Remember that yesterday I closed the Daily Reflection with a warning that we would revisit some of the disturbing stories in the Book of Judges. Today, our readings take us into two disturbing stories, one in Judges and one in Matthew.
Today’s Old Testament reading (Judges 9:6-15) begins with a puzzling parable that can be clarified with a little history. We are all familiar that an angel had anointed Gideon to deliver Israel from their enemies. Following his military victories, Gideon refused the people’s entreaties to become their ruler, saying “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The Lord must rule over you.” Gideon had seventy sons (that is right, 70!), two of whom were Abimelech and Jotham.
Following Gideon’s death, Abimelech incited the people to choose him to rule over them instead of allowing all Gideon’s sons to share this putative authority. Abimelech reinforced his power by killing all of his brothers except Jotham, who somehow escaped this grisly fate. Confirming his bad character, Abimelech used silver from the temple of Baal to hire “shiftless men and ruffians as his followers.” This sets the stage for today’s parable, in which Jotham reminds the people of his father’s virtue and generosity toward them (in the form of productive trees, choosing to provide valuable goods instead of becoming their ruler) and to prophesy the ignoble outcome of choosing Abimelech (the comparatively worthless buckthorn tree).
Government is a perplexing problem for humanity. Protecting human dignity and freedom while also keeping the order needed for human thriving has proven to be a difficult bargain. In earlier times, when conquest by an enemy usually meant death and enslavement, fear fueled the people’s desire for protection and security provided a strong leader. But this choice always comes at a cost. Government always enacts a toll. (See 1 Samuel 9:10-18 for a summary that resonates with modern people, too.) Government through a bad apple like Abimelech leads to much sorrow.
In contrast to the depressing tone of our reading from Judges, today’s psalm (Psalm 21) reflects upon the blessing of a good king. Though the psalmist may have been looking backwards to the examples of leaders like Gideon, through whom God brought deliverance to Israel, we can now see the richer sense of fulfillment through our Lord. Jesus Christ is the king who has become a blessing forever, delivering us from our ultimate enemy, death. His rule is one of humility and generosity toward us, and we see this in the description of the Kingdom of heaven in today’s gospel.
In Matthew’s gospel (Matthew 20:1-16), the king is represented by the landowner seeking laborers for his vineyard. Notice that the landowner is persistent in seeking workers. He goes to the market at dawn, then at nine, then at noon, then at three, and finally at five o’clock. He must care a great deal about his vineyard; the work must be important to justify those recruiting efforts! And all the workers initially were happy with what they bargained for. But later in the day, laborers hired earlier in the day became jealous of those hired later. They had envy in their hearts – they did not respect the landowner’s prerogative for generosity and demanded more for themselves.
It is easy to fall into this trap of envy. Envy of his brothers seems to have led Abimelech to murder them. Envy of other lands led Israel to want a king and eventually other gods instead of the Lord. And envy can even prevent us from the simple satisfaction of enjoying the reward from our own honest work.
Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Looking at today’s Gospel, we can see a perfect example of just that phenomenon. The workers hired first were, upon being hired, happy with the wage they had agreed on. But when they saw other workers who had labored only an hour getting paid the same, their outlook changed. Now their original agreement seemed unfair. Now they were dissatisfied and unable to take pleasure in a good day’s work at a fair wage. Comparison stole their joy.
Of course, we make comparisons all the time. We learn how to improve by watching someone more skilled. We change our strategy after seeing someone else succeed. And that can be healthy.
But there is an unhealthy kind of comparison as well. When we look at someone and conclude that they are more beautiful or smarter or more talented than we are, jealousy can creep in. When we notice someone who seems more successful or richer, we become discontented with our own lives. Instead of seeing the gifts that God has given us and thinking about developing them, we focus on getting what someone else has. We might even feel worthless. In the end, we are not seeing ourselves as God sees us, and that robs us of joy.
That’s what makes comparison such an effective tool for the devil. As long as our eyes are on what we lack or on the ways we think we don’t measure up, we are blinded to the good things God has done for us. We start grumbling against him instead of thanking him for the ways he has chosen to bless us. We might even start resenting the person who seems to have more than we do. In the end, we may question whether God even loves us.
So, beware of unhealthy comparisons in your life. If you find yourself going down that road, ask the Lord to help you turn around. Break the downward spiral of discontent by writing down a blessing you’ve received. Or take a minute to praise God for creating you and sustaining you. Trade grumbling for gratitude, and you will start to find joy right where you are.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!