Saul was ready to give up. He turned to his servant and said, “look, let’s go back. My father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us”. Maybe Saul was also thinking that he was too good-looking and not cut out for that kind of work!

But the servant had a bright idea. He said, “Wait! There’s a man of God in this town. He’s highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go and see him – maybe he can tell us where the donkeys are.”

So, Saul and his servant headed into town, looking for the prophet. Saul became worried and told the servant that they had no more bread and there was no present to give to this man of God. He asked, who goes to the prophet empty-handed? The servant told Saul that he had a quarter of a shekel of silver and said, “I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us the way”. Then Saul told the servant “Good, come let us go“. So, they headed to the city.

Walking along, they ran into some young women who are out to draw water. Saul asks them if the seer was there? which is the prophet. The women told him that the seer was just ahead of him and to hurry. They told him that he was in town because the people were making a sacrifice at the high place.

So, Saul and his servant hurried along, and as they entered the town, Samuel, the seer, the man of God was coming toward them on his way to the shrine. – Now that’s where our passage ended.

But, have you ever read a novel and was eager to find out what happened next, or watched a TV series where they leave you at a cliffhanger and you had to wait for the next episode to find out what happened next? – well, I looked at the two following verses in this chapter to find out what happened, and I realize that the day before that, God spoke to Samuel, who was the seer or prophet and told him “Tomorrow, at about this time, I will send to you a man from the Land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over Israel and he shall save the people from the hand of the Philistines”. – Wow, that meant that Saul would be Israel’s first king.

We now get the picture, Saul looked like the perfect politician, handsome and tall, but did he behave like a leader in the making in his search for the donkeys? Saul displayed a lack of wisdom in his attitude, and he was not prepared for that journey.

The servant seemed to be leading the search. He encouraged Saul to continue when Saul wanted to give up and return home, and as some would say there were times when his servant had to bail him out. Despite coming from a family of means, Saul did not leave home with a cent as we would say. His servant found a small bit of silver that was sufficient for payment. Saul should have been the one to have payment for services, not his servant, and from Saul’s family background, he should have had some knowledge about the man of God. His servant had this type of information. On his own, he personally did not seek divine help during his search and frustration. It was Saul’s servant, who recognized the need for spiritual help in coping with their problems. Saul also felt that one had to pay for the information. He assumed that spiritual favors had to be bought.

Although Saul had these faults, he humbly listened and obeyed. His servant told him to continue the journey when he wanted to give up and the woman drawing water told Saul to hurry or he would miss his encounter with Samuel. He promptly responded to those directions.

But here’s where the mystery of God’s plans come into full view. Saul had no idea that God had spoken to this man Samuel. Saul was out on a donkey chase, but God had bigger plans for him. Isn’t it funny how often we get so caught up in our everyday problems and frustrations, not realizing that God might be steering us towards something far greater?

Imagine Saul’s surprise when he realized that this wild donkey chase was actually God’s way of leading him to his destiny – to meet Samuel.

This journey made me remember some lines from my Sunday school hymn Loving Shepherd of Thy sheep – “Where thou leadest I will go, walking in thy steps below”.

One lesson here, brothers and sisters, is that sometimes our most frustrating and what appears to be pointless tasks – in other words, our own donkey chases – can be used by God to lead us to something far greater. We might be grumbling and asking ourselves, “Why am I dealing with this?” while God is smiling and thinking, “Just wait. You’ll see.”

This passage shows us how much God was in control and guiding that whole journey.

It was no accident that Saul took that particular servant with him.

It was not by chance that these men could not find the donkeys in Ephraim, or the surrounding districts or anywhere in the land of Benjamin.

It was no accident that that servant knew about the prophet in that town.

It was no coincidence that the servant with Saul happened to have some silver on him in case it was needed for the prophet.

It was no accident that the women were at the well at that time and they knew all about the prophet’s program and urged them to hurry to meet him.

It was not by chance that the first person they met when they got to town was the prophet himself.

So we see that God’s guidance and timing were perfect. If any one of these events had not taken place at the time it did, Saul would never have ended up in front of Samuel that day. If they had arrived one day earlier, it would have been too soon, if they had arrived one day later it may have been too late.

This passage also tells us about unexpected encounters and divine guidance. Sometimes, what we seek isn’t what we find, but it can lead us to something even more significant. We learn here of the importance of being open to unexpected blessings and the twists and turns of life. 

There are some twists and turns in our lives that we try to fight. Sometimes when we try to fight the crossroads in our lives, we are fighting the purpose of God, but we are wasting time, because it is still going to lead us to where God wants us to go.

When our local Career showcase for schools started, it was organized for only girls because a woman’s club started this project to improve the status of women and girls. This particular year a group of young schoolboys decided to come to the showcase and were welcomed. They went to different booths and spoke to professionals with expertise in various fields. After a while we were told that there was a boy crying away. On investigating we realized that after speaking to people in the field he wanted to pursue, he realized he had dropped some subjects that were critical to the profession he wanted to undertake. He was in trouble because he was an ace student and was getting top marks in his present subjects. He couldn’t go back. After a conversation with personnel from the company and involvement with teachers and parents he was invited to join the company during the school’s vacation on a job attachment to get an idea of the various disciplines in the area. When he got there, he found that there was an unusual profession he could pursue and use the subjects that he was studying. He continued on this career path and became an extremely successful person in the new career he was guided to.

Our passage also shows us why we should not get discouraged and frustrated by interruptions and setbacks. Don’t get discouraged by the daily grind because we never know how God is using our life and actions for His glory. We realize from the passage that God is at work in the ordinary details of our lives, so we have to make it our goal to serve and glorify him.

How many of us knew that the late Michael Jackson was due at a meeting at the top of the Twin Towers on the morning of September 11^th, 2001. He spent the night chatting on the phone, went to sleep late and missed the appointment. He didn’t grumble and call his other party and blame them for keeping him up, but on hearing the news of the crash, his mother called his hotel to find out if he was alright. His response was simply Mother, I’m okay, thanks to you. You kept me up talking so late that I overslept and missed my appointment. Then he realized he had escaped death during the terrorist attack.

It is so important to trust God as these divine setbacks remind us that there’s a higher purpose at play. Even when life takes unexpected turns, trust that there’s a reason behind it. What seems like an inconvenience might be a blessing waiting to unfold. Saul’s donkey search led to his anointing as king. Similarly, our setbacks can lead to unexpected blessings.

Just as Saul’s father sent him in search of his lost donkeys, Jacob or Israel sent his son Joseph to check on his lost brothers and the welfare of his flock. He said to Joseph, “Go now and see about the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock and bring word back to me”. Joseph responded promptly to this request with the words “I will go”.

When these two sons Saul and Joseph responded, the Holy Spirit guided them. An unidentified man guided Saul in his search for the lost donkeys (1 Sam. 9:3). An unidentified man also guided Joseph on his search for his lost brothers (Gen. 37:15-17). Just like God was with Saul, He was also with Joseph during his setbacks, and he also thrived.

Saul’s story is also one of encouragement because it shows us that God has a plan for each of us that is bigger than our own. Saul’s servant was wise and had integrity, he was a good thinker, made the right suggestions and had the necessary resources for the journey to continue just as God had planned. Sometimes we might wonder about some of the people God has placed in our lives but rest assured God is at work in the people he has placed around you.

Have you ever met someone randomly—a stranger on a bus, a fellow traveler, a fellow employee or a neighbour—and felt an instant connection? These divine encounters can lead to lifelong friendships or even love stories.

So, the next time you find yourself in your own version of a donkey hunt, remember Saul. God has a plan, Trust in His timing, have a little faith, and who knows? You might just find yourself on the path to something extraordinary.

Closing Prayer of Hope

Almighty God, as I conclude this message, let us hold on to hope.

May the challenges we face not define us but refine us.

Just as Saul’s donkey search led to an encounter with destiny, may our setbacks lead us to divine opportunities.

When life takes unexpected turns, remind us that You hold our tomorrows. Even in uncertainty, your promises remain steadfast.

Guide us beyond mundane tasks to meaningful encounters.

Let us embrace divine detours, knowing they lead to greater blessings.

And as we end this devotion, may hope be our guide, faith our anchor, and love our driving force.

In Jesus’ name, we pray.

Amen.