interesting juxtaposition

Today’s readings create an interesting juxtaposition.

On the one hand, we have the familiar (and most often ignored) words of Jesus telling us to

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.”

On the other hand we have the story of Naboth, his vineyard and the greedy pair Ahab & Jezebel. If you’re not familiar with the story, go and read today’s installment. Basically, Naboth’s got some prime property that Ahab wants. Ahab asks Naboth to sell it to him, Naboth says “The LORD forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage.” So Ahab goes away unhappy, and his wife takes action and has Naboth stoned to death and then says to her husband:

“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.

Millions of Catholics world wide will say “Thanks be to God” after the end of that passage today. Is it, “Thanks be to God for all the murderous & greedy people of the world?”. Of course not … after all, tomorrow at mass we’ll hear Ahab get a talking to from Elijah and he will understand the errors of his ways.

But back to Naboth. The man was offered a fair price for his land, but understandably he didn’t want to sell the land that had been in his family for generations. But what if he had “given to the one who asks of you”? He wouldn’t be alive today, but he would have had a few more years to enjoy with his family. But I’m guessing he didn’t imagine he’d be stoned to death for a vineyard … if so I bet he may have acted differently.

That’s the rub isn’t it … we never know what will happen in life. We make all these grand plans. Build up all of these possessions and personal empires. But in the end, what is it that truly matters? Jesus points us in the right direction, but it is a hard road to walk.

Morning rambling over. Off to hop in the shower, get dressed and head off to an exciting day at the office.