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“Saul and David”
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn,1655-60 |
Readings for Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary: [3]
Reading I: 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7
When David and Saul approached
(on David’s return after slaying the Philistine),
women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,
singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.
The women played and sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought:
“They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.
All that remains for him is the kingship.”
And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.
Saul discussed his intention of killing David
with his son Jonathan and with all his servants.
But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, told him:
“My father Saul is trying to kill you.
Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning;
get out of sight and remain in hiding.
I, however, will go out and stand beside my father
in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you.
If I learn anything, I will let you know.”
Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him:
“Let not your majesty sin against his servant David,
for he has committed no offense against you,
but has helped you very much by his deeds.
When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine,
and the LORD brought about a great victory
for all Israel through him,
you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood
by killing David without cause?”
Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore,
“As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him.
Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7
Following David’s defeat of Goliath, Saul, now deprived of the Lord since he failed to do as God commanded through Samuel, becomes jealous of David because the Lord is clearly with him. (Recall Saul disobeyed the Lord who commanded him to destroy the Amaleks and their king, Agag, taking no spoils, and the Lord removed his favor from him. 1 Samuel 15:1-9) Three times during this section it is stated that David is successful, and three times Saul's response is fear.
Saul’s plot to kill David is thwarted through the intervention of his son Jonathan. Although Saul swears that David will not be killed, the spirit of evil has entered Saul, filling the void the Lord had left when he departed, and this promise is short-lived. This episode is repeated later in 1 Samuel 20:2ff. It is placed here primarily to contrast Saul’s fall from grace and David’s ascension.
CCC: 1 Sm 19:1-14 2583
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13
R. (5b) In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me;
all the day they press their attack against me.
My adversaries trample upon me all the day;
yes, many fight against me.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
My wanderings you have counted;
my tears are stored in your flask;
are they not recorded in your book?
Then do my enemies turn back,
when I call upon you.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me?
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
I am bound, O God, by vows to you;
your thank offerings I will fulfill.
For you have rescued me from death,
my feet, too, from stumbling;
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
R. In God I trust; I shall not fear.
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Commentary on Ps 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13
Psalm 56 is a lament in which the psalmist is being pressed by enemies but has faith that God will support the faithful against all odds. The singer further pledges continuing faithfulness in thanksgiving for the Lord’s help.
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Gospel: Mark 3:7-12
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.
A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.
Hearing what he was doing,
a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,
from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,
and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,
so that they would not crush him.
He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases
were pressing upon him to touch him.
And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him
and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
He warned them sternly not to make him known.
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Commentary on Mk 3:7-12
This selection from St. Mark’s Gospel marks a transition from Jesus ministering to the people on his own and his teachings to the disciples. Here, the Gospel provides a summary of the activities of Jesus whose healing ministry has caused a great crowd to follow him. His rising popularity is a testament to the power of what he teaches, and the signs he performs are a prelude to the universal spread of the Gospel message.
The encounter with unclean spirits is met, as earlier, with attempts to ward off his power over them using his title: “You are the Son of God.” It is interesting that the recognition of his true nature comes from those sent by the evil one. “Their prostration before him is not a sign of genuine worship but an obeisance compelled by Jesus’ irresistible authority (as in Mark 5:6). Nor is their clamorous shout a confession of faith, but a futile attempt to render him harmless, in accord with the common view that one could acquire mastery over another by using the individual’s name (see Mark 1:24; Mark 5:7).” [4]
CCC: Mk 3:10 1504
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Reflection:
The Gospel depicts Jesus in Galilee at the height of his popularity. People are coming from all around to see him, to listen to him and to see the miracles of healing he performs. It is so intense we are told that the disciples must get a boat ready in case the crowd, in its exuberance, crushes him.
Have you ever wondered why, when the unclean spirits identified him as the Messiah, the Lord refused to allow them to make that fact known to the adoring crowds? It would have been much easier if Jesus had proclaimed his identity in the face of this surge of popularity. The crowd, so taken by him that there was a danger of physical injury, might have even revolted against the scribes and Pharisees who hated him.
Jesus could have avoided the cross if he had told them who he was and by whose authority he came. Why didn’t he take that road? As we seek to answer that question, our first thought might be: “It would not have been right.” Jesus needed to fulfill the plan God had set in motion from the beginning. The prophets had seen it and had laid the foundation for thousands of years. Now the Son of God must not embrace the popular notoriety, the “rock star” status that could be his. His mission was salvation for the people, not himself.
As we think about the choice made at this critical juncture in Jesus’ ministry, we can think about our own situations as well. How often do we accept acclaim for things that we have done instead of giving credit to the Father for the great gifts he bestowed on us, God-given gifts that allowed us to accomplish the good that we do? How often are we seduced by the secular successes we might achieve at the expense of our own spiritual growth? We see clearly what happens to people who remind secular crowds that Jesus is behind their success. Look at the animosity garnered by Tim Tebow!
That is the lesson we take away from St. Mark’s brief description of Jesus at a high point in his popularity. We see him live the humility that he asks of all his disciples. He points always to God’s greater glory even when he could have let the unclean spirits proclaim him king. Today we pray that all we are able to accomplish will point others to our Heavenly Father. May the Lord prosper the works of our hands, this day and always.
Pax
[1] The picture is “Saul and David” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn,1655-60.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, except for the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] The Gospel of Mark, Mary Healy © 2008, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids MI, p. 71.
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