Homily for January 17, 2018.
“You come
to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin; but I come to you in
the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have
defied.” 1 Samuel 17:45.
And so it
happened that this young shepherd boy was anointed by Samuel and life just returned
to normal again. Samuel went back home, the brothers of David went back to their
businesses, and the boy David went back to the flock. Honestly, it all felt
like nothing has changed.
I am not
so sure if Samuel explained to David that by virtue of his anointing, he had
already become the King of Israel. I am not also sure David himself was aware
of the power already bestowed upon him otherwise, David would not have agreed
to become the musician to King Saul.
You see, nothing
happens out of coincidence. It was not by chance that Saul became mentally
derailed. It was necessary to make room for David’s entrance to the Palace. It
was not also by chance that the people were attacked by Goliath. It was God’s
way of revealing David to the entire nation.
Whenever
we face danger in life, we must never forget that God who allows such has a
purpose. There is a reason for our present situation in this country, there is
a reason for us to be passing through what Thomas Hobbes describes as the state
of nature. Whatever that reason may be, we do not yet know but we must learn from
David the correct attitude to adopt in the face of danger.
1. *Behind
What Frightens You is a Precious Gift.*
People
were scared of Goliath, even the whole armies of Israel felt downcast,
discouraged and weak. David walked into the scene and guess what he asked: “What
shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the
reproach from Israel?” 1 Samuel 17:26. And in response, the people said: “the
man who kills him, the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him
his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.”
What are
your fears? Do you realize that they are just a shield preventing you from your
glory? Who knows, God has already destined you for greatness, yet you are the
one too afraid to pull down that curtain of fear to go in. Face Your Fears.
2. *Never
Forget What God Has Done in the Past.*
David’s
courage was fuelled simply by a memory of how God granted him victory over the
lions and wild animals who tried to attack his father’s flock. And David said, “The
LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear,
will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:37.
My dear,
the moment of danger is not a moment to panic, it is a moment to count your
blessings. It is a moment to remember that God has not, will not and can never
change. Has God ever done anything for you before? Has God ever answered your
prayer? Why do you feel this current situation is greater than God? Is it the
case that we easily forget God’s blessings so much so that we soon start
doubting God again, so quickly?
How many
of us Christians still believe that prayers can rescue this country from its
present crisis? Honestly, there are Christians who get offended at the very
suggestion of prayer. If we no longer believe in prayer, do we still believe in
God? Are we still Christians? What is even the point serving a God we don’t obey,
a God we don’t believe in, a God we don’t trust?
3. *Forget
Conventional Wisdom and Follow God’s inspiration.*
David refused
to wear Saul’s armour not just because he couldn’t move but because deep down
within him, he knew that his protection does not depend on the helmet of
bronze, the coat of mail and the sword. If David had believed in them, he would
have asked for a period of training to get used to these things. But he didn’t.
David approached Goliath with a staff in hand, five smooth stones in his bag
and a sling (catapult).
Upon approaching
Goliath, David again made us understand this his real weapon was not the stone
and catapult, his real weapon was God. He said to Goliath, “I come to you in
the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have
defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you
down, and cut off your head.” 1 Samuel 17:45-46.
You see,
the action of David can be likened to the action of the Christians in 1571 at
the Battle of Lepanto. The Church was at the brink of total destruction from the
full force of the Ottoman Empire. The Pope, Pius V simply ordered Christians to
PRAY THE ROSARY. The rest is history!
Forget
AK47, the arms and ammunition of the world. Without God’s involvement, AK47 is
actually useless. It was not the stone that killed Goliath, it was the velocity
with which God applied upon the stone that killed Goliath.
4. *Finally,
Be Good Always.*
It is good
to be good regardless of the day of the week. That is what Jesus teaches in our
Gospel passage. There are days we just feel like hurting people, there are days
we feel justified in being bad, there are “Sabbath” days in our lives; days we
feel as though our goodness has become too much. Jesus is saying to us today
that even on that day you feel “enough is enough”, you can still be good!
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, make me like David today. Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. (Wednesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time: Bible
Study: 1 Samuel 17:32-51 and Mark 3:1-6).
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