Daily Readings - Fri Jan 14 2022
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
The first reading from 1 Samuel and the Gospel of Mark present us with two distinct yet interconnected moments of human struggle and divine intervention. In 1 Samuel, the Israelites demand a king, rejecting God’s direct rule over them. Samuel, though troubled by their request, relays God’s warning about the burdens of earthly kingship, but the people persist, desiring to be "like other nations." This passage highlights humanity’s tendency to seek solutions in human power rather than trusting in God’s providence. In contrast, the Gospel of Mark shows Jesus, the true King, exercising His divine authority not to dominate but to heal and forgive. When four men bring a paralytic to Jesus, their faith moves Him to first forgive the man’s sins and then heal his body, demonstrating that true kingship is rooted in mercy, compassion, and the restoration of wholeness.
Both readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with authority and power. The Israelites’ demand for a king reveals a desire for control and security through human means, while Jesus’ actions in Mark reveal a different kind of authority—one that serves, forgives, and restores. This contrast challenges us to examine where we place our trust. Do we, like the Israelites, seek solutions in earthly power, or do we turn to God, who alone can truly set us free? The paralytic’s healing reminds us that our ultimate liberation comes not from human structures but from God’s grace and mercy.
In our daily lives, we face choices about where to place our trust. Like the Israelites, we may be tempted to rely on earthly solutions to our problems, whether in politics, wealth, or other forms of human power. But the Gospel calls us to a different way: to trust in God’s plan, to seek His forgiveness, and to live with faith and humility. Let us ask ourselves: Are we like the scribes, questioning God’s ways, or are we like the four men who carried the paralytic, persistent in faith and willing to go to great lengths to bring others to Jesus? May we learn to surrender our need for control and instead embrace the transformative power of God’s love and forgiveness.