tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post1665691682360409252..comments2023-08-09T07:48:53.962-04:00Comments on Bear Witness to the Light: What Do You Possess That Was Not Given To You? But, If You Have Received It All As A Gift, Why Take The Credit For Yourself?Fr. John L. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16167510362871783781noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736427810720155529.post-70308228884874321762010-09-04T07:43:27.360-04:002010-09-04T07:43:27.360-04:00Paul's epistle and recent Gospel readings show...Paul's epistle and recent Gospel readings show clearly that argument is not a recent thing among those who aspire to be God's people!<br /><br />Jesus' teachings to the Pharisees are there to help us too. In today's reading, Jesus seems to equate Himself to David and the Pharisees to Saul's men, so perhaps we should look to that relationship to guide us through difficult relationships in the Church, in particular that between traditionalists and modernizers. <br /><br />At the time that Saul was persecuting David, Saul was painfully aware that the Lord had rejected him. Samuel had even torn Saul's cloak, signifying Saul's loss of kingly authority. However, Saul did not realize that the authority had already passed to someone else, nor who that person might be. Unknown to Saul David had recently been quietly anointed by Samuel. <br /><br />Perhaps Jesus is telling the Pharisees some harsh truths: that they have failed like Saul, that furthermore they know they have failed, and that they also know they have no real authority any more - what they have is just a face-saving sham. He invites them to entertain the notion that someone unregarded, perhaps even persecuted by them, might have been given true authority instead.<br /><br />David came to Saul with 5 loaves of bread, a wineskin and a kid. This wineskin could stand for his annointing. The torn cloak Jesus describes is also reminiscent of Saul's torn cloak. Jesus reminds the Pharisee about the five loaves David requested from Ahimelech - this in turn must have reminded him that David had brought Saul five loaves when he turned up at the palace as his unrecognized but duly annointed successor. <br /><br />Did David bring an old wineskin full of fine, matured wine and a willingness to obey the Lord where Saul would not? .. or a new one, as young and lively as his own loving heart? I think it is significant that the Bible does not tell us, because in fact King David combined the best of both - he loved the Law.<br /><br />Despite all their arguments, Saul ultimately called David his son and David finally avenged Saul's death out of respect for Saul's own anointing. For this reason, I believe that one day traditionalists will claim modernizers as their own and modernizers will vigorously defend traditionalists - one day!Sarah in the tenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13680566205364331756noreply@blogger.com