The Lord
is interested in what we are inside.
In the Responsorial
Psalm we acclaim, I have found David, my servant. With my holy oil I have
anointed him, that my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him
strong. Samuel asked Jesse if he had
more sons. Jesse replied that his youngest was tending sheep. He was ruddy,
(having a fresh healthy color in the face), a handsome youth. Yet his father only mentions this boy when
pressed by Samuel. That he tends sheep
seems to imply he is simple.
The Lord's words to
Samuel in today's first reading should echo loudly in our ears. "Not as
man sees does God see." The Lord is interested in what we are inside. God
saw inside David and made him king of Israel. God is also looking inside us.
God's power is our guarantee. God's strength is our boast. We should be happy
to be the people he has chosen. This is our history, and God's spirit is our
life. Our destiny on earth as a people is the expression of God's divine will!
For you are our God, and we are your people. God does not care about appearance
but what is on the inside.
"Not as man
sees does God see." It is characteristic of God in the Bible is that He is
different. Jesus and His ministry on earth turned things upside down. In the Gospel we read that when David and his
men were fleeing for their lives, they sought food from the priest. The only
bread he had was the holy bread offered in the Temple. None but the priests
were allowed to eat this bread. In their hunger, David and his men ate of this
bread. Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the Sabbath was given for our benefit,
to refresh and renew us in living for God. It was intended for good only.
Points to Pray and Ponder: During this Year of Mercy we are reminded, that
it is God's intention that we extend mercy and kindness to those in need, and
we may not excuse ourselves so as to rest from unnecessary labor on the
Sabbath. We are called to honor the Lord
in the way we treat each other and celebrate God in our life. In doing this the
Lord will say, I have found my servant!