Readings for Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time[1][2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 2 Samuel 1:11-4a, 5-10a, 13-17
In this passage from the Second Book of Samuel King David falls prey to his human desires and human weakness as he allows the power of his high station to permit an act of adultery. He then compounds his sin by contributing directly to the death of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband. God’s laws have been violated and there will be justice.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Psalm 51 is a communal lament. These strophes constitute a song of contrition as the sins of the signer are acknowledged. We note the results of un-atoned or un-reconciled sin is the anguish of guilt which the singer begs to be lifted.
Gospel Mark 4:26-34
We are given two parables from the Gospel of St. Mark. The first is unique to Mark’s Gospel and follows the parable of the Sower we were given earlier this week. The mystery of the seed is analogous to Jesus’ own ministry which starts as a seed but grows to encompass the world.The second parable, the parable of the Mustard Seed, echo’s the vision of the Kingdom of God described in Ezekiel Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6.
Reflection:
The temptation today is that we should reflect once more on the parables of Jesus. However, since, during Ordinary Time, the same Gospel is proclaimed in years one and two, we wish to focus on the lessons learned from King David’s misadventures.
There are some obvious axioms we observe in his story, but let’s recall how he came to these straights. He was anointed by Samuel as God’s chosen one. He was given the strength to overcome first the dangers and depredations of the shepherd in those wild lands fighting off wild animals, then Goliath, the Philistine fell to his strength, and finally he was given the rule of all of Israel because God had withdrawn His favor from Saul. King David was beloved of God, promised a perpetual dynasty. He danced before the Ark of the Covenant and rejoiced in God’s presence. Time after time God gave him victory over his foes and time after time David rejoiced in the Lord’s victory.
In the story of Bathsheba, David has become complacent and has forgotten the God whom he has so diligently and faithfully served. God’s law, handed to him from Moses, inscribed upon the very tablets carried in the Ark of the Covenant before which he prostrated himself, was forgotten.
He saw the beautiful Bathsheba at her bath (By the way, I had to look through pages and pages of art work today in order to find a picture of this subject where Bathsheba was depicted with cloths.) according to tradition in a state of undress. Forgetting the Lord’s Commandments he allowed his lust to drive him to exert his power as king to seduce her to his own bed. While this was bad enough, we hear if we read the entire scripture passage, he did so while she was very fertile and a child was conceived.
The wages of sin are sin. Rather than exposing his weakness and sinfulness he first tries to trick Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband into sleeping with is wife so he would believe it was his own child. We note the intent here was deception; again God’s commandments are rattled. Indeed, David was hoping to be able to disavow the child. It is important that we note that these events were not claimed in Holy Scripture to be some devious plan on the part of God to cause David to fall from grace. These are choices he and Bathsheba are making of their own free will. The devil is dancing in the moonlight for sure.
We know what happens next; the good and loyal Uriah does not return to his wife’s bed and David is forced to resort to even more desperate measures. We can only wonder what the king’s general must have thought when he received the note telling him to set Uriah up to be killed by their enemies. We see in this action the effect of sin – the courageous David, slayer of giants could not even confront a loyal subject to confess his sin. He scurrilously has the man killed by enemies. Was he thinking God would not hold him accountable because he had not fired the arrow, dropped the stone, or held the sword that killed him? We wonder if, the night the news reached him, somewhere in the back of his mind, he did not hear “Thou shall not kill.”
We hear this story and see all of the pits into which the King fell. (We wonder if President Clinton was ignorant of scripture as well.) We take from it a mighty warning – it does not matter how much or how deeply we dedicate ourselves to God. We are not immune to temptation. Our baser impulses can still be triggered and our fall from grace can be swift. What do we take from David’s interlude with Bathsheba? We are reminded to be constantly focused on the Lord, we cannot forget for a moment it is He whom we serve and our actions must reflect his love.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “Bathsheba Goes to King David” by Cecchino del Salviati, 1552-54
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
Commentary:
Reading 1 2 Samuel 1:11-4a, 5-10a, 13-17
In this passage from the Second Book of Samuel King David falls prey to his human desires and human weakness as he allows the power of his high station to permit an act of adultery. He then compounds his sin by contributing directly to the death of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband. God’s laws have been violated and there will be justice.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11
R. Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Psalm 51 is a communal lament. These strophes constitute a song of contrition as the sins of the signer are acknowledged. We note the results of un-atoned or un-reconciled sin is the anguish of guilt which the singer begs to be lifted.
Gospel Mark 4:26-34
We are given two parables from the Gospel of St. Mark. The first is unique to Mark’s Gospel and follows the parable of the Sower we were given earlier this week. The mystery of the seed is analogous to Jesus’ own ministry which starts as a seed but grows to encompass the world.The second parable, the parable of the Mustard Seed, echo’s the vision of the Kingdom of God described in Ezekiel Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6.
Reflection:
The temptation today is that we should reflect once more on the parables of Jesus. However, since, during Ordinary Time, the same Gospel is proclaimed in years one and two, we wish to focus on the lessons learned from King David’s misadventures.
There are some obvious axioms we observe in his story, but let’s recall how he came to these straights. He was anointed by Samuel as God’s chosen one. He was given the strength to overcome first the dangers and depredations of the shepherd in those wild lands fighting off wild animals, then Goliath, the Philistine fell to his strength, and finally he was given the rule of all of Israel because God had withdrawn His favor from Saul. King David was beloved of God, promised a perpetual dynasty. He danced before the Ark of the Covenant and rejoiced in God’s presence. Time after time God gave him victory over his foes and time after time David rejoiced in the Lord’s victory.
In the story of Bathsheba, David has become complacent and has forgotten the God whom he has so diligently and faithfully served. God’s law, handed to him from Moses, inscribed upon the very tablets carried in the Ark of the Covenant before which he prostrated himself, was forgotten.
He saw the beautiful Bathsheba at her bath (By the way, I had to look through pages and pages of art work today in order to find a picture of this subject where Bathsheba was depicted with cloths.) according to tradition in a state of undress. Forgetting the Lord’s Commandments he allowed his lust to drive him to exert his power as king to seduce her to his own bed. While this was bad enough, we hear if we read the entire scripture passage, he did so while she was very fertile and a child was conceived.
The wages of sin are sin. Rather than exposing his weakness and sinfulness he first tries to trick Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband into sleeping with is wife so he would believe it was his own child. We note the intent here was deception; again God’s commandments are rattled. Indeed, David was hoping to be able to disavow the child. It is important that we note that these events were not claimed in Holy Scripture to be some devious plan on the part of God to cause David to fall from grace. These are choices he and Bathsheba are making of their own free will. The devil is dancing in the moonlight for sure.
We know what happens next; the good and loyal Uriah does not return to his wife’s bed and David is forced to resort to even more desperate measures. We can only wonder what the king’s general must have thought when he received the note telling him to set Uriah up to be killed by their enemies. We see in this action the effect of sin – the courageous David, slayer of giants could not even confront a loyal subject to confess his sin. He scurrilously has the man killed by enemies. Was he thinking God would not hold him accountable because he had not fired the arrow, dropped the stone, or held the sword that killed him? We wonder if, the night the news reached him, somewhere in the back of his mind, he did not hear “Thou shall not kill.”
We hear this story and see all of the pits into which the King fell. (We wonder if President Clinton was ignorant of scripture as well.) We take from it a mighty warning – it does not matter how much or how deeply we dedicate ourselves to God. We are not immune to temptation. Our baser impulses can still be triggered and our fall from grace can be swift. What do we take from David’s interlude with Bathsheba? We are reminded to be constantly focused on the Lord, we cannot forget for a moment it is He whom we serve and our actions must reflect his love.
Pax
[1] After Links to Readings Expire
[2] The picture used today is “Bathsheba Goes to King David” by Cecchino del Salviati, 1552-54
No comments:
Post a Comment