Daily Readings - Mon Jan 20 2020
1 Samuel
16Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the LORD said to me this night." And he said to him, "Speak."17And Samuel said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel.18And the LORD sent you on a mission and said, 'Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.'19Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?"20And Saul said to Samuel, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD. I have gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction.21But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."22And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.23For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king."
Mark
18Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"19And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.20The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.21No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.22And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins--and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful lessons about obedience, humility, and the nature of spiritual renewal. The first reading from 1 Samuel recounts the tragic fall of King Saul. Once chosen by God for his humility, Saul fails to fully obey the Lord’s command to destroy the Amalekites, choosing instead to spare their king and keep the best spoils for himself. Samuel rebukes him, emphasizing that obedience is far more pleasing to God than sacrifice. Saul’s failure to listen and trust in God’s plan leads to his rejection as king. This story reminds us that true leadership and faith require surrendering our will to God’s, even when it’s difficult or uncomfortable.
In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the Pharisees’ question about why his disciples do not fast. He uses the parable of the groom and the patch of new cloth to explain that his presence among them is a time of joy and celebration, not fasting. He also warns that trying to combine the old with the new—whether it’s cloth, wineskins, or spiritual practices—will only lead to division and destruction. Jesus is emphasizing that his mission is not about patching up the old way of life but about bringing something entirely new. This requires openness, flexibility, and a willingness to let go of the past.
These readings call us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Like Saul, we often struggle with partial obedience, holding onto control or comfort instead of fully trusting in God’s plan. And like the Pharisees, we may cling to familiar traditions or practices without considering whether they are still life-giving. Jesus invites us to embrace the newness he brings, to let go of what is old and worn out, and to live with hearts that are open, humble, and ready to follow wherever he leads. May we learn to listen to God’s voice, to obey with courage, and to receive the fresh life he offers us.