It is a strange fact that, even though the desire to perform some service or task usually contributes to you doing it well, the desire to rule over people usually makes you ill suited for the task. We may think that nobility is a strange notion – the idea that you are born to rule as royalty or something – but it does solve the problem of finding someone to rule. In the scripture passage, we see that the only tree willing to set aside its natural gifts to rule instead over the people was the buckthorn. It would have been great to have a nicer tree, but none of the others were willing. It could make us realize the limitations of our current system of government… Is the motivation to lead or to rule an indicator of anything more than a lust for power? Only, perhaps, if the the motivation is driven by necessity – no one else will do it.
Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us about the importance of the ten commandments. In other places, Jesus clearly expresses the greatest or most important commandments – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.” This young man must have been familiar with the commandments, but must have had a difficult time actually putting them into practice. Sometimes we don’t sin simply because we are afraid of the consequences. If we knew we could get away with something wrong, we might not be able to resist the temptation. It would seem that Jesus is drawing attention to this fact when He restates the commandments. The young man is looking for something else to do before he has seriously applied himself to the commandments. Jesus says that simply nourishing anger in our hearts against our brother is akin to murder. He says that even an impure glance is condemned by the commandment against adultery.
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s first reading from the Book of Kings presents us with an overburdened Elijah. There is a fascinating parallel with the prophet Jonah: both of these prophets find themselves under a plant asking the Lord for death, but the Lord responds in two very different ways to their request. In the case of Jonah, when he asks for death, he was very angry at the way things had turned out. Jonah was angry at God’s providence, he was angry at being sent on a mission that – in his mind – was pointless. Jonah was angry that the plant that miraculously grew and protected him from the sun suddenly died and exposed him again to the blistering heat. The Lord’s response to Jonah comes in the form of a rebuke: God wanted Jonah to rejoice at His marvelous work of salvation, the sincere repentance and conversion of the Ninevites. God wanted Jonah to rejoice that they were forgiven, but Jonah was angry because they didn’t receive the punishment they deserved.