depend

January 27, 2018

The cooking pots are holy (Zech 14:20-14:21)

“On that day,

There shall be inscribed

On the bells

Of the horses.

‘Holy to Yahweh.’

The cooking pots

In the house of Yahweh

Shall be as holy

As the bowls

In front of the altar.

Every cooking pot

In Jerusalem,

As well as in Judah

Shall be sacred

To Yahweh of hosts.

Thus,

All who sacrifice

May come.

They may use them

To boil the flesh

Of the sacrifice.

There shall no longer

Be traders

In the house

Of Yahweh of hosts,

On that day.”

On this glorious day, the bells of the horses will have the inscription that Yahweh is holy.  The cooking pots in the house of Yahweh would be as holy as the bowls on the altar in front of the holy of holies.  In fact, all the cooking pots in Judah and Jerusalem would be sacred to Yahweh.  The sacrifices could then be boiled in any kind of pot because they were all holy.  They would no longer need to depend on the traders at the Temple selling them special holy pots.

June 5, 2016

Sickness (Sir 38:9-38:15)

“My child!

When you are ill,

Do not delay!

But pray to the Lord!

He will heal you.

Give up your faults!

Direct your hands rightly!

Cleanse your heart

From all sin!

Offer a sweet-smelling sacrifice!

Offer a memorial portion

Of choice flour!

Pour oil on your offering,

As much as you can afford.

Then give the physician his place.

The Lord has created him.

Do not let him leave you!

You need him.

There may come a time

When recovery lies

In the hands of this physician.

They too pray to the Lord.

Thus the Lord may grant him

Success in his diagnosis.

Thus he may grant him

Success in healing.

This is done

For the sake of preserving life.

He who sins

Against his Maker,

Will be defiant

Toward his physician.”

Sirach explains the connection between sickness and sin. However, the new twist is that you must do more than simply praying for forgiveness. You must also see a physician. Although the first thing that you do when you are sick is pray to the Lord, but that is not sufficient. You should confess your sins and cleanse your heart. You should also make a sweet smelling sacrifice to the Lord with choice flour and as much oil as you can. After that, you then turn to a physician who was created by the Lord. Do not let the physician leave you because your recovery will depend on him. He too prays for a successful diagnosis of your illness. He heals for the sake of preserving life. The physician takes the place of your maker God, since if you have sinned, you will be defiant to this physician also. Here we see the need for human remediation to help in sickness instead of a total reliance on God.

 

June 2, 2016

Financial independence (Sir 33:19-33:23)

“To son or wife,

To brother or friend,

Do not give power over yourself,

As long as you live.

Do not give your property

To another.

In case you change your mind,

You must ask for it.

While you are still alive,

While you have breath in you,

Do not let anyone take your place!

It is better

That your children

Should ask from you

Than that you should look

To the hand of your children.

Excel in all that you do!

Bring no stain upon your honor!

At the time when you end

The days of your life,

In the hour of your death,

Distribute your inheritance.”

Sirach points out the important of keeping your money until you die. He did not want people to give up their property to sons, wives, brothers, or friends as long as they were alive. He would be against the modern power of attorney concept. He seems to prefer the old fashioned last will and testament. His reasoning was that you might change your mind. Then you would have a hard time getting it back. No one should take your place as long as you were living. It is better that your children come to you, rather than you depend on your children. During your life, you should excel in all that you do. You should bring honor to your family. However, at the end, when you are near death, then you can distribute your goods via a will or anyway you please.

April 25, 2016

Be firm (Sir 5:8-5:12)

“Do not depend on dishonest wealth.

It will not benefit you

In the day of calamity.

Do not winnow with every wind.

Do not follow every path.

Stand firm for what you know.

Let your speech be consistent.

Be quick to hear.

But be deliberate in answering.

If you know what to say,

Answer your neighbor.

But if you do not know,

Put your hand on your mouth.”

Now the righteous person is asked to stand firm. They should not depend on dishonest wealth to benefit them in the days of their trouble. They were not to follow every wind and every path. They should stand firm for what they know. Their speech should be consistent. They should be quick to listen, but deliberate in answering. If they know what to say, say so. However, if they do not know what to say, they should put their hand over their mouth and be silent.

March 20, 2015

Let us not fall into slavery (Jdt 8:21-8:24)

“If we are captured,

All Judea will be captured.

Our sanctuary will be plundered.

He will make us pay for its desecration.

The slaughter of our kindred,

The captivity of the land,

The desolation of our inheritance,

All this he will bring upon our heads among the Gentiles.

Wherever we serve as slaves,

We shall be an offense and a disgrace,

In the eyes of those who acquire us.

Our slavery will not bring us into favor,

But the Lord our God will turn it to dishonor.

Therefore, my brothers,

Let us set an example for our kindred.

Their lives depend upon us.

The sanctuary,

Both the temple and the altar,

Rests upon us.”

If they suffer defeat, Judea will be defeated. It is no longer Judah. The sanctuary in Jerusalem will be desecrated. Our relatives will be killed. Our inheritance will be lost. The captivity will be a reality. We will be slaves to the Gentiles, an offense and disgrace to all. Our slavery will not bring us favor but dishonor with God. We have to set an example for all our kindred. They depend on us to defend the sanctuary, the Temple, and the altar. It is our challenge.