+ In our first reading series, we see
today from the Book of Samuel, that newly installed King Saul has already
fallen out of favor with God; he defeated the Amalekites, but then his men
stole the spoil of sheep and oxen, the best of what had been banned, with the
excuse of wanting to offer them in sacrifice to the Lord in Gilgal. God,
through Samuel, told this errant people that he desires obedience rather than sacrifice, obedience to his will
in all things, even the small details.
In
the gospel passage we see another example of obedience to a law: this
time the law of fasting. It seems that John the Baptist’s and the Pharisees’ disciples did the accustomed ritual fasting, while
Jesus’ disciples did not do this on a regular basis. Jesus intervenes in
this case however, being the law, and
does in fact excuse his disciples from the ordinary discipline because they are
in the presence of greatness, the bounty of the Lord – and they need to be able
to take in as much of him as they can, in newer and deeper ways daily, so that
one day his example of self-sacrifice would make better sense to them, and be
an example to them afterwards, that to really be in touch with him from then
on, periods of fasting would definitely then be expected.
May we today receive newer and
deeper understandings of God’s will and ways – obediently -- the ways of
self-giving and sacrifice – so that we may be pleasing to the Lord when the
gates of the great heavenly hall are opened and the wedding feast of the Lamb
begins, and all fasting and preliminary disciplining shall have ended.
To the
upright I will show the saving power of God.
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