Judges 3: Leading in Christ
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Adapted from a March 23, 2010 Favorite.
The judges in this book “were not magistrates, but military leaders sent by God to aid and to relieve his people in time of external danger. They exercised their activities in the interval of time between the death of Joshua and the institution of the monarchy in Israel . . . The purpose of this book is to show that the fortunes of Israel depended upon the obedience or disobedience of the people to God’s law. Whenever they rebelled against him, they were oppressed by pagan nations; when they repented, he raised up judges to deliver them”. (NEW AMERICAN BIBLE, 217) today we look at the first three judges, Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar.
He raised up for them a savior . . . who rescued them.
In today’s Gospel we read of an encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees. Their savior stands before them, willing to sacrifice all in order that they believe, in order that they turn back to God to enter willingly into the sheepfold. Jesus describes the relationship he has with the creator: The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him”. (John 8:29) The Pharisees are envious and plot against him; yet many others . . . Because he spoke this way . . . came to believe in him. (John 8:30)
In the time of Judges, the faithful believed that when they went astray they would be punished by God. In the Gospel of John, we see that when we stray we suffer the consequences that we measure out to other people. When we isolate or judge wrongly, we suffer the consequence we had meant for another. When we forgive and seek reunion, we experience the unity Christ offers.
The Pharisees think themselves above the Law because they adhere strictly to the code Moses handed to them; they do not comprehend the New Law of Freedom and Love that Jesus presents to them and which he lives out before them. It is for this reason that Christ says to them: You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins. (John 8:23-24)
As we assess where we stand and whether our actions portray our belief in a forgiving, loving creator, we take a moment to re-read stories of long ago heroes: three men who answered God’s call to deliver a nation. We too, are called in every day ways to lead others to freedom – for in so doing, we free ourselves from the bonds of this world.
Like the judges we read about today, we are called in Christ to become leaders. We are called to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, and to proclaim liberty to captives. Like those bystanders who witnessed Jesus’ interchange with the Pharisees, let us come to believe in him, and let us act as if we do.
Images from: https://www.thoughtco.com/ehud-killer-of-eglon-701183 and https://www.amazon.com/Shamgar-Son-Anath-James-Tissot/dp/B08P7BLSRB and https://www.amazon.com/Othniel-Tissot-1836-1902-French-Jewish/dp/B00PIGPR04
The Noontimes 