As a nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr., I wanted to focus my reflection today and make a connection between his life and the reading from the book of Samuel.

In 1963, Dr. King sat in a jail cell in Birmingham, Alabama. He was not there because he had done something wrong, but because he had done something right. He had marched peacefully, spoken the truth, and challenged an unjust system. Many—including religious leaders—told him to slow down, to wait, to be more “prudent.” They preferred order over justice, comfort over courage.

From that jail cell, King wrote words that still challenge us today: “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

King understood something very biblical: doing what is right in God’s eyes is more important than doing what is safe or convenient. In many ways, his life helps us understand today’s reading from 1 Samuel 15:16–23.

In that passage, King Saul is confronted by the prophet Samuel. Saul claims he has obeyed God, but in reality, he only obeyed partially. He kept what he wanted and then tried to cover it up with something religious—a sacrifice. Samuel’s response is sharp and unforgettable: “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

God is not interested in religious gestures that replace real obedience. Saul did something that looked holy, but he did not do what God actually asked. He feared the people, worried about appearances, and justified his disobedience. And Samuel tells him plainly: rebellion is not a small thing—it is like idolatry—because it puts our will in the place of God’s will.

Here is the contrast: Saul asked, “Will this look acceptable?” Dr. King asked, “Is this right?”

King once wrote: “Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe? Expediency asks the question: Is it politic? Vanity asks the question: Is it popular? But conscience asks the question: Is it right?”

Saul chose what was safe and popular. King chose what was right.

And that brings the Word of God uncomfortably close to us. It is easy to offer God our sacrifices: coming to Mass, saying prayers, giving donations. All of that is good. But God still asks a deeper question: Am I obeying?

• Am I forgiving when it is hard?
• Am I telling the truth when it costs me?
• Am I standing up for what is right when it would be easier to stay quiet?

Dr. King warned: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

That silence, too, can be a form of disobedience. Even Jesus shows us what true obedience looks like in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done.”

The cross was not convenient. It was not safe. But it was obedience—and it is what saved us.

So today, the question is not simply, What am I offering to God? The real question is: What is God asking of me—and am I willing to do it? Or, as Dr. King beautifully reminds us: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

May we not substitute religion for obedience, or comfort for courage. May we be a people who choose, not what is easy, not what is popular—but what is right in the eyes of God.