Not as Man Sees

A Reflection for the First Reading for Sunday, March 19th, 2023:
The Fourth Sunday of Lent

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1 Samuel
16.1, 6-7, 10-13
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The Lord said to Samuel, “Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”

When the sons of Jesse came, Samuel looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as the human sees; the human looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” Jesse sent and brought David in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.

Last month, I attended an Ignatian Spirituality Tasting Session at the Atlantic Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Halifax. Unlike what it sounds, this session had nothing to do with wine tasting but everything to do with sampling “a further sense of God’s presence” through guided group meditation and journalling. I came away with a sense of awareness about the truth that God has fashioned each one of us and made us in His image and likeness. He knows the purpose and potential of each one of us.

In the reading we just heard from the first book of Samuel, it is evident that God designed each one of Jesse’s sons. But unlike Samuel, God knew the potential that David possessed over Eliab and the others. God indeed knows our innermost thoughts and hidden desires. He sees what others overlook or fail to see. External appearances and the outward show of piety do not fool Him. Neither does He fal prey to our harsh judgements of our own capabilities. 

Have you ever wondered, Do I see myself the way God sees me? Or am I constantly finding fault with my physical appearance? My human tendency is to focus on the physical flaws, while God focuses on the spiritual strengths. God looks on the murderer with eyes of compassion; He views the thief with a forgiving gaze; He listens to the liar with a heart of mercy; and He touches the hurting individual with a hand of healing. Our God is a just, merciful, and awesome God Who not only sees individuals from a divine perspective, but also reminds us to look on one another with tenderness and without judgement. 

As we swiftly move through Lent, is there someone whom I am looking at with eyes of envy or jealousy? Am I ready to let go of selfish goals that I have set my sight on? Maybe, just maybe, it is time for me to shift my perspective and look at myself, those things, and other people with God’s transcendent vision.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of sight. Help me use it to look at others kindly and to view them as your image and likeness. Help me extend your mercy through my thoughts, words, and actions. Send your Holy Spirit upon me to renew my perception. I ask all of this in the name of your only son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.




Rebecca Dmello

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