1st Reading 2 Kings 17:5-8,13-15,18
Psalm Ps. 60:3.4-5.12-14 (R. 7a)
Gospel Matthew 7: 1-5
Beloved, today we quickly turn to reflect on two passages in the Old and New Testaments with the idea of a mutuality between politics and religion unravelled.
The first reading takes us into the explicit political life of Israel particularly on the end of Israel, the northern kingdom. With quest to posses and rule, Assyrians, under Shalmanezer V (726-722BC; cf. 2 Kings 17: 5) sought to fulfill this political task and send Israel into exile in Assyria. The reason for this foreseen exile is God's anger in which case Israel had sinned against the Lord, their God (v. 7). Specifically, their sin was a rejection of God's statutes, the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and the warnings he had given them (v. 15). In fact, they threw themselves at the feet of Baal and worshiped it (v. 16). God's providence has been overlooked. God's goodness and his act of leading them to an end which is good has been disdained. “To God's providence belongs the order of things foreordained towards an end and an execution of this order.” (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Question 22, Article 3).
We see that religious disobedience sometimes have political implications while the vice versa is also possible as evident in the fact the division of the Land gets to have religious implications in which case to secure patriotism to Israel, two altars were set up at Dan and Bethel just to prevent the people from moving down to Judah to worship lest loyalty to Judah is brought back.
I speak of politics in terms of governance and rulership. Israel will suffer injustice, be oppressed and even their land, a treasured possession, will be taken from them and be given to another group of people.
Care should be taken in the act of governance and rulership and religion. Like the Assyrians, oppression should be out of place. Religion, with its practices, should be held faithfully so as not to exclude us from the presence of the Lord (v. 18).
The Gospel serves not to prevent us from the act of judgment as we often may think but to aid us in rightly doing so. With the same root word (κρίνω- Krinō) used in Matthew 19: 28 to mean judge, we learn to use judge in the context of our reflection as govern . In governing, we make those decisions and they are binding on all those are under us. Our decisions may improve another and may also destroy.
We are also put in the hem of affairs to correct errors. Refusal to judge constitutes a refusal to correct error.
This text, I believe, wants us to take up the elderly role of meting out Justice in the manner that when we ourselves are faced with similar situations same mode of justice is given us.
Harsh judgements should often not be the case, but we have to find it an opportunity to express love and mercy. Love and mercy cannot be shown us when we do not first give. We give and then receive.
Pax et Bonum
You have reflected well bro... man sometimes judge his own species without mercy and love as if they are not of the same essence. Thanks again.
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