We just read of the anointing of Saul as king of Israel this past Saturday, and now we hear of how God rejects him. Seems a trifle abrupt! Actually we have leapt over five chapters to arrive at this point in his history. It seems that those who framed the lectionary, realizing that Saul will not be a major character, have decided to leave out most of the story of his short-lived reign.
Today’s reading does include a famous verse about sacrifices and obedience. God desires obedience, not sacrifices. It is precisely in this that Saul fails. Rather than obeying God’s directive, he takes it upon himself to decide how to proceed. When his duplicity is discovered, he tries to justify his actions by pretending that he disobeyed so that he could offer God a burnt offering.
The Gospel passage today finds the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees objecting to the fact that Jesus and his disciples do not fast. They pass themselves off as being obedient to the laws of Sabbath observance. However, we know that they are just as guilty of duplicity as was Saul.
Neither the Gospel nor our vows demands blind obedience of us. True obedience responds to needs rather than wants. There is no need to make heroic sacrifices. All God expects of us is to respond to the local situation as we discern God’s will in every situation. True obedience frees us from ourselves and our desire to control.
Jesus obeyed God’s will by giving himself as a victim for the sins of humankind, an act we remember each day as we celebrate the Eucharist. As Jesus did for us, we are called upon to do for him.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator