In today’s readings, 1 Kgs. 21: 1-16 and Mt 5: 38-42 we are
challenged in many ways. Naboth’s family
owned a vineyard next to Ahab, King of Samaria.
It was his family’s inheritance, which could not be permanently alienated
from its ancestral owners, a long-held religious tradition (Stuelmueller,
Carroll, C.P., Biblical Meditations for
Ordinary Time,--Weeks 10-22, Paulist
Press, N.Y., pp. 28-29). Loyal to his
family, Naboth denies King Ahab’s request to purchase the land. His wife, Queen Jezebel, distraught over King
Ahab’s pouting and refusal to eat—an adult temper tantrum—promises her husband
that she will take care of things. She
contrives Naboth’s demise, having evil men unjustly accuse him, a righteous
man, of blaspheming God, as happened to Jesus Himself, when He, too, is accused
of blasphemy, his death plotted and executed.
Naboth is put to death and Ahab seizes his property. Jesus is put to death and freely shares His
inheritance with us!
The kind of behavior we see in King Ahab and Queen Jezebel
is not uncommon today. Rich nations,
wealthy corporations, powerful persons exploit the poor over and over and over
again.Mass murders and assassinations are pre-arranged. The “strong” overpower the “weak" in so many other ways as well: adults abuse children, men abuse women, boys abuse girls, bullies and cowards of either sex take unfair advantage of those they
deem weaker than themselves.
God rains
down justice. Naboth and Jezebel are confronted with the truth of their sinfulness. Naboth, we learn,
repents. In previous O.T. stories we read of other key persons in our salvation history who also fell from grace and repented. It is salvation history that
continues to this very day in your life and mine. I pray that today when Jesus gives me the
opportunity to “turn the other cheek” (Mt. 5:39) that I will have the courage
to choose righteousness and cling to my inner truth versus engaging in fleeting
pleasures at another’s expense.
No comments:
Post a Comment