Kings and Conflict

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the meaning of “The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath” to our action as followers of Christ.

Ordained to Serve

The Reading from the First Letter of Samuel presents that Samuel Is Sent to Bethlehem to Anoint David.

* [16:1] David is anointed two more times after Saul’s death (2 Sm 2:4; 5:3). In 17:28, his brother Eliab is not aware of David’s selection. These repetitions and inconsistencies reflect the final editor’s use of multiple sources. (1 Samuel, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 89 proclaims a divine title, which is here extended to David.

* [89:28] Most High: a divine title, which is here extended to David as God’s own king, cf. Ps 2:7–9; Is 9:5. As God rules over the members of the heavenly council (Ps 89:6–9), so David, God’s surrogate, rules over earthly kings. (Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark addresses the relationship between The Disciples and the Sabbath.

* [2:23–28] This conflict regarding the sabbath follows the same pattern as in Mk 2:18–22.

* [2:25–26] Have you never read what David did?: Jesus defends the action of his disciples on the basis of 1 Sm 21:2–7 in which an exception is made to the regulation of Lv 24:9 because of the extreme hunger of David and his men. According to 1 Samuel, the priest who gave the bread to David was Ahimelech, father of Abiathar.

* [2:27] The sabbath was made for man: a reaffirmation of the divine intent of the sabbath to benefit Israel as contrasted with the restrictive Pharisaic tradition added to the law.

* [2:28] The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath: Mark’s comment on the theological meaning of the incident is to benefit his Christian readers; see note on Mk 2:10. (Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)

Kimberly Grassmeyer asks “Are we able to trust and know that our God sees past all of those external manifestations, and into our hearts?  Can we remember God’s promise to us that we were made - and are - perfect in God’s sight?  That we are enough?  That we are worthy?  ?

If you’re like me, we don’t know how to hold these truths in our consciousness every day.  We forget them when we doubt, when we fear, when we’re weak.  So, I for one am happy to be reminded anew of the image of a young boy having been chosen by his God (when many others were available) to lead his people — and that in this choosing, he went on to slay the defiant, boisterous, name-calling bully giant.  We, too, were each chosen by God, for good; we are all capable, worthy, and enough.  We can all remember the example of David.  Amen. (Grassmeyer, 2026)

Don Schwager quotes “The Lord of the Sabbath”, by John Chrysostom, 347-407 A.D.

"Doubtless he speaks of himself when he mentions the 'Lord of the sabbath' (Mark 2:28, Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:5). Mark relates a complementary saying about our common human nature, that "the sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the sabbath" (Mark 2:27). Why then should someone who gathered sticks on the sabbath be censured? The law that was established earlier could not be scorned without jeopardizing the law to be given later.

"The sabbath did confer many benefits, great blessings in the earlier dispensation. It made people more gentle toward those close to them. It guided them toward being more sympathetic. It located them temporally within God's creation and providence, as Ezekiel knew (Ezekiel 20:19-20). The sabbath trained Israel by degrees to abstain from evil and disposed them to listen to the things of the Spirit.

"They would have stretched the law out of shape if, when he was giving the law of the sabbath, Jesus had said, 'You can work on the sabbath, but just do good works, do nothing evil.' This would have brought out the worst in them. So he restrained them from doing any works at all on the sabbath. And even this stricter prohibition did not keep them in line. But he himself, in the very act of giving the law of the sabbath, gave them a veiled sign of things to come. For by saying, 'You must do no work, except what shall be done for your life' (Exodus 12:16), he indicated that the intent of the law was to have them refrain from evil works only, not all works. Even in the temple, much went on during the sabbath, and with great diligence and double toil. Thus even by this very shadowy saying Jesus was secretly opening the truth to them. Did Christ then attempt to repeal a law so beneficial as the sabbath law? Far from it. Rather, he greatly magnified the sabbath. For with Christ came the time for everyone to be trained by a higher requirement."(excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 39.3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Samuel 16:1-13 comments that God has chosen each of us to be his disciple and follow him. In Baptism, he gave us the greatest honor we could ever imagine: he made us his sons and daughters. But each person’s path is different. The Lord knows our gifts and our weaknesses, and he has a particular calling for each of us.

The sons of Jesse may have had to fight the temptation to compare themselves to their royal brother. But then again, maybe not. Maybe they trusted in God’s choice, both for themselves and for David, because they knew that God loved them and had the best in mind for them. May we always trust in the Lord’s desires for us!

“Lord, thank you for your perfect plan for my life.” (Meditation on 1 Samuel 16:1-13, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that Saul was originally chosen to be king but Saul did things against the will of God. In Disobedience Saul is rejected. Samuel goes to Bethlehem and the older sons of Jesse are rejected. Then, the youngest son, David, is anointed to be the next King of Israel. In ancient times the Spirit of the Lord is described as possessing people. The Gospel of Mark presents the episode where disciples break off heads of grain to snack when hungry and are accused of harvesting grain on the Sabbath by the Pharisees. Jesus responds there are times when you have to do it and Jesus cites the show bread given to the men of David. When the high priest was named as Abiathar did Jesus make a factual error? Friar Jude comments that Jesus surrendered His Divine Prerogative that includes making errors. Mark, the first Gospel written, has little correction that  may be in later Gospel accounts. The power to “loose and bind” what to follow or not to follow is claimed by Jesus.

Father Richard Rohr introduces womanist theologian Delores Williams (1937–2022) who connects the call Hagar experienced in the wilderness to the experiences of African American women. 

As the result of these hard-time experiences and the encounters with God, Hagar and many African-American women manifested a risk-taking faith. Though she obeyed God’s mandate for her life, Hagar dared to give a name to the God she met in the wilderness. In a sense, this God is her God, and possibly not the God of her slave holders Abram and Sarai. No other person in the Bible names God. Many African-American women (slave and free) have taken serious risks in the black community’s liberation struggle. For example, in the midst of the violence and brutality that accompanied slavery in America, Harriet Tubman, with a price on her head, dared to liberate over three hundred slaves. She served as a spy and a general in the Civil War. She is said to have relied solely upon God for help and strength; she had no one else to look to. Thus we can speak of Hagar and many African-American women as sisters in the wilderness struggling for life, and by the help of their God coming to terms with situations that have destructive potential. [3] (Rohr, n.d.)

We have the gift of Sabbath time to ponder with gratitude our relationship with the Divine through our baptism as priest, prophet, and leader.

References

Grassmeyer, K. (2026, January 20). Daily Reflection January 20, 2026 | Creighton Online Ministries. Creighton Online Ministries. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-january-20-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/2?23 

Meditation on 1 Samuel 16:1-13. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/01/20/1483524/ 

1 Samuel, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1samuel/16?1 

Psalms, PSALM 89 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89?20 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). God Calls Those on the Margins. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/god-calls-those-on-the-margins/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Son of Man Is Lord of the Sabbath. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 20, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Deliverance Denial

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with our resistance to change and our preference for the status quo.

Invitations to Change

In the reading from the Book of Genesis, Hagar and Ishmael are sent away.

* [21:11] A son of his: Abraham is the father of both boys, but Sarah is the mother only of Isaac. Abraham is very concerned that Ishmael have a sufficient inheritance.

* [21:13] I will make a nation of him also: Ishmael’s descendants are named in 25:12–18.

* [21:14] Placing the child on her back: a reading based on an emendation of the traditional Hebrew text. In the traditional Hebrew text, Abraham put the bread and the waterskin on Hagar’s back, while her son apparently walked beside her. In this way the traditional Hebrew text harmonizes the data of the Priestly source, in which Ishmael would have been at least fourteen years old when Isaac was born; compare 16:16 with 21:5; cf. 17:25. But in the present Elohist (?) story, Ishmael is obviously a little boy, not much older than Isaac; cf. vv. 15, 18. (Genesis, CHAPTER 21, n.d.)

Psalm 34 is praise for deliverance from trouble.

* [Psalm 34] A thanksgiving in acrostic form, each line beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this Psalm one letter is missing and two are in reverse order. The psalmist, fresh from the experience of being rescued (Ps 34:5, 7), can teach the “poor,” those who are defenseless, to trust in God alone (Ps 34:4, 12). God will make them powerful (Ps 34:5–11) and give them protection (Ps 34:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 34, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Heals the Gadarene Demoniacs

* [8:28] Gadarenes: this is the reading of Codex Vaticanus, supported by other important textual witnesses. The original reading of Codex Sinaiticus was Gazarenes, later changed to Gergesenes, and a few versions have Gerasenes. Each of these readings points to a different territory connected, respectively, with the cities Gadara, Gergesa, and Gerasa (modern Jerash). There is the same confusion of readings in the parallel texts, Mk 5:1 and Lk 8:26; there the best reading seems to be “Gerasenes,” whereas “Gadarenes” is probably the original reading in Matthew. The town of Gadara was about five miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, and Josephus (Life 9:42) refers to it as possessing territory that lay on that sea. Two demoniacs: Mark (5:1–20) has one.

* [8:29] What have you to do with us?: see note on Jn 2:4. Before the appointed time: the notion that evil spirits were allowed by God to afflict human beings until the time of the final judgment is found in Enoch 16:1 and Jubilees 10:7–10.

* [8:30] The tending of pigs, animals considered unclean by Mosaic law (Lv 11:6–7), indicates that the population was Gentile. (Matthew, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)

Gladyce Janky asks “as you read this reflection, what else do you notice about God’s fidelity and compassion toward His people – in Sarah’s time and today?”

This reading highlights some of the attributes of God.  God is the creator of infinite possibilities.  Salvation history cannot be thwarted by my actions or failure to act because God will prevail despite humanity.  Everyone is connected and has a place in God’s plan, even the children of enslaved people or “less desirable” members of society.  God does not make promises contingent upon faith.  Our failure to trust God does not cause God to turn away from His promises  And, God does respond to the cries of the poor, wandering without hope in the wilderness. (Janky, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Christ is triumphant over the forces of demons,” by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD).

"[Jesus] said to them, 'Go!' The foul-smelling animals are delivered up, not at the will of the demons but to show how savage the demons can become against humans. They ardently seek to destroy and dispossess all that is, acts, moves and lives. They seek the death of people. The ancient enmity of deep-rooted wrath and malice is in store for the human race. Demons do not give up easily unless they are forcibly overcome. They are doing the harm they are ordered to do. Therefore the foul-smelling animals are delivered up that it may be made clear to the demons that they have permission to enter the swine but not to enter humans. It is by our vices that we empower them to do harm. Similarly, by our power of faith we tread on the necks of demons. They become subject to us under Christ who is triumphant." (excerpt from SERMONS 16.8)

[Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD) was a renowned preacher and bishop of Ravena in the 5th century] (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 8:28-34 comments that we can view this passage—and many others—as evidence that Jesus didn’t come into the world to tell us that everything’s okay. He came to change us, and change is always challenging. But just as the townspeople had become accustomed to the demoniacs, we can become accustomed to sinful patterns that have taken root in us.

But you don’t have to turn Jesus away as the Gadarenes did. If there is some sin in your life he is asking you to deal with, go ahead and take a step toward making that change. It may feel as if you’re venturing into uncertain territory, but that’s what walking in faith is all about. It’s trusting that the One who created you and who saved you continues to hold you in his love. And that’s something that will never change!

“Jesus, help me to embrace the change you desire for me.” (Meditation on Matthew 8:28-34, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler explores the desire of Sarah to expel Hagar and Ishmael, who was playing with Isaac. Matthew and Mark reveal similar accounts of Jesus expulsion of legions of demons in Gentile territory. Friar Jude is reminded of our fear of change and how it limits our growth in life.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, believes that Jesus’ cross reveals God’s solidarity with suffering.

The “crucified God” as personified in Jesus revealed that God is always on the side of suffering wherever it is found, including the wounded and dying troops on both sides in every kind of war, and both the victims and the predators of this world; frankly, this pleases very few people. Our resistance to suffering is an entire industry now, perhaps symbolized by the total power of the gun lobby and the permanent war economy in America, the fear of any profit sharing with the poor, or the need to be constantly entertained. Maybe that is why some have said that the foundational virtue underlying all others is courage (cor-agere, an action of the heart). It takes immense courage to walk in solidarity with the suffering of others, and even our own. [1] 

If God is somehow participating in human suffering, instead of just passively tolerating it and observing it, that changes everything—at least for those who are willing to “gaze” contemplatively. All humble, suffering souls learn this from God, but the Christian Scriptures named it and revealed it publicly and dramatically in Jesus. (Rohr, 2023)

We are invited by the prompting of the Spirit to accept change and transformation through the events of our daily life.

References

Genesis, CHAPTER 21. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/21?5 

Janky, G. (2023, July 5). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved July 5, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/070523.htm 

Matthew, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8?28 

Meditation on Matthew 8:28-34. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved July 5, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/07/05/727445/ 

Psalms, PSALM 34. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved July 5, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/34?7 

Rohr, R. (2023, July 5). Divine Solidarity with Suffering — Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/divine-solidarity-with-suffering-2023-07-05/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Frees Those Who Are Bound Up. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved July 5, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jul5