Anointing in the Passages for Lent 4A

For finding lectionary passages online, I recommend Textweek.com, which provides some quite valuable services for lectionary passages.

This is just a brief note on this theme which has been very striking to me as I repeatedly read these passages. Anointing has a variety of implications in the Bible, and these passages would allow one to teach or preach on those uses.

In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, God instructs Samuel to anoint David as king. In this case anointing represents a selection and empowerment for a particular position of authority. It’s interesting that the two books of Samuel make a fairly strong case that the king of Israel must be chosen by God and that the prophet is the one who executes that decision. This tradition presumably lasted, as we find it applied to Jehu, who is a general in the army (2 Kings 9:1-13). Once one of the sons of the prophets anoints Jehu, he goes and claims the throne. Now Jehu is a general, and certainly has the force behind him, but the anointing clearly has effect as a catalyst, and in bringing people in behind him.

In Psalm 23 we have anointing more as grooming and comfort. You feel good when you are anointed, and this anointing shows God’s care for the psalmist.

In John 9, we have the anointing with mud made with spit. The material is interesting, and the result is also different, in this case the giving of sight. I’m not sure the two (empowerment/authority and healing) are not related to some extent. Notice that throughout the passage the actual chosen (were some anointed?) religious leaders were unable to see, while the man who had been born blind but is now healed sees clearly.

Ephesians 5:8-14 may seen unrelated because it doesn’t reference anointing. But it references light and darkness, seeing and not seeing. It ties very closely to John 9. While we tend to focus on the physical miracle, the spiritual implications are front and center for the gospel writer, and for Paul. Once one encounters Jesus, one sees in a way that one has not seen before. The contrast is light (after Jesus) versus darkness (before Jesus). The healing (anointing?) presence of Jesus makes the difference.

I haven’t really fleshed this out, but these are some initial impressions on these passages.