First reading 1 Kings 21:1-16
Ahab covets Naboth’s vineyard and Jezebel has him killed
Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard close by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria, and Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden, since it adjoins my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will give you its worth in money.’ But Naboth answered Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors!’
Ahab went home gloomy and out of temper at the words of Naboth of Jezreel, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’ He lay down on his bed and turned his face away and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came to him. ‘Why are you so dispirited’ she said ‘that you will not eat?’ He said, ‘I have been speaking to Naboth of Jezreel; I said: “Give me your vineyard either for money or, if you prefer, for another vineyard in exchange.” But he said, “I will not give you my vineyard.”’ Then his wife Jezebel said, ‘You make a fine king of Israel, and no mistake! Get up and eat; cheer up, and you will feel better; I will get you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel myself.’
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, sending them to the elders and nobles who lived where Naboth lived. In the letters she wrote, ‘Proclaim a fast, and put Naboth in the forefront of the people. Confront him with a couple of scoundrels who will accuse him like this, “You have cursed God and the king.” Then take him outside and stone him to death.’
The men of Naboth’s town, the elders and nobles who lived in his town, did what Jezebel ordered, what was written in the letters she had sent them. They proclaimed a fast and put Naboth in the forefront of the people. Then the two scoundrels came and stood in front of him and made their accusation, ‘Naboth has cursed God and the king.’ They led him outside the town and stoned him to death. They then sent word to Jezebel, ‘Naboth has been stoned to death.’ When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, ‘Get up! Take possession of the vineyard which Naboth of Jezreel would not give you for money, for Naboth is no longer alive, he is dead.’ When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel and take possession of it.
Responsorial Psalm 5:2-3,5-7
R: Lord, listen to my groaning
Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R: Lord, listen to my groaning
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R: Lord, listen to my groaning
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R: Lord, listen to my groaning
Gospel Matthew 5:38-42
Offer the wicked man no resistance
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You have learnt how it was said: Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance. On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well; if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give to anyone who asks, and if anyone wants to borrow, do not turn away.’
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Love, not hate
As we prayerfully read Jesus’ words in the gospel today, let us ask Him for wisdom to understand and put them into practice. Jesus calls us once more to walk the path of love, not vengeance and holding grudges. It is a challenge for us, especially when we have been wronged and wounded by others. In such situations, we often struggle with the desire to strike back and cause harm to those who have hurt us. Jesus shows us another way: the way of love. Looking at the life of Jesus, He never retaliated against those who put Him on the cross. Instead, He overcame evil with the power of love. On the cross, He forgave them.
In the letter of St. Paul to the Romans, he says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21). This is the invitation for each one of us: To overcome insults, hurts, lies, etc. with the power of love, patience, forgiveness, mercy. Let us ask Jesus to help us become people who think, speak and act lovingly.
Reflective question:
How can I better be an instrument of forgiving love in my life?
How can I better be an instrument of forgiving love in my life?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
