CULTIVATING LOYALTY

1 Samuel 10:1-11:15; John 6:43-71; Psalm 107:1-43; Proverbs 15:1-3

“When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, ‘This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.’ Then the terror of the LORD fell on the people, and they turned out as one man.”

“Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, ‘Are you also going to leave?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.’”

“He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.
 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.”

“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.”

One of my Mom’s favorite stories is about how she got Dad to fall in love with her. The strategy was ingenious in its simplicity. “I just let him chase me until I caught him.” I’m not sure I’ve ever understood that completely, but maybe no guy ever does. The one thing I am sure of is Dad’s unquestioned loyalty to Mom. He was won over by a tactic light years away from the “winning through intimidation” so often trumpeted today as an admirable lifestyle. Mom and Dad have been married for over 50 years now; it might have something to do with the fact that they understand might does not make right. Giving your spouse a good, safe reason to come home at night is the best insurance there is against adultery. Not unlike the way Jesus attracted followers. He never used strong arm tactics. He let folks come to Him. When they got near, Christ was just a maestro at making them feel noticed, safe and appreciated. Few who allowed themselves to truly feel Jesus’ influence resisted. After all, knowing that we are genuinely significant to someone else is a balm to our self-esteem, and we tend to want more of it. When it’s the Lord of all Creation doing the appreciating, and we understand and accept that, there isn’t much else to do but worship and give thanks and praise.

What a contrast Saul’s method of recruiting followers presents! Even at his best, Saul was not much more than a simple barbarian king. His overt lack of consistent spirituality (not to be confused with ventures into spiritualism) was the polar opposite of what might have been expected from his encounters with the living God who inspired him in the early days.  Instead, had Saul been familiar with the phrase “win through intimidation,” he’d probably have had it printed on a t-shirt, or the ancient Hebrew equivalent. He had no interest in subtlety and little interest in anything that did not build him up personally and make him more fearsome to his enemies. It’s hard to understand why Yahweh appointed him king at all, other than that he apparently looked the way his subjects thought their king should look. The coronation certainly did not happen because Saul was an ardent follower of Scripture or the Commandments. The best I can figure, Saul was crowned to teach the people that neither looks nor clothes nor intimidation really make a man or a leader.

Much of my life has been misspent in emulation of Saul-like leadership. Never especially imposing physically, I usually resort to trying to beat the opposition into submission intellectually, using blunt logic and stone cold language to get the point across. In a few special cases, the technique even works… for awhile. However, it never breeds loyalty, and more than once planted a seed that eventually became yet another reason for some well-justified paranoia. Strike that – it isn’t paranoia if people really are out to get you! Suffice it to say I learned too late – but better late than never! – that the Proverb above is correct, and points us to a better way. A gentle answer not only turns away wrath, it can be a tool which leads to the One who would lead us all from the darkness and deepest gloom of intimidation. The Holy Spirit wants to snap our chains of fear and slavery, not create more. Maybe today is a good day to let Christ have His way.