This blog follows the daily bible readings of the Catholic Church

Reading 1, 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a

4 The elders of Israel all assembled, went back to Samuel at Ramah, and said,

5 ‘Look, you are old, and your sons are not following your example. So give us a king to judge us, like the other nations.’

6 Samuel thought that it was wrong of them to say, ‘Let us have a king to judge us,’ so he prayed to the Lord.

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you: it is not you they have rejected

10 Everything that the Lord had said, Samuel then repeated to the people who were asking him for a king.

11 He said, ‘This is what the king who is to reign over you will do. He will take your sons and direct them to his chariotry and cavalry, and they will run in front of his chariot.

12 He will use them as leaders of a thousand and leaders of fifty; he will make them plough his fields and gather in his harvest and make his weapons of war and the gear for his chariots.

13 He will take your daughters as perfumers, cooks and bakers.

14 He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his officials.

15 He will tithe your crops and vineyards to provide for his courtiers and his officials.

16 He will take the best of your servants, men and women, of your oxen and your donkeys, and make them work for him.

17 He will tithe your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

18 When that day comes, you will cry aloud because of the king you have chosen for yourselves, but on that day the Lord will not hear you.’

19 The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel. They said, ‘No! We are determined to have a king,

20 so that we can be like the other nations, with our own king to rule us and lead us and fight our battles.’

21 Samuel listened to all that the people had to say and repeated it in the Lord’s ear.

22 The Lord then said to Samuel, ‘Do as they ask and give them a king.’ Samuel then said to the Israelites, ‘Go home, each of you, to his own town.’

 This material may come from an ancient source still in touch with the original “constitution” of Israel, when they were not a nation, but rather a confederation of clans united by loyalty to their God. Disputes were settled by “judges”, or charismatic leaders, and the clans would fight along with each other in holy war.  In Saul, the people chose their first king. By the time the Hebrew bible was put together the nation had experienced disaster which was attributed to poor and exploitative kingship. Some of the criticisms of “big government” may have been added at this time. The passage reminds us that the nation state is not the only form of government and possibly not the best. It also reminds us of the intimate connection of the Judaeo-Christian tradition with politics. It is always on the side of the little people, not the big battalions.

The synagogue at Capernaum

Gospel, Mark 2:1-12

1 When he returned to Capernaum, some time later word went round that he was in the house;

2 and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door. He was preaching the word to them

3 when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men,

4 but as they could not get the man to him through the crowd, they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay.

5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘My child, your sins are forgiven.’

6 Now some scribes were sitting there, and they thought to themselves,

7 ‘How can this man talk like that? He is being blasphemous. Who but God can forgive sins?’

8 And at once, Jesus, inwardly aware that this is what they were thinking, said to them, ‘Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts?

9 Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven” or to say, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk”?

10 But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority to forgive sins on earth’ —

11 he said to the paralytic-‘I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.’

12 And the man got up, and at once picked up his stretcher and walked out in front of everyone, so that they were all astonished and praised God saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this.’

 The title that is given to Jesus, “Christ”, is a translation of the Hebrew word “messiah”, “anointed one”, that is, the king expected by some Jews of Jesus’ time, to liberate the people from foreign rule and establish justice far and wide. In other words, the “messiah” was modelled on the monarchy in Israel, especially on King David. It’s easy to see why Jesus did not meet these expectations and harder to see why his disciples ever wanted to give him this title, with all the chances of it being misunderstood.

 Jesus “royal” authority is demonstrated, not in political decisions, but in his effective care of people. His “royal house” in Capernaum is effectively broken into by the friends of the paralysed man, not to get hold of wealth or power, but rather, healing for their friend. Knowing that God’s authority is for the benefit of humanity, Jesus announces forgiveness of sin and release from disease. He doesn’t quiz the man about repentance but offers him an “advance of trust” which is backed up by the command to walk. When we give Jesus the title “Messiah”, we are saying that care and healing are essential tasks of good government, be it large or small.