20260204 THE GRAVITY OF THE SIN OF A LEADER
04 February 2026, Wednesday, 4th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Samuel 24:2,8-17 |
David takes the guilt on himself to save Israel
King David said to Joab and to the senior army officers who were with him, ‘Now go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and take a census of the people; I wish to know the size of the population.’ Having covered the whole country, they returned to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. Joab gave the king the figures for the census of the people; Israel numbered eight hundred thousand armed men capable of drawing sword, and Judah five hundred thousand men.
But afterwards David’s heart misgave him for having taken a census of the people. ‘I have committed a grave sin’ David said to the Lord. ‘But now, Lord, I beg you to forgive your servant for this fault. I have been very foolish.’ But when David got up next morning, the following message had come from the Lord to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, ‘Go and say to David, “The Lord says this: I offer you three things; choose one of them for me to do to you.”’
So Gad went to David and told him. ‘Are three years of famine to come on you in your country’ he said ‘or will you flee for three months before your pursuing enemy, or would you rather have three days’ pestilence in your country? Now think, and decide how I am to answer him who sends me.’ David said to Gad, ‘This is a hard choice. But let us rather fall into the power of the Lord, since his mercy is great, and not into the power of men.’ So David chose pestilence.
It was the time of the wheat harvest. The Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning till the time appointed and plague ravaged the people, and from Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of them died. The angel stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem to destroy it, but the Lord thought better of this evil, and he said to the angel who was destroying the people, ‘Enough! Now withdraw your hand.’ The angel of the Lord was beside the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. When David saw the angel who was ravaging the people, he spoke to the Lord. ‘It was I who sinned;’ he said ‘I who did this wicked thing. But these, this flock, what have they done? Let your hand lie heavy on me then, and on my family.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 31(32):1-2,5-7 |
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.
Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,
whose sin is remitted.
O happy the man to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no guile.
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.
But now I have acknowledged my sins;
my guilt I did not hide.
I said: ‘I will confess
my offence to the Lord.’
And you, Lord, have forgiven
the guilt of my sin.
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.
So let every good man pray to you
in the time of need.
The floods of water may reach high
but him they shall not reach.
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.
You are my hiding place, O Lord;
you save me from distress.
You surround me with cries of deliverance.
Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt4:4 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Alleluia!
Or: | Jn10:27 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,
says the Lord,
I know them and they follow me.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 6:1-6 |
'A prophet is only despised in his own country'
Jesus went to his home town and his disciples accompanied him. With the coming of the sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue and most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did the man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joset and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him. And Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country, among his own relations and in his own house’; and he could work no miracle there, though he cured a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.
THE GRAVITY OF THE SIN OF A LEADER
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 24:2, 8-17; Ps 32:1-2, 5-7; Mk 6:1-6]
Many aspire to be leaders, but few understand the responsibilities and the weight of a leader’s burden. Most people view leadership in terms of power, glory, honour, status, and even wealth. Yet, many fail to realise that leaders are accountable not only to themselves but also to the community, organisation, or nation they serve. Ultimately, leaders are responsible to God and to the people under their care.
Today’s Scripture readings emphasise the grave responsibility that rests on leaders. Every decision a leader makes has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond themselves to their community. A single wrong decision could destroy not just the leader or their family but an entire nation, as in the case of David. This principle applies to all forms of leadership–political, corporate, or religious–or even to roles as parents and teachers. Their success is the community’s success, and their failure is the community’s failure. Their honour reflects the community’s honour, and likewise, their shame becomes the community’s shame.
Because our decisions and actions carry such serious implications, leaders must approach both official duties and personal conduct with care. Mistakes and sins do not affect only the individual; they ripple outward. When the head of a family commits a crime, the entire family–and sometimes the broader clan–bears the shame. Children may suffer public ridicule for the misdeeds of their parent. Leadership, therefore, is not confined to professional decisions; even our personal lives are on display. Failure in personal life undermines our credibility as leaders. If we cannot manage our own household well, how can we manage the household of God or the affairs of a nation? As Scripture reminds us: “He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way. For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?” (1 Tim 3:4-5)
This was the lesson King David learned, albeit at great cost to the lives of his people. He did not fully think through his decision and came to regret it–but by then it was too late. In his impulsiveness, he ordered a census of the people to determine the strength of his army and military might. Instead of relying on the power of God, he relied on himself and the strength of his soldiers. This was an affront to the Lord, who in the Bible is described as the Lord of Hosts, the military commander of Israel who fights the battles for His people. As a result, the Lord was angered with David and the people for their lack of faith and trust in Him. David was deeply sorry for this rash decision. Indeed, as leaders, how often do we act without thinking through the consequences and implications of our choices for those we serve? We sometimes make decisions lightly, without prayerful consideration or proper discernment of the spirits, and fail to examine our true motives.
How do we avoid such pitfalls so that the people we lead and serve do not suffer because of our actions? We must recognise that the greatest temptation for a leader is pride. Many leaders believe they know everything. Accustomed to having people at their beck and call, they can become arrogant, demanding, impatient, and presumptuous. Just because others defer to them and few dare to contradict them, they begin to believe they are omnipotent and omniscient, knowing everything and how everything must be done. Ironically, leaders often struggle to submit to higher authority, yet expect complete submission from those under their charge. The pride of a leader is almost always the cause of their fall from grace.
When his right-hand man, Joab, advised David against conducting the census, he refused to listen. It would have been enough for David to trust in God, but he was too proud and blind to his own pride. As is often the case, those under a leader comply with orders, even against their better judgment, as Joab did.
Indeed, when King David ordered the census, it was done out of pride. He wanted to feel great about himself because of his accomplishments for Israel. True, under David there was peace and prosperity after 400 years of fighting and war. He had united Judah and Israel into one nation and had conquered, or at least subjugated, the surrounding foreign nations.
Similarly, in the Gospel, the townsfolk of Jesus’ village did not welcome Him because of pride. “Most of them were astonished when they heard him. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been granted him, and these miracles that are worked through him? This is the carpenter, surely the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Jude and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here with us?’ And they would not accept him.” Their pride manifested as prejudice. It was too difficult for them to believe that someone among them, known as a simple carpenter, could possess such wisdom and power. It was too humiliating for them to admit that Jesus was greater than they were.
When we allow pride and prejudice to colour our judgments, we must face the consequences of our sins. What we sow, we reap. So too with David: even as he reaped the consequences of his sinful pride, God in His mercy gave him a choice. “So Gad went to David and told him, ‘Are three years of famine to come on your country,’ he said, ‘or will you flee for three months before your pursuing enemy, or would you rather have three days’ pestilence in your country? Now think, and decide how I am to answer him who sends me.'”
Yet, when we consider the sin of King David, we also see God’s saving grace, even in the midst of his failings. A leader does not have to be perfect at all times; God does not demand impeccable leadership. But, like David, we must be quick and humble enough to admit our mistakes and make amends immediately. In his moment of folly, David called for the census, but upon realising what he had done, he repented.
David was sincerely sorry for the sins that caused the people to suffer on his behalf. His sorrow is reflected in today’s responsorial psalm. Even in his sin and suffering, David continued to rely on the mercy of God. He told Gad, “‘This is a hard choice. But let us rather fall into the power of the Lord, since his mercy is great, and not into the power of men.’ So David chose pestilence.” As leaders, we need not be perfect at all times, but we must be humble like David: acknowledge our failures, learn from our mistakes, seek forgiveness from God and from those we lead, and then move on.
Indeed, the greatness of King David lay in his being truly a man after the heart of God, the Good Shepherd. He knew his weaknesses and sins, yet he trusted in the Lord’s mercy and confessed his faults whenever confronted or upon realisation. He did not blame anyone for his transgressions, whether it was his adultery with Bathsheba or the calling of the census. He took full responsibility without excuse: “Forgive, Lord, the guilt of my sin.” He also accepted the punishment for his sins, choosing to suffer on behalf of the nation and to bear the guilt himself and even with his family. He put the safety and well-being of his people above his own interests and even those of his loved ones. Such was the kind of leadership David displayed.
We too are called to imitate King David in carrying out our responsibilities as leaders. We must always be conscious that, as leaders, we are public figures and no longer private citizens. Everything we do, whether in public or private, is under scrutiny. Enemies wait for our mistakes to discredit us and bring shame to the community or organisation we serve. As such, leaders must be vigilant, not only over their public actions but also their personal conduct, so as not to cause scandal or harm. The readings today remind us that pride and lack of faith can deprive our communities of the healing grace of God.
St. Paul reminds us as well: “We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see–we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (1 Cor 6:3-10).
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
