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| “Elijah Meeting Ahab and Jezebel in Naboth's Vineyard” by Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee, 1873 |
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: 1 Kings 21:1-16
Naboth the Jezreelite had a
vineyard in Jezreel
next to the palace of Ahab, king of
Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your
vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my
house.
I will give you a better vineyard
in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its
value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The Lord
forbid
that I should give you my ancestral
heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry
at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to
him:
“I will not give you my ancestral
heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned
away from food and would not eat.
His wife Jezebel came to him and
said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will
not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke
to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your
vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a
vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his
vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are
indeed!
Get up.
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of
Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name
and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the
nobles
who lived in the same city with
Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the
letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at
the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face
him
and accuse him of having cursed God
and king.
Then take him out and stone him to
death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and
nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in
writing,
through the letters she had sent
them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed
Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and
confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to
Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to
death.
When Jezebel learned that Naboth
had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the
vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he
refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but
dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead,
Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the
Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on 1
Kgs 21:1-16
The story of the murder of Naboth
by Jezebel is within the "Elijah Cycle" of this historical book. In
this part of the story, we are given some insights into ancient Hebrew
tradition. First, Naboth did not refuse to sell his vineyard because the price
was not fair. Rather, he would not sell it because of the tradition of
retaining ancestral inheritance. Even the king could not command its sale.
In Jezebel’s treachery we see first
that proclaiming a fast would have been done to atone for sin. In this case,
there was some negative event, thought to be brought on by a violation of God’s
law. Placing Naboth “at the head of the people” would have identified him as
the one to whom this sin was attributed. Then having two dishonest witnesses
(recall Mosaic Law requires two witnesses (Numbers 35:30, Deuteronomy 17:6) accuse
him of blasphemy would have cost Naboth his life. Apparently, as a result of
this type of death, the condemned person's property was forfeit to the crown.
-------------------------------------------
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm
5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7
R. (2b) Lord,
listen to my groaning.
Hearken to my words, O Lord,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly
before you.
For you, O God, delight not in
wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your
sight.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak
falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the Lord abhors.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Ps
5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7
Psalm 5 is an individual lament contrasting the saving power of God with the lies of evil people. In these strophes, the psalmist pleads that God will visit judgment on those who lie and commit evil deeds.
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 5:38-42
Jesus quotes Mosaic Law from Leviticus 24:20. The Old Testament commandment was meant to moderate vengeance. The punishment was not to exceed the injury done. Jesus forbids even this proportionate retaliation, rejecting physical revenge completely: “turn the other one to him as well.” He goes further with four additional examples, saying that the Christian is not to resist litigation but to offer more than is asked, offer more service than what is asked, and loan to others who wish to borrow. With these examples, the Lord shows how it must be between those who follow him to the Kingdom of God. The Lord redefines the term “neighbor” who was traditionally held to be one’s countryman. Jesus extends his commandment, to “love your neighbor,” even to enemies and those who persecute. In doing so, Jesus once more broadens the invitation to follow him to include not just the Jewish people, but all peoples.
Psalm 5 is an individual lament contrasting the saving power of God with the lies of evil people. In these strophes, the psalmist pleads that God will visit judgment on those who lie and commit evil deeds.
-------------------------------------------
Gospel: Matthew 5:38-42
Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”
-------------------------------------------
Commentary on Mt 5:38-42
Jesus quotes Mosaic Law from Leviticus 24:20. The Old Testament commandment was meant to moderate vengeance. The punishment was not to exceed the injury done. Jesus forbids even this proportionate retaliation, rejecting physical revenge completely: “turn the other one to him as well.” He goes further with four additional examples, saying that the Christian is not to resist litigation but to offer more than is asked, offer more service than what is asked, and loan to others who wish to borrow. With these examples, the Lord shows how it must be between those who follow him to the Kingdom of God. The Lord redefines the term “neighbor” who was traditionally held to be one’s countryman. Jesus extends his commandment, to “love your neighbor,” even to enemies and those who persecute. In doing so, Jesus once more broadens the invitation to follow him to include not just the Jewish people, but all peoples.
CCC: Mt 5:42 2443
-------------------------------------------
Reflection:
Heavenly Father, we
humbly pray that those suffering from the coronavirus be returned quickly to
full health by the power of your Son’s healing presence, and those in fear be
calmed through the Holy Spirit.
In Christ’s name we
pray. – Amen.
Every once in a while we are given
readings which, by their contrast, provide us with a glimpse of just how
radical Jesus’ teaching was. Today we see such a contrast. In the first reading,
note how Mosaic Law could be twisted and used for evil purposes. Jezebel
clearly knew what she was doing when it came to the Law. She used the tradition
that any negative impact on the community, such as famine, crop failure,
disease, or even accidents that resulted in crippling injury or death, were
thought to be purposeful punishments initiated by God for sins committed by an
individual or group. As we can deduce from the story in the First Book of
Kings, sometimes it was not clear who the punishment was aimed at, or what the
sin was.
Jezebel arranged for these two
facts to become clear, first by singling out Naboth as a person upon whom the
blame should be cast, and then providing witnesses who would perjure themselves,
accusing Naboth of blasphemy, a crime under Mosaic Law punishable by death. (See Leviticus 24:14-23, note also that this is the same section of the
Law Jesus is interpreting in the Gospel of St. Matthew.)
We see the evil plans of Jezebel
playing out as she intended, and Naboth was killed as a result. The Law was
used, not as God intended, but to fulfill the greedy desires of people. Those
who committed this brash act were quite aware of what they were doing. The
Psalmist sings about such people, imploring God to punish those who lie and
deceive. We suspect that Jezebel and her schemes will not have gone unpunished.
But we can see the Law used time
and again for purposes other than that for which it was handed down. Jesus
takes the very Law Jezebel uses and tells his followers that God’s will does
not include vendetta. It does not include exacting justice (had the Lord’s
interpretation of the Law been in effect at the time of Naboth, he could not
have been killed at all). In extending God’s law of love to the whole of
humankind, Jesus changes how Christians, his followers, must behave toward
others. In such a faith community, abuses of the Law are not possible because
the principle or foundational law is: “Love one another.”
It does not feel like we have
adequately described the huge contrast here, but, as always, we leave it to
prayer. Today we pray that when we encounter those who are uncharitable, we
meet them with charity. When we meet those who hate, we counter with love. It
is what we are called to do as followers of Christ.
In this strange year where many
of us will not be able to receive the Blessed Sacrament or celebrate as a
community in our houses of worship, we must be prepared to receive spiritual
communion in prayer:
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most
Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all
things,
and I desire to receive
You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this
moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually
into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself
wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Pax
[1]
The picture is “Elijah Meeting Ahab and Jezebel in Naboth's Vineyard” by Sir
Francis Bernard Dicksee, 1873.
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible
with the exception of the Psalm and its response which were developed by the
International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is
not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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