[stephenkhoo]

TRUE SACRIFICE IS OBEDIENCE TO GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 SM 15:16-23; MK 2:18-22
http://www.universalis.com/20140120/mass.htm



The Church is often described as the bride of God. This imagery recapitulates the whole purpose of human life, which is that man is called to be in deep intimacy and union with God who is the source of love and life.

Within this context, we see the importance of sacrifice. Why is sacrifice so important? It is man’s way of expressing sorrow for his sins and his desire to be reconciled with God.

Among the many kinds of sacrifices in the biblical faith, two types stand out, namely, burnt offerings and fasting. In the Old Testament, the Israelite religion required the offering of holocausts. It was their way of expressing their deepest respect and honour to God by offering Him the best of their animals from their livestock, those without defects. At the same time, by laying their hands on their heads, they symbolically transfer their sins to these innocent animals.

In Judaism, besides animal sacrifices, there was also fasting. In itself, fasting is going beyond animal sacrifices, because it calls for personal discipline and personal sacrifice. Fasting enables one to be more focused on the presence of God; it instills a greater empathy and compassion for the poor.

Yet such forms of sacrifice, be it burnt offerings or fasting, were deemed to be of lesser value than the sacrifice of obedience. This is underscored in today’s first reading when the judge and prophet Samuel reprimanded King Saul for not obeying the voice of the Lord; displeasing Him by taking the spoils of his enemies which were under the ban. What was even more disgusting was Saul’s attempt to justify his disobedience by masking his greed with generosity when he retorted, “But I did obey the voice of the Lord. I went on the mission which the Lord gave me … From the booty the people took the best sheep and oxen … to sacrifice them to the Lord …”. But Samuel rejected his rationalization, saying, “Is the pleasure of the Lord in holocausts and sacrifices or in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Yes, obedience is better than sacrifice, submissiveness better than the fat of rams.”

The point underscored by Samuel is that the whole purpose of sacrifice is to be in union with God in mind and heart. If offering sacrifices do not achieve such a purpose, what is the use of all these external manifestations? What is even more important is to have a docile and obedient heart, listening to the voice of the Lord and doing what He commands us to do so that in obeying Him, we will share in His life and love. Hence, if obedience is the highest form of sacrifice, it is because it entails the total giving of oneself to God; our life, our will, our pride, our ego and our resources. It is to hold nothing back from and for ourselves.

Disobedience on the other hand is a form of idolatry. It is not simply worshipping false gods but a worship of self. It springs from pride, egotism and self-will. It smacks of attachment and greed. When we have a disobedient heart, we listen to our own passions and alienate ourselves from God and from others. Thus, the judgment of Samuel on King Saul was this: “Since you rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” He no longer deserved to be king since he was a slave to himself.

In a similar fashion, Jesus also advocates fasting in the context of obedience. This is illustrated by the examples Jesus gave in the gospel. According to Him, obedience is not a burdensome duty. Rather, obedience simply means to live in harmony and in union with what is true and right. Thus, we do not fast when the bridegroom is still with us. To further reinforce this need for harmony in life so that the interior heart and exterior actions are coherent, He gave the examples of the old cloak and the old wineskin. It is important that we do not sew “a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak”, nor should one put “new wine into old wineskins.” In both cases, because of the incompatibility, the old cloth and old wineskins would be torn apart. Hence, obedience is to be one with the situation, one with truth and life, and love and thus with God and with our fellow human beings.

Obedience is a call to be in communion with God and with man, but most of all to be one with ourselves. So be it fasting or any other forms of sacrifice, these are only means to effect our union with God in mind and in heart by offering ourselves totally to God.

Consequently, today, if we want to be justified, sanctified and be one with God, we must offer our whole being to God in living out His will, obeying His Word at all times. It is also not enough for us to be doing good works – we need to do the work for God.

We must do everything completely for God and God alone. If not, we will be engaging in idolatry, since we put self-will before the will of God. Let us remind ourselves that “obedience is better than sacrifice, submissiveness better than the fat of rams.” Yes, obedience is the ultimate form of love for God, more than anything else we can do or offer. This is what He wants from us, for that is what makes Him happy, since in obedience to His will which is His wisdom, we find our happiness and joy.