Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
(I Samuel 16:1-13; Mark 2:23-28)
In a couple of weeks American attention will turn to the
Superbowl. Most people will make plans
for watching the championship game on television. They will root for their preferred team,
enjoy the halftime entertainment, and take note of the advertisements. More than any other public event, the
Superbowl reveals how advertisements entice the public to spend their money.
In today’s first reading Samuel is similarly enticed by an array
of characteristics that amount to advertisements for a replacement of King
Saul. Eliab looks good with his lofty
stature. So does Abinadab, who fought in Saul’s army. But what is appealing to humans may not be
what God desires. Although David’s ruddy
complexion attracts human eyes, it is not for his appearance that the Lord chooses
him to be king. Rather, it is David’s
heart which loves the Lord and will remain faithful to him.
We too must be careful not to judge only by appearances. Whether it be a book or a spouse, the flashy,
the sumptuous, the beautiful will draw our attention. But as the wise know by instinct and most of
us from experience, what makes a person worthy is not visible to the eye. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr., , it is
not the color of one’s skin, but the content of one’s character that matters.
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