20220124 UNITY IS STRENGTH
24 January, 2022, Monday, Week 3 in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Samuel 5:1-7,10 © |
'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel'
All the tribes of Israel then came to David at Hebron. ‘Look’ they said ‘we are your own flesh and blood. In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and the Lord said to you, “You are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader of Israel.”’ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a pact with them at Hebron in the presence of the Lord, and they anointed David king of Israel.
David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years. He reigned in Hebron over Judah for seven years and six months; then he reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
David and his men marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites living there. These said to David, ‘You will not get in here. The blind and the lame will hold you off.’ (That is to say: David will never get in here.) But David captured the fortress of Zion, that is, the Citadel of David.
David grew greater and greater, and the Lord, the God of Hosts, was with him.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 88(89):20-22,25-26 © |
My truth and my love shall be with him.
Of old you spoke in a vision.
To your friends the prophets you said:
‘I have set the crown on a warrior,
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
My truth and my love shall be with him.
I have found David my servant
and with my holy oil anointed him.
My hand shall always be with him
and my arm shall make him strong.
My truth and my love shall be with him.
My truth and my love shall be with him;
by my name his might shall be exalted.
I will stretch out his hand to the Sea
and his right hand as far as the River.
My truth and my love shall be with him.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps24:4,5 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Teach me your paths, my God,
make me walk in your truth.
Alleluia!
Or: | cf.2Tim1:10 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death
and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 3:22-30 © |
A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand
The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.’ So he called them to him and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he cannot stand either – it is the end of him. But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he burgle his house.
‘I tell you solemnly, all men’s sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies; but let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgiveness: he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ This was because they were saying, ‘An unclean spirit is in him.’
UNITY IS STRENGTH
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 SM 5:1-7, 10; MK 3:22-30]
Today, the Church celebrates Christian Unity Week. Unity was what the Lord prayed for His Church before He returned to the Father. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (Jn 17:20f)
In the first reading, we read how David united all the tribes of Israel. He was then King of Judah with his capital at Hebron, ruling the Southern Kingdom for seven years when the Northern Kingdom, whose tribes were affiliated to the late King Saul, came to David and said, “Look, we are your own flesh and blood. In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and the Lord said to you, ‘You are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader of Israel.'” The northern tribes came to recognize that God had chosen David to be the King that would unite the whole of Israel into one kingdom. How did David bring unity to the Twelve tribes of Israel?
Four external factors led to the crowning of David as King over all of Israel. The elders of Israel came to this realization firstly, because of David’s remarkable military achievements during his service to Saul (cf. 1 Sam 18:13-14, 30). Secondly, there were prophetic revelations regarding David’s destiny as Israel’s leader (cf. 1 Sam 16:1; 2 Sam 3:9, 18). Israel’s leaders were aware that the Lord had revealed that David would be the shepherd of Israel. These words from the Lord reassured the elders of Israel that David was indeed the divinely appointed leader. Israel was the Lord’s possession and no earthly king could own them. Thirdly, both Abner and Ish-Bosheth were assassinated by their enemies and the people were no longer in opposition to his leadership. If they had listened to the Lord and not decided on their own plans against the Philistines, they would not have suffered the defeat. And finally, the respectful honour he gave to the slain leaders of Saul’s dynasty (2 Sm 3:28-35; 4:12).
On the personal level, David was magnanimous. He learnt to let go of the past misunderstanding and pardoned those who had wronged him, even if they did not ask for forgiveness. There was no desire for revenge or a just retribution. Learning to let go of the past brought about healing and reconciliation. Instead of dwelling on the past, David saw the need to move on. To demonstrate his sincerity, he even moved his capital from Hebron to Jerusalem, which was in the Northern Kingdom. When all the outstanding issues and misunderstandings were clarified and amicably resolved, David was ready to accept the invitation to be King over all Israel. This should also be the way we manage our differences as well. When we are focused on the Lord, and obedient to His word, we will come to an amicable settlement. We will not allow personal grievances to hinder God’s plans.
Through all these events, God’s plan for David was finally realized. We must learn from David to wait patiently for God’s will and plan to unfold in our life. God will bring to pass all that He had promised to His people. “Of old you spoke in a vision. To your friends the prophets you said: ‘I have set the crown on a warrior, I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David my servant and with my holy oil anointed him. My hand shall always be with him and my arm shall make him strong.” Indeed, Israel under King David prospered because the people were united under one ruler. “David captured the fortress of Zion, that is, the Citadel of David. He grew greater and greater, and the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.” King David, although not perfect and impeccable, was humble to admit his faults when pointed out to him. He accepted punishment from the Lord humbly and without resentment. But his loyalty to the Lord was unquestionable. He sought to obey Him.
In the gospel, Jesus also spoke of the need for unity if we want to work for the Kingdom of God. He spoke on the need to preserve the unity of the household if we were to remain united and strong enough to fend ourselves from the attacks of our enemies. He said this in the context of the accusation of the scribes who came down from Jerusalem accusing Him of working hand-in-glove with Satan in casting out devils. “‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.'” Most likely, this charge against Him was due to the devils acclaiming Jesus as the Son of God or the Holy One when He cast them out. For the people, such acclamations were tantamount to heresy.
However, Jesus was pointed in His defence. He said, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he cannot stand either – it is the end of him.” This analogy given by the Lord is obvious. To stand strong we must remain united. Unfortunately, many do not realize that the weakness of an organization is not the opposition that comes from without but from within. It is the division without the organization, the competition, jealousy and envy, the infighting for position, honour and privileges, that cause many to be disillusioned and leave the organization. This explains why Jesus in His last testament, prayed for His disciples for unity.
For us, Christians, in the face of secularism, moral relativism and individualism, we must stand united in Christ to withstand the challenges and onslaught from the world. Jesus in the gospel underscores that He is the strongman that we can rely on. “No one can make his way into a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he burgle his house.” With Jesus, we can overcome all things and struggles in life. This is what St Paul wrote, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13) This is what the apostles Peter and John also declared, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
To stand united in the Lord is also to stand united with fellow Catholics in our faith. Ironically, we often proclaim the beautiful doctrine that the Church is the Body of Christ, implying that every person must care for the others, especially those who are weak and vulnerable, and that we all must use our gifts for the building of the Christian community (1 Cor 12), yet, when it comes to defending the Catholic position on moral issues and doctrines, we often find ourselves standing alone.
In the final analysis, like Jesus, we can defend the truths of our faith, but if the world is sceptical and refuses to believe in what we say, there is no way to convert them. Jesus warned the religious leaders of the day because they were bent on finding fault with Him instead of being receptive to the truth. All sins against the Lord can be forgiven because we are weak and sinful. The Lord forgives us all our sins so long as we repent. But the Lord cannot forgive one who is unrepentant and refuses to allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten him and show him the way. This is why the Lord said, “‘I tell you solemnly, all men’s sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies: but let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgiveness: he is guilty of an eternal sin.’ This was because they were saying, ‘An unclean spirit is in him.'” This was such a serious sin because they knew Jesus was right and yet they accused Him of having an unclean spirit.
Like King David, we must never give up hope. God’s plan will be realized gradually and in His own time. Our task is to continue to cooperate with His grace, and to pray for those who are not receptive to the gospel. We should not retaliate but continue to reach out to them. Conversion, ultimately, is the work of grace as much as the cooperation of man. Following King David, let us remain obedient to His Word and work for His greater glory.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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