Sometimes, we think we know better than God. It seems like an illogical statement to make, but then we just need to look at today’s first reading from the prophet Samuel.
Just to set the context, Samuel is no longer the young man under the guidance of the elderly Eli. He is now at the senior stage of life, when the church elders come to him with a big request; they want a change in leadership. They want to move from a prophet of God to a king.
And they make the case that Samuel’s leadership is no longer working. For you Patriots’ fans, it’s a little like Bob Kraft moving on from coach Bill. The elders argue that no one is following Samuel and other nations don’t follow a prophet of God’s direction but instead a king.
Samuel turned to the Lord in his concern and God points to the root of the problem. It’s not Samuel that they want to replace but God with a human king. God, as He does when we are going in the wrong direction, tried to enlighten the people. He had Samuel explain that having a human king would result in a loss of freedom, a life of servitude for the betterment of the king alone and not their lives or families. Every area of their lives would change for the worse to the point of their becoming slaves to the king.
And, like many times, the people felt they knew better and told Samuel that having a king would be the way to go. It’s interesting to see near the end of the reading where the people say, “We too must be like other nations, with a king to lead us into warfare and fight our battles.” It seems like there was an element of fear that motivated their desires, combined with a lack of trust in God’s care for them.
Our world has the same types of conflicts between nations with the potential for even greater and more dangerous ones. We can be tempted to approach our fears and envy of others by looking at what others are doing outside of their faith in God.
This doesn’t mean that we don’t need representatives, mayors, governors, and federal officials, including a president, to administrate the United States. We do. But at the same time, there is a hierarchy and a distinction between God and man.
The people of Samuel’s time didn’t just want a political figure to manage temporal affairs. They wanted to end their relationship with God as the ultimate source of direction in their lives. In the end, because God has given us the freedom to choose, he tells Samuel to grant their request and to appoint a king as his successor.
I think you can guess how this is going to turn out! The question is, what about us? What about our families and friends? Who do we look to to form our values and be our ultimate guide in this life on earth?
Father David S. Marcham is a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and serves as Vice Postulator and Guild Director of the Cause for Canonization of Venerable Patrick Peyton. Before entering St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, he worked for eleven years as a physical therapist in Boston-area hospitals. Ordained in 2005, Father David was assigned to St. Mary Parish in Franklin, Massachusetts. His involvement in Father Peyton’s Cause began in 2007, when he assisted Father George Lucas, C.S.C., in advancing the Cause for Canonization. Appointed Vice Postulator in 2009, Father David oversees the progress of the Cause, directs the Guild, and promotes devotion to Father Peyton’s legacy of family prayer.
