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?
Reverend David S. Marcham is the Vice Postulator for the Cause of Venerable Patrick Peyton, and Director of the Father Peyton Guild, whose members pray for Father Peyton’s beatification and spread his message of the importance of Family Prayer. Prior to becoming a seminarian, Father David was a physical therapist and clinical instructor, serving hospital inpatients and outpatients throughout the greater Boston area for eleven years. In 1998 he heard the call to priesthood and was ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2005. Father David grew up in Quincy, MA, and has fond memories of playing soccer, tennis and running track. You’re never without a friend when Father David is around, as he welcomes everyone into his circle with a smile on his face!
