Daily Readings - Wed Jan 17 2024
1 Samuel
32David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."33Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."37The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you."40Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.41Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.42He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.43He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.44"Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"45David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.46This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.47All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."48As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.49Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.50So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.51David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine's sword and drew it from the scabbard. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran.
Mark
1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath.3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, trust in God, and the triumph of divine love over human limitations. The first reading from 1 Samuel tells the story of David and Goliath, a tale of a young shepherd who, armed with nothing but a sling and stones, confronts a towering giant. Despite Saul's doubts and Goliath's mockery, David places his trust in God, declaring, "The Lord who delivered me from the hand of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." With unwavering faith, David defeats Goliath, proving that true strength comes not from human might but from reliance on God.
The Gospel from Mark presents a different kind of battle, one between compassion and legalism. Jesus encounters a man with a withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, more concerned with rules than with healing, watch to see if Jesus will "break" the Sabbath. Jesus, however, sees the human need and acts with mercy. He heals the man, demonstrating that the Sabbath was made for humanity, not the other way around. His actions provoke anger in the Pharisees, who begin to plot against him. This passage reminds us that love and compassion should always take precedence over rigid adherence to rules.
Both readings call us to trust in God's providence and to prioritize love and mercy in our lives. Like David, we may face challenges that seem insurmountable, but with faith, we can overcome them. Like Jesus, we are called to see the needs of others and act with compassion, even when it goes against the expectations of others. May we, in our own lives, choose to trust in God's power and to love without limits, just as David and Jesus did.