Daily Readings - Fri Jan 12 2018
1 Samuel
4Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah5and said to him, "Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations."6But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.7And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.10So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking for a king from him.11He said, "These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.12And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.13He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.14He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.15He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.16He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.17He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.18And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day."19But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, "No! But there shall be a king over us,20that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."21And when Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the LORD.22And the LORD said to Samuel, "Obey their voice and make them a king." Samuel then said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."
Mark
1And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.2And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.5And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven."6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,7"Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts?9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic--11"I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home."12And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound lessons on authority and trust in God's plan. The first reading from 1 Samuel recounts the Israelites' desire for a king, rejecting God's direct rule. Despite Samuel's warnings about the burdens of monarchy, the people insist, seeking a human leader like other nations. This decision marks a shift from trusting in God's providence to relying on human structures, highlighting the tension between divine and earthly authority.
The Gospel from Mark offers a contrasting narrative, where Jesus demonstrates His divine authority by forgiving sins and healing a paralytic man. The scribes, limited by their understanding, question Jesus' right to forgive sins, but He responds by healing the man, thereby affirming His power. This episode underscores Jesus' role as the embodiment of God's authority on earth, capable of both spiritual and physical healing.
These readings invite us to reflect on our trust in God's plan versus human solutions. The Israelites' choice in 1 Samuel serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of rejecting divine leadership. Conversely, Jesus in Mark shows us the transformative power of recognizing and submitting to God's authority. In our lives, this means placing faith in God's providence, even when human solutions seem appealing. Let us seek to recognize and embrace Jesus' authority, trusting in His divine plan for our lives.