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| “Demolition Of The Sacred Stone Of Baal” by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1511 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Judges 2:11-19
Commentary on Jgs 2:11-19
In this passage from the book of Judges the chronicler recounts how the Children of Israel fell away from God and began to follow secular worship of Baal and Ashtaroth. This led them to destruction, all they attempted turned to disaster. Even when Judges (leaders of the faith) were appointed and who were faithful to God and the Law, the people ignored them. Even those who followed them would fall away once a particular judge died. Nothing was possible without God’s help and support.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:34-35, 36-37, 39-40, 43ab and 44
R. (4a) Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.
Commentary on Ps 106:34-35, 36-37, 39-40, 43ab and 44
Psalm 104 is a historical psalm. Here it laments the failure of the people to follow God’s instruction to remain faithful and apart from the secular society into which they had come (in actuality they were to have destroyed those societies but did not).
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Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22
Commentary on Mt 19:16-22
Jesus’ encounter with the rich young man is also captured in Mark 10:17-31. In St. Matthew’s account the young man asks Jesus what “good” he must do to attain “eternal life” (equivalent to entering into life or being saved as used in other parts of St. Matthew’s Gospel – see Matthew 19:17 and Matthew 16:25). Following the Lord’s grammatical clarification (“There is only One who is good” a statement implying only God possesses the ability to act without sin – completely good.) the young man asks which commandments he must follow.
“The first five commandments cited are from the Decalogue (see Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20). Matthew omits Mark's "you shall not defraud" (Matthew 10:19; see Deuteronomy 24:14) and adds Leviticus 19:18. This combination of commandments of the Decalogue with Leviticus 19:18 is partially the same as Paul's enumeration of the demands of Christian morality in Romans 13:9.”[3]
The Lord’s concluding remarks tell the Christian community that wealth can be a barrier to achieving eternal life. This thought is continued in verses 23-30
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Reflection:
Here is that nagging question again; “what good must I do to gain eternal life?” It is a question, judging from history, the answer to which people and societies have not wanted. We see that clearly in the account from the Book of Judges. The Chronicler, as the author(s) is called, reflects upon the weakness of the descendants of Isaac and Jacob who were brought to the land they occupied. God instructed them to destroy the secular cultures that were thriving in the region so future generations would not be tempted to fall away from the commandments contained in the Covenants of Sinai. When they came to do so, they could not. The life-styles were seductive and the riches they encountered could not be thrown away.
We can imagine, on a compressed time scale what took place. The original settlers, faithful to all God had commanded (except this little thing – we can conquer this land with God’s help, but we don’t need to destroy all this good stuff, we can just ignore it) occupied the land God had promised. The first generation was probably pretty faithful to the promises, but riches and all that they can buy are tempting. Parents always want better for their children than they themselves had so they indulge their children. The strict adherence to the Law is not what it might have been and many second generation Israelites did not even make a pretense of trying to follow Mosaic Law – in fact they violated one of the cardinal commandments of the Decalogue – they participated in idol worship (Baal and Ashtaroth).
Having lost sight of the precepts of their faith, adopting secular values and customs, they fell from grace and were overthrown. Leaders, faithful to the old traditions and laws would arise and call many back to the faith but once that leadership passed, they would revert. It is much easier to go with the flow, as they say. If this series of events sounds familiar, all we need to do is look around at what is happening in the world today.
Jesus, in the story about the young man who begged “what good must I do to gain eternal life?,” called the young man to place his faith before material goods and the comfort that goes along with it. He knew that with possessions comes responsibility. One cannot own something, even an inanimate object, without it commanding responsibility from the owner. Anything that detracts from one’s responsibility to God places a barrier between that person and eternal life.
The parallels between this situations and what has happened historically to people of faith is obvious. It goes in cycles, seemingly. When the Holy See in Rome gained ascendancy and the Latin Church gained so many members that it was seen (by secular sources) as a political power, some of those at the very top of the structure were tempted beyond their ability to refrain from the abuses of power and the Holy Mother Church for a time was thrown into disarray. Great lions of the faith appeared, St Francis of Assisi
The religious orders grew, became wealthy and were themselves in need of reform. Always it is the same. With wealth and power, there is overwhelming temptation to be dominated by the power that comes with material wealth.
In more recent years the Church has seen the affect power has had in some of the most fervent of the faithful. Speaking for the United States, we see vividly a system that has departed more and more from traditional Christian values; first with the judiciary betraying humanist values by striking down laws the democratic forum had enacted (e.g. codifying the definition of marriage). Then we see the administration abrogating the long sacred “Freedom of Religion” precepts forcing religious institutions to adopt practices that go against the beliefs they hold.
We wonder how history will judge this generation as it appears to follow the evolution of Roman and Greek cultures down the spiral of decadence?
While it is tempting, we had best not pass judgment on those who have apparently fallen into the same trap as the young man who “went away sad, for he had many possessions.” We must look to ourselves and see our own temptations; our own failings. As always we have faith that if we truly seek Christ, we will find him beaconing us to him. His forgiveness and love are always available to those who recognize their own sin and ask for his forgiveness.
Pax
[1] S.S Commemoratio
[2] The picture is “Demolition Of The Sacred Stone Of Baal” by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1511
[3] See NAB note on Matthew 18-19
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