Friday, February 6, 2004
Fast Free Week
Boukolos, Bishop of Smyrna
Kellia: 1 Kings 13:1-18 LXX Epistle: 1 John 2:7-17 Gospel: St. Mark 14:3-9
1 Kings 13:1-18 (1 Sam. 13:1-18), especially vs. 11, 12,
"And Saul said, 'When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come
within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, 'Now the
Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of the Lord; so I
forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.'" The deep sin of presumption exposed itself in
King Saul, a spiritual defect that assured that the "kingdom [should] not continue" within his
family (vs.14). However, lest we be tempted to sympathize with Saul's "foolish doings" (vs. 13)
as we read, and lest we find ourselves wondering why Samuel did not try to correct him for his
indiscretion, let us consider thoughtfully the words of St. Theophan the Recluse concerning self-reliance: "this spiritual disease of ours, so hard to perceive and acknowledge, is more abhorrent to
God than all else in us, as being the first offspring of our self-hood and self-love, and the source,
root and cause of all passions and of all our downfalls and wrong doing."
Consider this fact: all through Holy Scripture, the Lord teaches us that "evil-doers shall utterly
perish, but they that wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth" (Ps. 36:9 LXX). Notice in this
statement of David, that he juxtaposes 'doing' and 'waiting.' In our modern world, so intensely
focused on 'achieving,' 'accomplishing,' and 'doing,' David's admonition warrants close
attention. No one can fault Saul for failure to act. His problem was that he acted
presumptuously, without warrant from the Lord.
To grasp the depth of Saul's brash self-reliance, it is important to reflect backwards (1 Kngs
13:10-14) from the encounter between Saul and Samuel at Gilgal, the national holy site located
on the plains of the Jordan river valley near Jericho. First, there was Saul's defensive remark to
Samuel: "you did not come within the days appointed" (vs. 11). Herein is the signal that there
was a prior arrangement concerning the meeting between the Prophet and the King.
At the heart of the agreement to meet at Gilgal was the godly practice of sacrificing to the Lord in
order to receive His blessing and His direction, a necessity before going into combat in a holy
war (see 1 Kngs. 7:5-11). So, even though we are not told explicitly in this case who called the
people out "to join Saul at Gilgal" (vs. 4), the unspoken protocol would necessarily have included
Samuel to preside at the sacrifice. This solemn rite was a Priestly-Prophetic function, not an
offering which could be performed 'by' the king. Rather, it was done 'for' the king. If Samuel
never showed up, Saul should have simply foregone the sacrifice.
True, the stationing of Philistine garrisons in the middle of the highland territory of the Israelites
is an indication of a strong, existing Philistine hegemony over God's People. One can appreciate
how galling it must have been to have occupying garrisons controlling them. When at last there
was a king who had been anointed to "go out before us and fight our battles" (1 Kngs 8:20), the
Philistines must have been very odious, especially so for Saul, for his home territory of Gibeah of
Benjamin was immediately adjacent to this foreign outpost at Geba (1 Kngs. 13:2, 3).
Here, however, one finds additional evidence of presumption. Given that the king felt the need to
precipitate a war of liberation from the Philistines, should not he first have sought the proven,
godly counsel of Samuel before the Lord, and long before starting the conflict?
Beloved of God, listen to St. John of the Ladder's caution concerning presumption: "there is only
one erring path, and it is called self-rule. But he who has renounced this entirely, even in things
that seem to be good and...pleasing to God, has reached the end before setting out...."
Lord, I have fled unto Thee; teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.
