Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 / Matthew 16:24-25
God speaks through Nahum: The city was doomed.
Two things stand out as we read it. First, Nahum possesses
great poetic talent. His style is filled with vivid images. Second, Nahum’s
message is extremely clear: No lasting kingdom can be built on fraud and force.
God will not tolerate such a kingdom, as the destruction of
Assyria shows. What can be said of kingdoms can also be said of persons. The
unrepentant sinner is doomed to die.
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How aware are we of the sin in our lives? What are we doing
to root it out of our lives? “Our sense of sin is in proportion to our nearness
to God.” Thomas D. Bernard
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For an empire to last about 1500 can be said to be quite
remarkable by modern standards. But even in the ancient world, for an empire to
last that long is certainly impressive. The Assyrian empire lasted for more
than 1500 years and its capital Nineveh was in modern day Iraq. The empire
started to collapse in 612BC with the rise of the Babylonian empire.
The 1st reading is taken from the prophet Nahum. His name
means "comforter". He prophesied about the end of the Assyrian empire
and the destruction of its capital Nineveh.
He proclaimed peace to Judah and to celebrate their feast
because Assyria will fall and be destroyed, as how he prophesied in the 1st
reading.
So as with the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires, the
Assyrian empire fell and what is left of it now are some artefacts of a bygone
kingdom.
It only reiterates what Jesus said about what does a main
gain by winning the whole world but losing his life and what can a man offer in
exchange for his life.
All our achievements and accomplishments and awards would
come to nothing and mean nothing if it is not done according to the will of
God.
The will of God is for us to renounce ourselves and take up
our cross and follow Jesus. In the cross is our comfort and also our glory. No
material gains can be offered in exchange for that. It is in the cross that we
find our peace and our salvation.
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TAKE UP YOUR CROSS
Introduction
In poetic language,
the prophet Nahum announces the fall of the city of Nineveh with its cruel
oppression of the nations of the region. For God is the master of history. This
is good news to the people of Judah.
In the Gospel, Jesus presents the Christian life by means of
three equivalent expressions. It means: to renounce oneself – that is, to
accept God’s way of thinking and acting rather than one’s own; to take up the
cross – that is, to take the risk of undergoing the fate of the Master and give
up personal security; and to follow Jesus – that is, to accept the guidance of
Jesus, his Gospel, not only in theory but also in practice. Are we ready to do
this? Is this what the Christian life means for us?
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God, we know that following your Son means to let
someone else lead us, where we perhaps were not intending to go. But it is your
Son who leads us and goes with us. And so, we say: We are willing to go with
him, but help us Lord, when our hearts grow faint, that we may keep going with
him who is our Lord for ever.
Commentary
The prophets are masters at showing both sides of the coin.
Yes, Israel has paid a dear price for its wanton disregard of Yahweh’s will.
But it is not the end of the plan. “Good tidings” are announced by Nahum: the
restoration of Jacob, the end of invasion, and the punishment of invaders. And
what will become of the dreaded Assyrians? God’s wrath will fall upon its
charging cavalry, the bearers of death and destruction. And Nineveh will be
without mourners. As an empire, she cast a long shadow; now she will receive
her just dessert. The Christian life too has its light and shadows. It requires
a dying and a rising, from which there is no escape. God did not have to become
man to achieve redemption; there are other paths he could have chosen. But if
we were to be convinced of his unparalleled love, it had to take a striking
form. And then Jesus reminds us that it can be no different for us. No two
Christians endure the same denial of self. But without showing preference to
the needs of others and of giving God his due, then life is not lost. But when
there is a death to self, the new life gives joy and satisfaction and leads to
an eternity of love.
Points to Ponder
The permanence of God’s love
The response to God’s love
Dying and rising in daily life
Intercessions
– Lord Jesus, for those who follow you on the way to the
cross as they are persecuted for believing in you, we pray:
– Lord Jesus, for those who follow you on the way of the
cross as they make self-renunciation to dedicate themselves to take care of
lonely and sick people, we pray:
– Lord Jesus, for those who bear their sufferings in
patience with you, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Bread and wine, Lord our God, are our strength and joy on
the road of life. Let your Son break for us the better bread and pour for us
the better wine of himself, that keep us going, and when needed, even climbing
the mountain of suffering and of apparent defeat. For we trust in Jesus Christ,
our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, you know how much we are afraid of taking
risks and committing ourselves to the new and the unknown. But you beckon us
through your Son and you let him be our strength. And so, we pray you: Keep
calling us out of our enclosures and give us the courage to go all the way to
you and to one another without fear or compromise. Let the Gospel of Jesus become
good news of happiness and joy to fill our lives, for ever and ever.
Blessing
“Take up your cross and follow me.” We must take up the
cross demanded by faithfulness to the Gospel, our Christian community, our
family, our task in life, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and
the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
