20220121 WAITING FOR GOD’S VINDICATION IN REVERENCE
21 January, 2022, Friday, Week 2 in Ordinary Time
First reading |
1 Samuel 24:3-21 © |
I will not raise my hand against the Lord's anointed
Saul took three thousand men chosen from the whole of Israel and went in search of David and his men east of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheepfolds along the route where there was a cave, and went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were sitting in the recesses of the cave; David’s men said to him, ‘Today is the day of which the Lord said to you, “I will deliver your enemy into your power, do what you like with him.”’ David stood up and, unobserved, cut off the border of Saul’s cloak. Afterwards David reproached himself for having cut off the border of Saul’s cloak. He said to his men, ‘The Lord preserve me from doing such a thing to my lord and raising my hand against him, for he is the anointed of the Lord.’ David gave his men strict instructions, forbidding them to attack Saul.
Saul then left the cave and went on his way. After this, David too left the cave and called after Saul, ‘My lord king!’ Saul looked behind him and David bowed to the ground and did homage. Then David said to Saul, ‘Why do you listen to the men who say to you, “David means to harm you”? Why, your own eyes have seen today how the Lord put you in my power in the cave and how I refused to kill you, but spared you. “I will not raise my hand against my lord,” I said “for he is the anointed of the Lord.” O my father, see, look at the border of your cloak in my hand. Since I cut off the border of your cloak, yet did not kill you, you must acknowledge frankly that there is neither malice nor treason in my mind. I have not offended against you, yet you hunt me down to take my life. May the Lord be judge between me and you, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be laid on you. (As the old proverb says: Wickedness goes out from the wicked, and my hand will not be laid on you.) On whose trail has the king of Israel set out? On whose trail are you in hot pursuit? On the trail of a dead dog! On the trail of a single flea! May the Lord be the judge and decide between me and you; may he take up my cause and defend it and give judgement for me, freeing me from your power.’
When David had finished saying these words to Saul, Saul said, ‘Is that your voice, my son David?’ And Saul wept aloud. ‘You are a more upright man than I,’ he said to David ‘for you have repaid me with good while I have repaid you with evil. Today you have crowned your goodness towards me since the Lord had put me in your power yet you did not kill me. When a man comes on his enemy, does he let him go unmolested? May the Lord reward you for the goodness you have shown me today. Now I know you will indeed reign and that the sovereignty in Israel will be secure in your hands.’
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 56(57):2-4,6,11 © |
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy
for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge
till the storms of destruction pass by.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
I call to God the Most High,
to God who has always been my help.
May he send from heaven and save me
and shame those who assail me.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!
for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
Gospel Acclamation | cf.2Th2:14 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Through the Good News God called us
to share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia!
Or: | 2Co5:19 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself,
and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Mark 3:13-19 © |
He appointed twelve to be his companions
Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.
WAITING FOR GOD’S VINDICATION IN REVERENCE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [1 Sm 24:3-21; Ps 57:2-4,6,11; Mk 3:13-19]
How many of us are like David who was grossly misunderstood by someone whom he served with his life, someone whom he respected and honoured? Yet David was being hunted like a dead dog or a flea by one who was much more powerful than him. Saul had gathered the nation’s army, 3000 of them to hunt down David and his men. David had to flee from Saul and left his family and his parents with the King of Moab. (1 Sm 22:3) And all this happened because Saul was envious of David’s success and popularity and was afraid that he would take over his throne. He was intent on eliminating his competitor.
But in all the injustices done against David, he did not retaliate against King Saul. He did not take things into his hands. He had two opportunities to kill his enemy, but he did not, even though his men urged him to do so. The first was in today’s version of how Saul went to relieve himself in the cave. He was at his most vulnerable state and David and his men who were in the recesses of the cave, could have killed him. David’s men said to him, “Today is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘I will deliver your enemy into your power, do what you like with him.'” But he did not. What he did was simply to cut off the border of Saul’s cloak.
In another version, of how David spared his life a second time, Saul and his men were resting at the encampment. He was asleep with his men but David went there at night where Saul was sleeping with his spear stuck in the ground at his head with his commander and army around him. David’s commander, Abishai said to him, “God has given your enemy into your hand today; now therefore let me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear; I will not strike him twice.” (1 Sm 26:8) But David would not allow him to do so. Instead he took the spear and the water jar and left. “No one saw it, or knew it, nor did anyone awake; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.” (1 Sm 26:12)
In both instances when David could have taken his revenge against Saul, he did not. What was the main reason? Simply because David regarded Saul as the Lord’s anointed no matter what he did. “He said to his men, ‘The Lord preserve me from doing such a thing to my lord and raising my hand against him, for he is the anointed of the Lord.’ David gave his men strict instructions, forbidding them to attack Saul.” The second time, he also told Abishai, the same thing. “Do not destroy him; for who can raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” (1 Sm 26:9)
Indeed, it was David’s reverence for the Lord that prevented him from taking justice into his own hands. He would not do anything against the Lord’s anointed simply because Saul was the Lord’s anointed. He did not have the authority to dispose of him because Saul was deputized by the Lord. Only the Lord could act against him. So instead of using the golden opportunities as his men advised him so that he could save his life, David did not. If any justice was to be rendered to him, only God could do that. Hence, he told his men, “As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him down; or his day will come to die; or he will go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed.” (1 Sm 26:10f)
Indeed, his reverence for the Lord and therefore for Saul were closely linked together. That was how he sought to assure Saul that he was not after his crown and that he did not betray him. To prove his loyalty and sincerity, he “bowed to the ground and did homage”, recognizing him as the King of Israel. Secondly, he was polite and never accused Saul for committing injustices against him. Respectfully, he suggested that it was because of some of his men who spread rumours about him. David said to Saul, ‘Why do you listen to the men who say to you, “David means to harm you”? Thirdly, he showed material proof that if he had wanted to kill him, he would have done so easily since the Lord put him into his hands. “Why, your own eyes have seen today how the Lord put you in my power in the cave and how I refused to kill you, but spared you. ‘I will not raise my hand against my Lord,’ I said, ‘for he is the anointed of the Lord.'” Fourthly, in spite of all the wrongs Saul did against him, David still addressed Saul as his father. “O my father, see, look at the border of your cloak in my hand. Since I cut off the border of your cloak, yet did not kill you, you must acknowledge frankly that there is neither malice nor treason in my mind. I have not offended against you, yet you hunt me down to take my life.”
Finally, and that was the critical point, he said, the Lord would judge him and Saul and He would vindicate who was right and who was wrong. “May the Lord be judge between me and you, and may the Lord avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be laid on you. (As the old proverb says: Wickedness goes out from the wicked, and my hand will not be laid on you.) May the Lord be the judge and decide between me and you; may he take up my cause and defend it and give judgement for me, freeing me from your power.” In saying this, David was not just appealing to the justice of God but he was appealing to Saul to repent, otherwise he would have to face the judgment of God against him.
Indeed, seeking the justice of God and believing that God would serve justice eventually requires the faith of David and the psalmist. God might not do it immediately, just as in the case of David where he had to wait for God to unfold the events. “Have mercy on me, God, have mercy for in you my soul has taken refuge. In the shadow of your wings I take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by. I call to God the Most High, to God who has always been my help. May he send from heaven and save me and shame those who assail me.” In the case of David, justice of God was first served when Saul admitted his mistake and confirmed David to be his successor, and even blessed him. Saul acknowledged David not just as his son-in-law but his son. He said,” ‘Is that your voice, my son David?’ And Saul wept aloud. ‘You are a more upright man than I,’ he said to David, ‘for you have repaid me with good while I have repaid you with evil. Today you have crowned your goodness towards me since the man comes on his enemy, does he let him go unmolested? May the Lord reward you for the goodness you have shown me today. Now I know you will indeed reign and that the sovereignty in Israel will be secure in your hands.'” In the other version of the spear, Saul said similar words to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” (1 Sm 26:25) In truth, this was already foreshadowed by David’s act of cutting off the corner of the cloak of King Saul because it meant that the kingship no longer belonged to him but to David.
What about us? How do we respond to injustices in our life, especially when those who are hurting us are the Lord’s anointed? Of course, this would include the apostles the Lord had chosen and their successors; and all those appointed by the Lord for office. Do we take things into our own hands, or do we have enough faith to trust that God will render justice somehow? He will right the wrong in His own time and in His own ways. Or do we take actions contrary to what the Lord wills and show disrespect for His chosen ones? Indeed, without faith and reverence for God, it would not be possible to wait for His justice. Most of us would take things into our own hands and like David’s men, do so in the name of God. But in truth, we must be patient like David who did not lift a finger against Saul and his family. Eventually, as we read in tomorrow’s conclusion of the story of King Saul that he and his sons were killed not by David but his enemies, the Philistines. So God eventually allowed justice to be unfolded in a way that His anointed would be properly disposed by his enemies, as a consequence of his sins.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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