Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
From: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
David's last instructions
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[1] When David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, [2] "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, [3] and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; [4] that the LORD may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.'
Death of David
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[10] Then David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. [11] And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. [12] So Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was firmly established.
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Commentary:
2:1-4. David realizes that he is going to die soon and, like other outstanding biblical figures (such as Jacob, Moses and Jesus himself), he leaves a last will before he dies. David's consists of two parts -- one religious and theological (vv. 2-4), the other to do with political matters (vv. 5-9).
The first, although addressed to Solomon in the first instance, applies to all the kings in the future; in fact it is valid for all men. It begins by stressing the same thing Moses did to Joshua -- be strong and act manfully (cf. Deut 31:23; Josh 1:6; etc.) -- and it goes on to adopt the Mosaic teaching of the book of Deuteronomy: fidelity to God's commandments leads man to happiness and success; and, with reference to the people of God, fidelity is the condition for continuing to dwell in the promised land. It is the people's part of the covenant.
In general, David's successors will not keep to their commitment, and for that reason the nation will be split in two and eventually sent into exile. This is the explanation the books of Kings and Deuteronomic history provide for the tragic events of the monarchy period. But in the light of the New Testament God will be seen to fulfill his promise: Jesus Christ, Son of David, through his perfect obedience (cf. Phil 2) will be made king for ever (cf. Rev 1:15; 17:14; etc.).
The Bible's notion of a king being under divine law can be applied to the exercise of any type of authority for, as the Second Vatican Council teaches, "it is clear that the political community and public authority are based on human nature, and therefore that they must belong to an order established by God; nevertheless, the choice of the political regime and the appointment of rulers are left to the free decision of the citizens. It follows that political authority, either within the political community as such or through organizations representing the state, must be exercised within the limits of the moral order and directed toward the common good (understood in the dynamic sense of the term) according to the juridical order legitimately established or due to be established. Citizens, then, are bound in conscience to obey. Accordingly, the responsibility, the dignity, and the importance of state rulers is clear" (Gaudium et spes, 74).
2:10. "To sleep with one's fathers" is a Hebrew way of saying "to die"; it indirectly has to do with belief in life after death: this is a meaning which will emerge later.
Given that David had won the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, it was considered to be his property and, in line with ancient custom (cf. Gen 25: 7-10), when someone died he was buried on his property. The site of David's tomb was known to all, according to Jewish tradition (cf. Acts 2:29), and it was very richly decorated, as Flavius Joseph reported ("Antiquitates Iudaicae", 7, 394-395). A summary is provided in Sirach 47:3-12 of David's valour, glory, piety and of the forgiveness God extended to him.
The Mission of the Twelve
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[7] And he (Jesus) called to him the Twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. [8] He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; [9] but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. [10] And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. [11] And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." [12] So they went out and preached that men should repent. [13] And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.
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Commentary:
7. Cf. note on Mk 1:27; 3:14-19.
[The note on Mk 1:17 states:
27. The same authority that Jesus showed in His teaching (1:22) is now to be seen in His actions. His will is His command: He has no need of long prayers or incantations. Jesus' words and actions already have a divine power which provokes wonder and fear in those who hear and see Him.
Jesus continues to impress people in this way (Mark 2:12; 5:20-42; 7:37; 15:39; Luke 19:48; John 7:46). Jesus of Nazareth is the long-awaited Savior. He knows this Himself and He lets it be known by His actions and by His words; according to the gospel accounts (Mark 1:38-39; 2:10-11; 4:39) there is complete continuity and consistency between what He says and He does. As Vatican II teaches ("Dei Verbum", 2) Revelation is realized by deeds and words intimately connected with each other: the words proclaim the deeds and clarify the mystery contained in them; the deeds confirm the teaching. In this way Jesus progressively reveals the mystery of His Person: first the people sense His exceptional authority; later on, the Apostles, enlightened by God's grace, recognize the deepest source of this authority: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). ]
[The note on Mk 3:14-19 states:
14-19. The Twelve chosen by Jesus (cf. 3:14) receive a specific vocation to be "people sent out", which is what the word "apostles" means. Jesus chooses them for a mission which He will give them later (6:6-13) and to enable them to perform this mission He gives them part of His power. The fact that He chooses "twelve" is very significant. This is the same number as the twelve Patriarchs of Israel, and the Apostles represent the new people of God, the Church founded by Christ. Jesus sought in this way to emphasize the continuity that exists between the Old and New Testaments. The Twelve are the pillars on which Christ builds His Church (cf. Gal 2:9); their mission to make disciples of the Lord (to teach) all nations, sanctifying and governing the believers (Mt 28:16-20; Mk 16:15; Lk 24:45-48; Jn 20:21-23). ]
8-9. Jesus requires them to be free of any form of attachment if they are to preach the Gospel. A disciple, who has the mission of bringing the Kingdom of God to souls through preaching, should not rely on human resources but on God's Providence. Whatever he does not in order to live with dignity as a herald of the Gospel, he must obtain from those who benefit from his preaching, for the laborer deserves his maintenance (cf. Mt 10:10).
"The preacher should so trust in God that he is convinced that he will have everything he needs to support life, even if he cannot himself obtain it; for he should not neglect eternal things worrying about temporal things" (St Bede, "In Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc."). "By these instructions the Lord did not mean that the evangelists should not seek to live in any other way than by depending on what was offered to them by those to whom they preached the Gospel; otherwise this very Apostle (St Paul) would have acted contrary to this precept when he earned his living by the labors of his own hands" (St Augustine, "De Consensu Evangelistarum", II, 30).
13. St Mark is the only evangelist who speaks of anointing the sick with oil. Oil was often used for treating wounds (cf. Is 1:6; Lk 10:34), and the Apostles also use it for the miraculous cure of physical illnesses by virtue of the power given them by Jesus. Hence the use of oil as the matter of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, which cures wounds of the soul and even, if appropriate, bodily diseases. As the Council of Trent teaches--"Doctrina De Sacramento Extremae Unctionis", chap. 1--in this verse of St Mark there can be seen a "hint" of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, which our Lord will institute and which later on "is recommended and promulgated to the faithful by St James the Apostle" (cf. Jas 5:14ff).
Source: Daily Word for Reflection—Navarre Bible Commentary