Homily for January 15, 2018.
“Why then
did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop on the spoil, and do
what was evil in the sight of the LORD?... I have obeyed the voice of the LORD …
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things
devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” 1 Samuel
15:19-21.
Our first
reading this morning contains a rather painful episode of Saul’s rejection as
king of Israel. When we put ourselves in the shoes of Saul, this reading
suddenly comes alive and we realize we are like Saul in many ways.
From this
reading, we can see that there is no such thing as partial obedience. It is either
we obey or do not obey. For Saul, his refusal to completely exterminate the
Amelekites as instructed was justified in that he wanted to offer the booty as
a sacrifice to God. However, as Samuel would clarify, obedience is better than
sacrifice.
Indeed,
obeying God’s commandment is in itself a sacrifice. It is not easy to keep
these commandments. It is not easy to turn against the current of the world
today especially in the area of morality. It is not easy to deny the flesh of
the pleasures it craves especially when the people around you are constantly
pressurizing you to give in.
Before you
make up your mind to fall to sin, think of Saul and let the words of Samuel
ring a bell again in your heart: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice …Because
you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being
king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23. Sin removes our Kingship.
At the
outset, sin always appears like enjoyment, sin presents itself to us as
something worthwhile, something palatable but in the end, we soon realize that sin
is self-cheating. It is shutting ourselves out from the real enjoyment, the
real fun and happiness that God himself has ordained for us.
This is
the start of a new week, Jesus wants us to always put new wine into new
wineskins. Let us resolve this week to be new in thoughts, new in words and new
in actions. Let us strive to put sin aside, trust God more by obeying his voice
to the latter and rise above human pressure. Let us move away from being
people-pleasers to God-pleasers.
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, deepen my trust in you. Amen
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Monday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time: Bible Study:
1 Samuel 15:16-23 and Mark 2:18-22).
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