Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
As a parent and having previously been a child myself, I recall both speaking and hearing something like, “Well, don’t complain (or come crying!) to me when…” after stubborn persistence won out and warnings fell on closed ears. (You can probably fill in the blank above from your own experience.) Today’s Old Testament reading from the First Book of Samuel (8:4-7, 10-22a) has a similar feel. Let’s take a closer look.
In short, the people of Israel want Samuel to appoint a king over them like other nations (rather than judges). Samuel is “displeased” with this request, but prays to the Lord about it who tells him to go ahead and give them what they want, noting that it’s not Samuel they are rejecting, but the Lord they are rejecting as their king. The Lord has a stipulation, however, that Samuel warn the people of all the rights the king will have over them that they will not like, including “you yourselves will become his slaves.” But they are stubborn and insist that they need a king like other nations.
Samuel warns them and says, “When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the Lord will not answer you.” Which I hear as basically, Don’t come complaining to me when you insist on doing things your way even though I warned you! (How many of us can relate to that??)
Yes, we have free will. And we have been given a conscience and, as baptized Christians, the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us in making decisions, discerning God’s will. Yet, we still sometimes insist on doing things our own way, foolishly believing that we know better than God what we need and don’t need. And God, perhaps like a patient (or exasperated!) parent, says, go ahead and do it your way, but I’m warning you –as a loving, concerned parent – that it’s not going to turn out the way you think it is.
Thankfully we do have a merciful and forgiving God, who through Jesus is willing to receive us when we come back crying and humbled, acknowledging our foolishness, our stubbornness, our pridefulness. This time, ready to listen and receive the Wisdom available to us as children of God. Our King and our God. Amen.
~Eileen Miller