Friday, January 15, 2010

Homily – January 15, 2010 – First Week in Ordinary Time - Friday

+ In our first reading today we see the people of God demonstrating their propensity to be self-seeking, self-gratifying and very controlling. They had listened to and heeded Samuel's words because they knew him to be a true prophet of the Lord – but now that Samuel was getting old they wanted a replacement of their own specifications, qualifications and choosing. This would get them into unforeseen difficult situations for a very long time. They who would insist on having a king to rule us and lead us in warfare and fight our battles – so that we can be like our neighbors – like the other nations – would find themselves very much under a yoke of submission and slavery to such a king. Such a king would order sons and daughters about; appoint commanders of the armies, control the plowing and harvesting, be in charge of making weapons of war, make their daughters ointment makers, cooks and bakers, assign the best of their fields, vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials, tithe the crops and give the revenue to slaves. And when they would complain, God would not answer them!

Samuel warned the people that these things would happen but they did not care – all they were interested in was becoming an earthly nation among earthly nations – thus disenfranchising themselves from their spiritual heritage, calling and destiny! It is a SPIRITUAL KINGDOM that is most important. But this people were blind to this reality – and so they got their kings and they got the troubles that went along with the kings. If only they had seen the handwriting on the wall, the Old Testament could have been much shorter.

It is easy to look back and see this people's foolishness – but we must not count ourselves as different from them so easily. In the gospel passage Jesus tells us more about the SPIRITUAL KINGDOM that he has come to inaugurate. Today he cures a paralyzed man and forgives his sins at the same time. An earthly king could actually do neither of these things. But Jesus did them easily because he was the King of Kings – he was the Gentle Shepherd of Souls. Some did begin to believe in Jesus by means of this display of kindness and power – but many still wanted to have things their own way like the Old Testament people who insisted on having a king of their own crafting – a king who enslaves – a king who provides no guarantee of a secure and protected future.

May we choose Jesus as our King today and knowingly submit to having things his way because his kingdom is one of freedom and love, justice and peace! And he shall lead us on to everlasting green pastures of refreshment and joy!

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