2nd Week in Ord. Time, Monday – 15th January 2024 – 1 Sam 15,16-23; Mark 2,18-22
Obdience better than Sacrifice
The first reading gives us an example of the disobedience of King Saul and subsequently being rejected by Yahweh as king. In the fight against Amalekites, enemies of Israel, Saul had been told by God to ban all which was taken after a victory, that is, destroy everything completely (Deut 20,16-18). Although Saul had carried out his mandate against Amalekites, he displeased God because he and his men had taken some of the animals for themselves. When confronted by Samuel, Saul tried to justify his behaviour by claiming that the best of the sheep and oxen seized by his men would be sacrificed to God. Saul thought that the sacrifice would be better than totally destroying everything. Samuel chastises Saul, not for making a sacrifice, but for disobedience, not doing what God had explicitly told Saul to do (1 Sam 15,1-3). Samuel enunciates Saul that obedience to the Lord and appropriate behaviour are better than animal sacrifice (Is 1,11-17; Hos 6,6; Amos 5,21-27; Mic 6,6-8). Sin is rebellion and presumption is idolatry. Saul presumes that he knows what God wants. He thinks he knows better than God, who had told him to act according to the divine plan. Because of his actions, Saul will lose the kingship. After hearing this, Saul finally acknowledges that he has sinned.
