Theme: Who is ruling over our lives, Jesus or the kings (powers) of this world?
Scripture reading: 1 Sam 8:4-7, 10-22a; Ps 89:16-17, 18-19; Mk 2:1-12
We find in today’s first reading, the people of Israel makes a demand for a king. The demand looks just and reasonable because the sons of Samuel, Joel and Abijah did not walk in the ways of God. They too had become like the sons of Eli; unjust and selfish. God too had plans to give them a king. It is already written in the book of Deuteronomy (17:14-20). The idea of a king was already in the plan of God.
Then, why did God become unhappy with their demand for a king? There are four reasons: Firstly, they demanded a king because they wanted to be like other nations. They forgot to see God had a special love for them right from the beginning. He had treated them with great diligence. They rejected his special love and care, when they asked for a king. Secondly, God had already given them victory over the Philistines (1 Sam 5-6). The presence of the Ark of the covenant brought wrought on the people of Philistines. Their gods were destroyed in the beginning. The people suffered from physical illness like tumours. They tried to send the Ark to three different cities but all of them faced the same experience. The Philistines, out of fear of the Lord, decided to send the Ark to the Israelites. When God had already shown them his powers, the people rejected His powers. This was the expression of unbelief in God. Thirdly, God knew the king would make the people slave for his own benefits. He would rule over them for his personal benefits. The purpose of making people free would thus get defeated. They returned to the slavery once again. Lastly, the victory over the enemy would make people put ungodly trust in the king, fail to recognise God’s presence in their lives. Therefore, the idea of asking for a king was not bad but the reasons of asking were bad. We can only conclude that whatever may be the reason, they rejected the kingship of God who had saved from the mighty enemy.
We find similar behaviour in the scribes in the today’s Gospel. The paralytic man is placed before Jesus by his friends from the roof top. Jesus instead of healing him, forgives him from his sins. The scribes object to it. They object the power of Jesus to forgive. They object the greatest miracle of forgiveness. Jesus had forgiven the sins of a man through the intercession of his friends. Nothing is mentioned in the scriptures that the man was repentant yet Jesus forgave his sins. Thus, Jesus reveals his identity, “Son of man”. The title has a reference in the book of Daniel (7:13-14). It says, he was given dominion and glory and kingship. His dominion is an everlasting dominion. His kingship shall never be destroyed. Jesus in other words calls himself the king.
The people of Israel in the first reading and the scribes in the Gospel were ruled by their own will; rejected the kingship of God in their lives. Samuel in the first reading and the four friends of a paralytic in the Gospel accepted the kingship of God in their lives. We need to ask ourselves: what does govern my life today; Jesus or this worldly kingship?
Fr. Alex D’Mello
