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Context No. 2311 of 4322 · 1 Maccabees

Context · Reflection

1 Maccabees 14:28-43: in context

28in Asaramel, in a great congregation of priests and people and princes of the nation, and of the elders of the country, it was proclaimed to us: 29‘Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathias, the son of the sons of Joarib, and his brothers, put themselves in jeopardy and withstood the enemies of their nation, that their sanctuary and the law might be established, and glorified their nation with great glory. 30Jonathan rallied the nation, became their high priest, and was gathered to his people. 31Their enemies planned to invade their country, that they might destroy their country utterly, and stretch out their hands against their sanctuary. 32Then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent much of his own money to arm the valiant men of his nation and give them wages. 33He fortified the cities of Judea and Bethsura that lies on the borders of Judea, where the weapons of the enemies had been stored, and there he placed a garrison of Jews. 34He fortified Joppa which is upon the sea, and Gazara which is upon the borders of Azotus, where the enemies used to live, and placed Jews there, and set in there all things necessary for their restoration. 35The people saw Simon’s faith, and the glory which he resolved to bring to his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things, and for the justice and the faith which he kept to his nation, and because he sought by all means to exalt his people. 36In his days, things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away out of their country, and they also who were in the city of David, those who were in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a citadel, out of which they used to go, and polluted everything around the sanctuary, and did great damage to its purity. 37He placed Jews in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and made high the walls of Jerusalem. 38King Demetrius confirmed to him the high priesthood according to these things, 39and made him one of his friends, and honored him with great honor; 40for he had heard that the Jews had been called by the Romans friends, allies, and kindred, and that they had met the ambassadors of Simon honorably; 41and that the Jews and the priests were well pleased that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet; 42and that he should be governor over them, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the weapons, and over the strongholds; and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, 43and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold;

The people gather to honor Simon, the last of the Maccabee brothers, with a decree recording all he had done for them. He and his family had put themselves in danger for their nation; he had fought for his people, spent much of his own money to arm and pay them, fortified the cities for their safety, and sought by every means to exalt and secure his people. Seeing his faithfulness and the good he had brought, and the justice and faithfulness he kept toward them, the people made him their leader, honoring his self-giving service.

The decree honoring Simon records the marks of a faithful, self-giving service. He did not seek his own advantage but his people's good: he put himself in danger for them, spent his own money for their sake, fortified their cities for their safety, and sought by every means to exalt and secure them. His service was self-giving, at cost to himself, aimed not at his own benefit but at the good of his people. And the people, seeing his faithful, self-giving service, honored him for it. The honor came because of the service, and the service was marked by seeking others' good at cost to oneself. This holds up the kind of service that is truly honorable, and that God honors. True greatness, in Scripture's reckoning, is not in being served but in serving; not in seeking our own advantage but in giving ourselves for the good of others. Whoever would be great among you, Jesus says, must be your servant; whoever would be first must be slave of all. Simon's honor came not from grasping power but from self-giving service, spending himself for his people's good. And this is the kind of service God honors: the faithful, self-giving service that seeks others' good rather than its own, at cost to oneself. This searches the nature of our own service and ambition. Do we seek our own advantage, or the good of others? Is our service self-giving, spending ourselves for others' good, or self-serving, using others for our own benefit? Simon was honored because he served faithfully, at cost to himself, seeking his people's good; and the service God honors is like his: self-giving, faithful, seeking others' good rather than our own. Well done, good and faithful servant, the master says; and the honor belongs to faithful service. This calls us to faithful, self-giving service that seeks others' good rather than our own. Simon spent himself for his people, putting himself in danger, giving his own resources, seeking by every means their good, and was honored for it; and we are called to the same kind of service, giving ourselves for the good of others rather than seeking our own advantage, serving faithfully at cost to ourselves. The service that seeks others' good, spending itself for them, is the service God honors; and we are called to it, following the one who came not to be served but to serve and to give himself for us, and who honors those who faithfully give themselves in service to others.

Do I seek my own advantage or the good of others, and is my service self-giving, spending myself for others' good at cost to myself, or self-serving, using others for my own benefit, and can Simon, honored because he put himself in danger for his people, spent his own resources, and sought by every means their good, move me to the faithful, self-giving service that seeks others' good rather than my own, following the one who came not to be served but to serve, and who honors those who give themselves in service to others?

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