“But the Lord said unto Samuel,
Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have
refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7
Utility is usefulness. The
valuation of someone or something quantified in the question: Does it
work? This idea of Utilitarianism invades
every aspect of our culture. Utility
leads to production, and production to progress, and progress is always met
with praise and promotion; to the point that those who are labeled useless are
consequently worthless.
The first king of Israel was one of surprising utility. However, by and by he was lifted up with
pride and forgot to be little in his own sight.
When Samuel was called to anoint the second king, he looked for a similar
man. A man of utility, David was not
this man. Samuel was looking on the
outward, looking for a king that was strong, handsome, big, and brave. A man of maturity, who showed all the qualifications
that a king would require. This was the
selection process Samuel was accustomed to.
In America, are we so different? When
you apply for a job, the hiring process is based on utility. When you buy a product the purchasing process
is formed from utility. The valuation of
goods and services, rooted in utility. Have
you ever heard of pager? What about a
VCR? How about a Discman? Anyone under the age of 15 in America will have
no clue what these are, why? Because
those things lost their utility, and therefore they are lost to our
culture. Is it no wonder that when
people look for a church they look on the grounds of utility? What can you do for me? What programs? What ministries? What will I get for my time
here? Consequently, the ministers of utility
preach to that end. They present the
gospel in a manner of abundant usefulness to you, until the Son of God is degraded
into the selfsame utilitarian product that exists only for the betterment of
you. Furthermore, the only thing keeping
them interested is the usefulness of Christ, and the moment that usefulness
expires or is superseded in their own mind, they check out. Please do not misunderstand. Is their utility in Christ? Certainly. Do you need Christ to be saved?
Absolutely. Do we need Christ to go to
heaven? Yes. Does Jesus provide abundant usefulness in our
lives? Of course. His utility is unmatched, but this is simply
a tributary not the mainstream. His utility
to you is not, and cannot be, the main motivator of your devotion to Him, it
must be something deeper. We are born
into this world lost, broken, and doomed to a sinner’s hell. We need a Savior. God in his grace and mercy sent His own Son
to die, to provide pardon and power. Pardon
for sins committed and power live free from sin. Consider then, how we, his creation, dare to evaluate
the usefulness of this action? Are we so
blinded by our own idolatry that we fail to embrace the passion of Christ?
Thank God, that he did not measure us on the same ground of utility. Praise God!
He did not have “try outs” or take us through an interview process. It was love that brought Him to the cross and
love that kept him there. We should not
love and serve Him because of what he can do for us, we should love and serve
Him because he is worthy. We can be free
from the bondage of sin, because of Him.
God looked on the heart and offered healing, Christ went to the cross
and brought victory; the only avenue of utility within humanity is found in
Jesus Christ.
