Seeing a King in a Kid

by Ben Durr

"Click here to see how you'll look when you're old!" 

I generally ignore pop-ups ads that promise everything from cheaper insurance to a free Bahamian cruise, but I felt hypnotized by the thought of seeing myself 20 years from now. And, although I refrained from clicking my way down a path that was destined to end at my PayPal account, I have since been captured with the thought of the "me that will be" when I cash my first Social Security check.

As it relates to physical appearance, I'll leave that to the geeks with image enhancement software and too much time on their hands. I'm far more interested in what kind of person I will be in my senior years, and it is to this point the story of Samuel anointing David has spoken powerfully to me in recent weeks.

Knowing that God had selected a king from among the sons of Jesse, the aged Samuel traveled to Bethlehem  for a "pre-inauguration" ceremony. However, only after God rejected the seven older sons did the prophet learn that the youngest, David, hadn't even been invited to the party. He called for David, anointed him, and history was made.

Now, two interesting statements are embedded in this story. The first is God's verdict concerning the oldest son: "Do not be impressed by his height, or his appearance" (1 Samuel 16:7). The implication is that Eliab had a large, intimidating presence-very "king-like." But the second is the writer's observation that David had a lovely complexion and was "good looking" (1 Samuel 16:12).

Although initially this might appear as a compliment, the context suggests the opposite. Remember, we are looking for a king-a fighter, a hero. Clearly David lacked an alpha-male persona. But even though others overlooked David's potential, Samuel placed the label "King" on this shepherd boy-and it stuck! A king was wrapped up in a kid, and it took an aged prophet with a discerning spirit to detect it and to leverage the power of his influence to draw attention to it.

David then lived out Samuel's new definition of who he was. We can assume that, left to himself, David would have never achieved the things he did; it took the voice of a prophet to awaken the king within.

It is one thing for children or teens to encourage themselves, and it's another for young persons to draw inspiration from friends and peers. But when Grandpa says, "You can do it," a kid's confidence soars to a whole new level, because Grandpa's words carry special weight.

I remember when I first heard the word "gravitas." Curious about its meaning, I soon learned that this word describes someone who has quiet dignity, depth of character, and a "weighty" persona, the result of a lifetime of experiences. Samuel had gravitas. Scripture says the whole town trembled when they heard he was coming. And Samuel leveraged his gravitas-the power of his senior status-to reshape a boy's self image and to place "king thoughts" in his head.

If I could click on a link and see myself as an old man, I would hope the image would not be of a grumbler, finding and magnifying the faults of the new generation. Rather, I pray it would be that of Samuel anointing David, looking past surface deficiencies, to see a hidden king within.

Gravitas is time's gift to the aged. Seniors-embedded among the thorns of old age-you'll discover the rosebud of weighty speech. A lifetime of experiences gives your words super-credibility. Samuel's greatest gift to the world was his discernment and validation of Israel's most beloved ruler. Perhaps in your later years your greatest gift to Christ's Church might be to leverage the power of your accrued influence to awaken a king in a kid.

Ben Durr Jr. is pastor of the Brownstown, Indiana, Church of the Nazarene.

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