Saturday, 1st Week of Ordinary Time (II)

January 17,2004

by Rev. Herbert Nichols

The episode in today’s first reading describes the selection of Saul as king in very ordinary circumstances; even the anointing by Samuel is done with utter simplicity. But it would set the history of God’s people upon a turbulent course.

Last week we talked about yielding and letting the Lord increase. This was hardly the attitude of most Israelite kings. There was the golden age of David, but marred by human weakness he succumbed to adultery and murder and his reign was very short.

With his son Solomon came further decay: polygamy, sorcery and even apostasy. After Solomon the kingdom was divided between north and south with bitter animosities. This corruption, lust and abandonment of God’s values, ultimately led to conquest, exile and disgraceful ending of the royal line.

That is until Jesus was born in the royal city of Bethlehem, in poverty. In stark contrast to the earlier kings, he lived and died in poverty, humility, and honesty.

He was consumed with a passion to serve -- to love. He made himself at home with tax collectors and prostitutes, but lust and greed were not known in Him. He insisted that He had come to call sinners, not the self-righteous.

How eager might they be? How eager are we? How easy is it to love and serve and be devoted to a king like this?