2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17 / Mark 6:1-6
It is a human desire to want to prove ourselves.
And even if we know that we are good at something, we want to hear praise and affirmation.
At the root of it all, it is simply a pride and ego trip.
But pride and ego can also lead to other complicated issues.
In the 1st reading, king David wanted to do a census of the people, so as to know the size of the population.
It may seem that it is just for statistics. But at that time, Israel was the most powerful and wealthy nation in the region.
Though it was not a big nation, yet it grew because of the blessings from the Lord.
In wanting to do a census, king David gave way to his pride and ego, and he wanted to have numbers so as to flaunt it to the other nations.
But later king David realized that he had played into his pride and ego and repented, and submitted to the Lord.
In the gospel, when Jesus returned to His hometown, He met with rejection, but He didn’t try to prove Himself or showed them what He can do.
Rather He just left them with their own opinions and went on His way.
There is also no need to compare ourselves with others in terms of abilities or achievements.
May we know what God’s will is for us and let us set about fulfilling His will for us.