Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

“Elijah Meeting Ahab and Jezebel in Naboth's Vineyard”
by Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee, 1873

 
Readings for Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
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.
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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.
 
CCC: 1 Kgs 21:1-9 2538; 1 Kgs 21:8 1295
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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.
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Commentary on Ps 5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7

“Psalm 5 offers not only a prayer that may be used in worship of God, but also a mirror of mankind without God.” [4]  It 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.

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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.”
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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
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Reflection:
 
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 principal 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.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture is “Elijah Meeting Ahab and Jezebel in Naboth's Vineyard” by Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee, 1873.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible except for 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.
[4] The Word Biblical Commentary, Psalms 1-50, Volume 19 © 2004 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. p. 88.