The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to see the action of God in the events today where good triumphs over evil and we witness love that brings healing and joy.
In the reading from the First Letter of Samuel, David Challenges Goliath.
* [17:12–31] Here the final editor begins an alternative account of David’s encounter with the Philistine hero, which continues in vv. 50–51 and concludes in 17:55–18:5.
* [17:41–47] The two combatants trade theological taunts. God uses the most unlikely opponent to destroy Goliath. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)
Psalm 144 is a prayer for National Deliverance and Security.
* [Psalm 144] The Psalm may reflect a ceremony in which the king, as leader of the army, asked God’s help (Ps 144:1–8). In Ps 144:9 the poem shifts abruptly from pleading to thanksgiving, and (except for Ps 144:11) shifts again to prayer for the people. The first section (Ps 144:1–2) is a prayer of thanks for victory; the second (Ps 144:3–7a), a humble acknowledgment of human nothingness and a supplication that God show forth saving power; the third (Ps 144:9–11), a promise of future thanksgiving; the fourth (Ps 144:12–15), a wish for prosperity and peace. A prayer for deliverance from treacherous foes serves as a refrain after the second and third sections (Ps 144:7b–8, 11). Except for its final section, the Psalm is made up almost entirely of verses from other Psalms. (Psalms, PSALM 144, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus heals the Man with a Withered Hand.
* [3:1–5] Here Jesus is again depicted in conflict with his adversaries over the question of sabbath-day observance. His opponents were already ill disposed toward him because they regarded Jesus as a violator of the sabbath. Jesus’ question Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil? places the matter in the broader theological context outside the casuistry of the scribes. The answer is obvious. Jesus heals the man with the withered hand in the sight of all and reduces his opponents to silence; cf. Jn 5:17–18.
* [3:6] In reporting the plot of the Pharisees and Herodians to put Jesus to death after this series of conflicts in Galilee, Mark uses a pattern that recurs in his account of later controversies in Jerusalem (Mk 11:17–18; 12:13–17). The help of the Herodians, supporters of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, is needed to take action against Jesus. Both series of conflicts point to their gravity and to the impending passion of Jesus. (Mark, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
Cindy Murphy McMahon comments that the next time we hear the David vs. Goliath reference used in conversation or in the news media, we could pause for a moment and remember the true significance of the analogy: a youth’s humble faith in his God and in God’s love.
Today’s readings speak to me of God’s attention and love for each of us. Like David, I can put my trust in God when I am facing a difficult situation, and like the man with the withered hand, I can draw near to Jesus and sit quietly, confident that he knows my needs and will help me. And while radical asceticism is not for everyone, St. Anthony the Abbot does represent the importance of listening to God’s voice in our hearts and minds and lives, and following that voice to the best of our abilities and leaving the outcome to God. (Murphy, 2024)
Don Schwager quotes “The tender compassion of the Lord,” by John Chrysostom, 547-407 A.D.
"Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, 'Come here.' Then he challenged the Pharisees as to whether it would be lawful to do good on the sabbath. Note the tender compassion of the Lord when he deliberately brought the man with the withered hand right into their presence (Luke 6:8). He hoped that the mere sight of the misfortune might soften them, that they might become a little less spiteful by seeing the affliction, and perhaps out of sorrow mend their own ways. But they remained callous and unfeeling. They preferred to do harm to the name of Christ than to see this poor man made whole. They betrayed their wickedness not only by their hostility to Christ, but also by their doing so with such contentiousness that they treated with disdain his mercies to others." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 40.1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51 asks how can we muster the courage of David when we are facing some kind of Goliath? By remembering that the Lord who stood with the armies of Israel is the same Lord who is standing right beside us! He is with us as our fortress, our stronghold, our deliverer, and our shield (Psalm 144:2).
Your heavenly Father knows every hair on your head. He knows what you need, even better than you do, and will never fail to provide for you. It’s these truths of who God is that stand at the heart of the heavenly perspective. Even if you don’t see a dramatic victory unfold in that moment, you can be assured that God is at work nonetheless—simply because of who he is.
So take courage today as you keep the big picture in view—the guiding and protecting love of God—in every situation!
“Lord, help me to hand over my battles to you, who are always at my side.” (Meditation on 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler discusses the natural superiority the sea coast Philistines have over the Israelites and the response of David to challenge Goliath. David’s victory confirms the choice of Samuel. Friar Jude points to the prejudices of the Pharisees who like us may have already decided not to see the good in Jesus' action or the people who oppose us.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, believes wisdom arises from living with paradox.
Reality is paradoxical. If we’re honest, everything is a clash of contradictions, and there is nothing on this created earth that is not a mixture at the same time of good and bad, helpful and unhelpful, endearing and maddening, living and dying. St. Augustine called this the “paschal mystery.”
Western Christianity has tended to objectify paradoxes in dogmatic statements that demand mental agreement instead of any inner experience of the mystery revealed. At least we “worship” these paradoxes in the living collision of opposites we call Jesus. But this approach tends not to give people the underlying principle that Jesus, the Christ, has come to teach us about life and about ourselves. Jesus, as the icon of Christ consciousness (1 Corinthians 2:16), is the very template of total paradox: human yet divine, physical yet spiritual, killed yet alive, powerless yet powerful.
Jesus reveals the great cosmic mystery and calls us to see the same truth in ourselves and all of creation. (Rohr, 2024)
We are participants in the unlikely action of God when we experience events of healing, change of fortune, and great gratitude on our journey.
References
Mark, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/3?
Meditation on 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/01/17/876880/
Murphy, C. (2024, January 17). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/011724.html
1 Samuel, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/17?32
Psalms, PSALM 144. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/144?1
Rohr, R. (2024, January 17). The Wisdom of Paradox — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-wisdom-of-paradox/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture net. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jan17
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