(Please read the Scripture passage before reading the homily.)
Is it permissible to do a different good thing if the Lord tells us to something else? The Lord told Saul to do one thing, and Saul substituted another. The prophet took Saul to task for disobedience.
It is hard to justify killing a person. We can argue that in Saul’s time they did not have secure places to keep prisoners. Jailing a prisoner was often condemning the prisoner to a slow agonizing death in squalor and disease. Killing prisoners often spared them the hardship of a slow death. Saul was okay with some killing some of the spoil, but he wanted to spare the better part for a religious sacrifice later on.
Some pagans used to reserve prisoners of war for sacrifice to their gods at later festivals. This gave their warfare a religious purpose: they were getting victims for their sacrifices. Pagans often slaughtered captured animals in sacrifice, with the excess meat shared with the people through the local markets.
God does not want human sacrifice and God did not need animal sacrifices. God made all the animals of the world. God does not get hungry for us to give him something to eat. God did make us for happiness, and we find that happiness in obedience to the Lord. God’s word gives us life.
Saul’s problem was that he wanted to do things his way. This is also the problem of many “royal” families, whether they belong to monarchs or presidents or prime ministers. This is so because it is also the problem with each one of us: we prefer our own way to God’s way.
I have a new computer. At times I think it wants to do its own thing, not what I want it to do. When it does its own thing, I do not get my work done because I am baby-sitting a machine that is not working right. My computer may be able to drive a car, but if I want it to type out a homily, I do not need its ability to drive a car. What I want is obedience, not driving a car. For the record, my computer does not drive cars.
This is what God wants from us, that we do what God wants us to do. If God wants us to type a homily, God does not want us to drive a car. God did not want Saul to offer the spoils of war in sacrifice, but to bring his listening heart to the Lord.
Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. He dedicated his life to work to end discrimination. This celebration calls us to honor every human person with the inherent dignity God has given each of us. Race, color of skin, amount of education, status in a family, place of birth, lack of wealth and other incidentals should not be the basis for our acceptance of anyone. This our call today, in listening to the word of the Lord.