20260623 DEALING WITH POISON LETTERS
23 June 2026, Tuesday, 12th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
2 Kings 19:9-11,14-21,31-36 |
The Lord protects Jerusalem from Sennacherib and the Assyrians
Sennacherib, King of the Assyrians, sent messengers to Hezekiah saying, ‘Tell this to Hezekiah king of Judah, “Do not let your God on whom you are relying deceive you, when he says: Jerusalem shall not fall into the power of the king of Assyria. You have learnt by now what the kings of Assyria have done to every country, putting them all under the ban. Are you likely to be spared?”’
Hezekiah took the letter from the hands of the messenger and read it; he then went up to the Temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. Hezekiah said this prayer in the presence of the Lord, ‘O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, enthroned on the cherubs, you alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth, you have made heaven and earth.
‘Give ear, Lord, and listen.
Open your eyes, Lord, and see.
Hear the words of Sennacherib
who has sent to insult the living God.
‘It is true, O Lord, that the kings of Assyria have exterminated all the nations, they have thrown their gods on the fire, for these were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, and hence they have destroyed them. But now, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, I pray you, and let all the kingdoms of the earth know that you alone are God, Lord.’
Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah. ‘The Lord, the God of Israel,’ he said, ‘says this, “I have heard the prayer you have addressed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.” Here is the oracle that the Lord has pronounced against him:
‘“She despises you, she scorns you,
the virgin, daughter of Zion;
she tosses her head behind you,
the daughter of Jerusalem.
A remnant shall go out from Jerusalem,
and survivors from Mount Zion.
The jealous love of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this.”
‘This, then, is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:
‘“He will not enter this city,
he will let fly no arrow against it,
confront it with no shield,
throw up no earthwork against it.
By the road that he came on he will return;
he shall not enter this city. It is the Lord who speaks.
I will protect this city and save it
for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”’
That same night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. Sennacherib struck camp and left; he returned home and stayed in Nineveh.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 47(48):2-4,10-11 |
God upholds his city for ever.
The Lord is great and worthy to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain rises in beauty,
the joy of all the earth.
God upholds his city for ever.
Mount Zion, true pole of the earth,
the Great King’s city!
God, in the midst of its citadels,
has shown himself its stronghold.
God upholds his city for ever.
O God, we ponder your love
within your temple.
Your praise, O God, like your name
reaches the ends of the earth.
God upholds his city for ever.
Gospel Acclamation | Mt11:25 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
Gospel |
Matthew 7:6,12-14 |
Treat others as you would like them to treat you
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.
‘So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.
‘Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to perdition is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’
DEALING WITH POISON LETTERS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [2 Kgs 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36; Ps 48:2-4,10-11; Mt 7:6, 12-14]
As leaders, we often receive threats from people who disagree with us. Even if they do not threaten us with physical harm, they will try to hurt us in other ways–such as writing nasty letters, sending hate mail, or posting online to discredit us. They make their views known and seek to impose their ways. This is exactly what happened to Hezekiah, the King of Judah. He was cowed by the powerful King of Assyria, who threatened the total destruction of Judah–just as he had done to Israel, the Northern Kingdom–if Hezekiah did not unconditionally surrender. To dishearten him, Sennacherib sent messengers to Hezekiah saying, “Do not let your God on whom you are relying deceive you, when he says: Jerusalem shall not fall into the power of the king of Assyria. You have learnt by now what the kings of Assyria have done to every country, putting them all under the ban. Are you likely to be spared?”
We can appreciate the fear Hezekiah felt when he received the threat from the King of Assyria. The Assyrians were a powerful nation that had already occupied neighbouring countries, and Hezekiah was well aware of the might of Assyria. So, what did he do when he received the message from his emissaries? He did not turn to his army or seek further alliances with other neighbouring countries to fight against Assyria, because he knew the mistake Israel made when they invited Assyria to help them. Discernment and right judgment of a situation are therefore important during times of trial. Today, the one-sentence advice from our Lord is a helpful reminder: “Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls in front of pigs, or they may trample them and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.” This is a good reminder that we need to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid repeating them. Often, people never learn because they do not appreciate the advice of others–and most of all, the Word of God which they have received. For such people, indeed, words of wisdom are wasted on them.
Turning to the Lord is the first thing we need to do when we are threatened by our enemies. That was what Hezekiah did, rather than starting to plan how to protect himself. Hezekiah knew that his life and the nation were in the hands of God. Indeed, his faith in the God of Israel is manifested in his prayer to the Lord. He said, “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have exterminated all the nations, they have thrown their gods on the fire, for these were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, and hence they have destroyed them. But now, Lord our God, save us from his hand, I pray you, and let all the kingdoms of the earth know that you alone are God, Lord.” Hezekiah knew that the God of Israel was not like any other gods, because the gods of other nations were simply idols made by human hands. The great strength of Hezekiah was that he was a prayerful man and, most of all, he put God at the centre of his life and governed according to the Covenantal laws. He was one of the few kings of Judah who kept faith in God and remained true to the Covenant.
When we find ourselves in dire straits, we, too, must turn to the Lord in prayer. We must take our worries to the Lord, just as the reassuring hymn “What a friend we have in Jesus” invites us to do: to bring all our trials, temptations, troubles, and burdens to Him. After all, the Lord Himself exhorted us, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30) We come to Him in prayer, searching for His will in the Word of God, finding strength before the Blessed Sacrament, and solace when we receive Him in Holy Communion. St. Peter urges Christians, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Pt 5:6-7)
When we pray with sincerity, God will send His messengers to assist us. His help comes in different ways. Sometimes, it comes through our loved ones, our friends, a priest, or a religious sister or brother. What is important is that we must be ready to receive His words. In the case of Hezekiah, in response to his humble plea, God dispatched Isaiah to assure him that He had heard his prayers. Isaiah delivered this message:
“The Lord, the God of Israel, he said, ‘I have heard the prayer you have addressed to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria.'” Isaiah composed an oracle that scorns the power of Assyria, ‘She despises you, she scorns you, the virgin daughter of Zion: she tosses her head behind you, the daughter of Jerusalem. A remnant shall go out from Jerusalem, and survivors from Mount Zion. The jealous love of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this.'” God is always protective of His people.
Isaiah declared the promise of God, who said, “He will not enter this city, he will let fly no arrow against it, confront it with no shield, throw up no earthwork against it. By the road that he came on he will return; he shall not enter this city. It is the Lord who speaks.” True enough, because of a plague that struck the Assyrian camp–killing more than “a hundred and eighty-five thousand men”–Sennacherib was forced to abandon his military expedition and return home. Truly, God showed Himself to be faithful to the covenant when He said, “I will protect this city and save it for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” For those who are faithful to the Lord, God will somehow show forth His mercy and love. This was the exact belief of Israel as expressed in the responsorial psalm: “The Lord is great and worthy to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain rises in beauty, the joy of all the earth. Mount Zion, true pole of the earth, the Great King’s city! God, in the midst of its citadels, has shown himself its stronghold. O God, we ponder your love within your temple. Your praise, O God, like your name reaches the ends of the earth.”
But this is where we are called to enter: through the gate of faith. This is the narrow gate the Lord is referring to. He said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Mt 7:13-14) Jesus is the Narrow Gate. He said to the people, “I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (Jn 10:7-10) We are called to walk in faith and trust in our Lord. We must turn to Him, for He has the message of eternal life.
What does this narrow gate entail? It involves not just having faith in Him but also observing the Law and the Prophets: “So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.” We are called to walk the Covenantal life that has been given to us, which is a call to respect others and to love them as much as we love ourselves. The Golden Rule of our Lord is not entirely new; in different nations across the world long before Christ, human experience taught humanity that it is important to go beyond ourselves. Only when we put ourselves in the shoes of others can we truly love our neighbour. While the general rule of the world says, “We should not do to others what we do not like others to do to us,” Jesus, in a more positive and proactive manner, says that we must treat them the way we want them to treat us. Therefore, reciprocal love and mutual respect are important for anyone who wants to live a righteous life. Indeed, in the final analysis, the Law and the Prophets teach us how to respect and care for our neighbours and how to love God. We must overcome evil and our enemies with love and compassion.
So let us, in our trials, always turn to God with faith and love. While trusting in Him and enduring the injustice and selfishness of our enemies and those who think only of themselves, we must not follow their path. That path is the wide gate that leads to misery, false hopes, and empty aspirations, because what we accumulate there cannot bring us real happiness. In humility, let us rely on God, remain faithful to His covenant, and be a light to all nations by living a life of charity, justice, mutual respect, and integrity.
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment