Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 21:17–29
In any ancient society, few would have questioned the actions of a king or an emperor. Rulers were often seen as the law of the nation and as standing above it. What applied to an ordinary citizen did not apply to them. Thus, in any ancient society, Ahab and Jezebel might easily have gotten away with murdering Naboth and taking possession of his vineyard. However, Ahab was not merely a king in any ancient society; he was the king of Israel, and he was bound by the commandments of God: You shall not covet. You shall not murder.
The uniqueness of the Bible lies in the fact that it gives a voice to the victims of injustice. I do not recall any story in which the gods of Rome, Greece, or the Hindu gods and goddesses brought the rulers of those ancient civilizations to account for crimes committed against their own people. The God of the Bible, however, constantly stands with those who are treated as nobodies. Today, we hear God’s voice announcing severe punishment upon Ahab and his entire household for the crime committed against Naboth: “The LORD says: After murdering, do you also take possession? For this, the LORD says: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick up your blood, too” (1 Kings 21:19).
We often hear that history is written by the victors. That is true—with one great exception: the Bible. The foundation of Rome is said to have been established after its founder, Romulus, murdered his twin brother Remus. Yet we do not hear anything about the blood of Remus crying out to Jupiter, the chief deity of ancient Rome. But the blood of Abel, murdered by his brother Cain, cried out to the LORD and brought judgment upon his older brother (see Gen. 4:8–16). Later, the voice of the Israelite slaves was heard by the LORD, and the mighty Egyptian empire was severely punished. In the prophetic tradition, the voice of the victims crying out to God for justice becomes especially loud. Through the prophets, the LORD warned the leaders of Israel of the dire consequences of disregarding the cry of the poor.
Within the entire biblical library, nothing compares to the Gospels. To ancient historians, Jesus was a nobody, one among many victims of the mighty Roman Empire. The Roman procurators of Judea crucified many Jews; in other parts of the empire, they crucified all who dared to oppose Roman rule. It was the norm, and no one would have even entertained the idea of writing a biography of one of these victims. That we possess an account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is itself a miracle. Scholars tell us that this is only because Jesus rose from the dead. Yes. But at the heart of the Gospel is also the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, told in such a way that the reader is appalled by the staggering injustice and cruelty that led to His death.
The Bible, and the Gospel in particular, has shaped our sensitivity toward the poor and the suffering of the world. Today, no Ahab can murder an innocent citizen of his nation and simply get away with it. Today, with few remaining exceptions in societies not yet touched by the moral vision of the Gospel, no leader can openly claim to be above the law and do whatever he wishes. Following the pattern of the Gospel, history is slowly being written from the perspective of the victims. For this, we should always be grateful to the LORD and to the voice He has communicated to us through His prophets and the evangelists.
Scripture Attribution
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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