We see in the gospel reading how the will of God also trumps man’s law. When Jesus’ disciples were going through the field picking the heads of the grain, the Pharisees questioned Jesus why he did not stop them from doing what was—according to their interpretation—unlawful. Jesus reminded the Pharisees of the story of David, who also did what was unlawful to fulfill God’s more apparent will.

The first reading tells us that God told Samuel to go to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem and anoint David, his son, to become the king of Israel. God, however, did not specify David at that time. Why? Samuel thought some of David’s other sons were better suited to be king. God wanted Samuel and future generations to understand that “not as man sees does God see.” Because Saul disobeyed God’s commands, God saw the need to anoint a new king to fulfill his will and chose David, the youngest son. Following God’s will is the chief commandment.

There was a small one-way traffic circle inside a church parking lot I attended. When no one was around, I always took the shortest distance until my wife and I heard a sermon by the pastor. That unenlightened man said that breaking a traffic law, however minor one may think, was at least a venial sin. After that homily, my wife turned it into a mortal sin whenever I went the wrong way around that circle. So, I have learned that we must seriously discern the matter when situations arise where God’s law and man’s law are seemingly in conflict.

Do I seriously try to discern God’s will in my choices?

Let Us Pray:

Almighty God, author of my life, help me learn to read what you have written on my heart, to understand how to reach outside of me. (Prayer for discernment)