[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Monday, January 21, 2008 Meditation 1 Samuel 15:16-23  Faced with constant raids from the Amalekites, King Saul received God’s assurance that he would defeat this longstanding enemy of Israel. God gave him a clear, specific command: “Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction. Fight against them until you have exterminated them” (1 Samuel 15:18). Saul indeed defeated Amalek, but he “improved” on God’s directive. Instead of killing the Amalekite king, he took him hostage. And, instead of slaughtering the livestock, he rounded up the best animals, intending to offer them as sacrifices to the Lord in gratitude for his victory. When he was confronted by the prophet Samuel, Saul insisted that he had done what God wanted. In essence, he said, “I have kept the command of the Lord, but. . .” He had become so convinced of his own better idea that his conscience wasn’t bothered by his clear disobedience. After all, isn’t it always good to make sacrifices? Isn’t it always a good thing to offer the first fruits of your labor to the Lord? But Samuel cut right to the heart: “Obedience is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). How tempting it can be to substitute our own ideas for God’s commandments! Is it really important to go to Mass the weekend that my whole family is in town for a reunion? What’s the harm in a few small changes to my tax return? After all, the government wastes money all the time. Why not invite a Protestant relative to receive Communion in our church? We have so much in common anyway. Actions like these are examples of what has traditionally been called the “sin of presumption,” and they often have unintended consequences. Our lack of commitment may weaken another family member’s faith. Dishonesty in small matters can deaden our conscience in bigger ones. We harm the cause of Christian unity by acting as if we were farther along than we are in our journey toward full reconciliation. Obedience to God’s commands is important—but not because God is a harsh judge waiting for us to make a misstep so he can punish us. Rather, it’s through obedience that God helps us develop our consciences and teaches us how to trust his wisdom in everything. “Lord, forgive me for presuming to know better than you. Make me eager to follow your lead.”   Psalm 50:8-9,16-17,21,23; Mark 2:18-22

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

<< Monday, January 21, 2008 >>

St. Agnes

1 Samuel 15:16-23

Psalm 50

Mark 2:18-22

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BANNED

"Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction." —1 Samuel 15:18

 

In the Old Testament, the Lord often told the Israelites to put their enemies "under the ban," that is, to completely destroy all the people and livestock of their enemies. This practice seems strange to us, but it is a profound revelation about the nature of sin. Sin is something like cancer. Unless we get all of it, it will spread and destroy us.

In the New Testament, we no longer fight against human beings but against demons (see Eph 6:12). Therefore, we don't put people "under the ban"; instead, we ban "Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises," as we promised at baptism. We "have no love for the world, nor the things that the world affords" (1 Jn 2:15). We save ourselves "from this generation which has gone astray" (Acts 2:40). We "make no provision for the desires of the flesh" (Rm 13:14). We crucify our "flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24). We exterminate from our lives anything not pleasing to the Lord. We "bring every thought into captivity to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).

We can "purify ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit" (2 Cor 7:1) because Jesus put every sin which has ever or will ever be committed "under the ban." Jesus took all our sins to Calvary. He became sin (see 2 Cor 5:21) and in His death all sin died. Put sin under the ban, and walk under the banner of God's love (Sg 2:4, JB).

 

Prayer: Father, by repentance may I let You remove all the cancer of sin from my life.

Promise: "The day will come, however, when the Groom will be taken away from them; on that day they will fast." —Mk 2:20

Praise: St. Agnes' holiness put to shame the brothel to which she was sentenced for being a Christian. As a result, she was martyred for her purity and faith in Jesus.