THE EVIL OF COVETOUSNESS AND THE ABUSE OF POWER BY KING AHAB (HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 11WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA, PRIEST, DOCTOR).

THE EVIL OF COVETOUSNESS AND THE ABUSE OF POWER BY KING AHAB (HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 11WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA, PRIEST, DOCTOR)  Ikings 21:1-16; Matthew 5:38-42.

Covetousness, the sage will say, is the father of unfilled desires and the bringer of the spirit of jealousy and envy. It is like counting the blessings of others instead of your own. Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the reading of today presents to us the indiscriminate abuse of power by those in authority, in this case by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, which inadvertently was birthed by covetousness (inordinate desire for another's possession). We are told of a Jezreelite, Naboth by name, who had a vineyard close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. There came a day when 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 my ancestral inheritance” (1king 21:13). Beloved in Christ, it is pertinent to note that Naboth's refusal and claim ‘it is an ancestral inheritance’, stemmed from the induction of Moses not to sell the land. In the Book of Numbers, Moses instructs, “No inheritance of the Israelites shall be transferred from one tribe to another; for all Israelites shall retain the inheritance of their ancestral tribe” (Num 36:7). The plentiful properties of King Ahab notwithstanding, we are told the response didn't go down well with King and he return home gloomy and resentful (1kings 21:4). Jezebel, discovering what led to the dispirited nature of the husband, masterminded through the aid of the elders and a couple of scoundrels, the killing of Naboth by stoning. Lastly, King Ahab took possession of Naboth's vineyard.

Friends in Christ, did the insatiability of the King amid abundance in the palace not amaze you? Did it not worry you that the King, simply because of refusal over a property that wasn't his own, would end up being gloomy and resentful? Isn't it obvious that the king was no respecter of the right to private property? It is unmistakable to say that the king and the queen were abusers of power and land grabbers. Notoriously, known for violence and threat to life as a way of getting whatever they want. This same Jezebel angrily swore to have Elijah killed, forcing him to flee for his life (1kings 19:2-3). Friends in Christ ‘He who is not contented with what he has, Socrates says, would not also be contented with what he would like to have. The seventh and tenth commandments of God warn that it is against justice and fraternal charity to covet your neighbour's goods or anything whatsoever that belongs to your neighbour. This is because the inordinate desire for possession is dangerous.

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, can we truthfully say that even in our own country as of now we do not have covetous kings, covetous presidents, covetous prime ministers, covetous authorities, etc. Whose inordinate desire for wealth at the detriment of the masses is alarming and unbearable. If yes we do, then we owe justice a duty as responsible Christians to accomplish, which is to perform our franchise. Justice requires that in a democratic environment, Christians must perform their franchise. Participate in the electoral process for the emergence of a responsible leader. It is a reliable and conclusive way of rooting out the Ahab-like and Jezebel-like authorities from the corridor of power. Vengeance, retribution, and destruction of lives and properties are not recommended ways to effect the change of bad leadership. Jesus tells us: “You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist an evil doer, if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also” (Mt 5:38-39). It means we must designate in attitude, word, and deed that we are filled with the spirit of peace, love, and reconciliation.

We pray for our leaders that through the graces of God they may gain wisdom of heart for the just and equitable distribution of the commonwealth in the spirit of fraternal charity and fear of God.

Have a fruitful day!

Fr Remi osj