15 June 2010, Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1
1 Kgs 21:17-29

After the death of Naboth the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite:

“Start down to meet Ahab, king of Israel,

who rules in Samaria.

He will be in the vineyard of Naboth,

of which he has come to take possession.

This is what you shall tell him,

‘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.’”

Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight,

I am bringing evil upon you: I will destroy you

and will cut off every male in Ahab’s line,

whether slave or freeman, in Israel.

I will make your house like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,

and like that of Baasha, son of Ahijah,

because of how you have provoked me by leading Israel into sin.”

(Against Jezebel, too, the LORD declared,

“The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.”)

“When one of Ahab’s line dies in the city,

dogs will devour him;

when one of them dies in the field,

the birds of the sky will devour him.”

Indeed, no one gave himself up to the doing of evil

in the sight of the LORD as did Ahab,

urged on by his wife Jezebel.

He became completely abominable by following idols,

just as the Amorites had done,

whom the LORD drove out before the children of Israel.



When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments

and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh.

He fasted, slept in the sackcloth, and went about subdued.

Then the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite,

“Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me?

Since he has humbled himself before me,

I will not bring the evil in his time.

I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.”

Gospel
Mt 5:43-48

Jesus said to his disciples:

“You have heard that it was said,

You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But I say to you, love your enemies

and pray for those who persecute you,

that you may be children of your heavenly Father,

for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,

and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

Do not the tax collectors do the same?

And if you greet your brothers only,

what is unusual about that?

Do not the pagans do the same?

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”


Meditation: 1 Kings 21:17-29

Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? (1 Kings 21:29)


Ahab was one of Israel’s most wicked kings, and the prophet Elijah spent much of his ministry battling the idolatry of Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. One of Ahab’s most treacherous actions, in fact, happened in concert with his wife, Jezebel. Their neighbor, Naboth, owned a very valuable and fruitful vineyard, and Ahab coveted it so deeply that he let Jezebel falsely accuse Naboth so that he would be executed. With Naboth out of the way, Ahab was free to take possession of his vineyard. Once again, the wicked and strong triumphed over the weak and vulnerable—until God sent in Elijah.

We might expect Ahab and Jezebel to be punished severely for such a cold-blooded crime. But that’s not what happened. When Elijah pronounced God’s judgment, Ahab repented. And God forgave him!

According to the story, Ahab showed his repentance when he “tore his garments and put on sackcloth” (1 Kings 21:27). These outward signs of his inner sorrow were very important. God used them as evidence to convince Elijah that Ahab’s heart really had changed. And on the basis of this evidence, the prophet felt confident enough to speak words of divine mercy to the king.

We don’t usually rip our clothes or dress in sackcloth before we go to Confession. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do something to express our sorrow and to emphasize the gravity of our sins. Spending extra time in prayer can help us draw closer to God so he can continue to transform us. Performing an act of charity can help put us in touch with the sufferings of others—sufferings that oftentimes come about because of other people’s sinfulness. And fasting from a favorite food or even meal or two can reveal our spiritual emptiness and show us how deeply we need the Lord.

Of course, none of these actions can win God’s mercy. That is a gift that he freely gives. But they can teach us self-control, humility, and openness to the Lord. If Ahab can repent, so can we. There’s nothing like working with the Lord in order to experience his healing and restoration!

“Lord Jesus, thank you for having mercy on me and welcoming me back when I stray from your ways.”