1 Maccabees 7:26-32: a reflection

26Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honorable princes, a man who hated Israel and was their enemy, and commanded him to destroy the people. 27Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army. He sent to Judas and his kindred deceitfully with words of peace, saying, 28“Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace.” 29He came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. The enemies were ready to seize Judas by violence. 30This was known to Judas, that he came to him with deceit, and he was very afraid of him, and would see his face no more. 31Nicanor found out that his plan was disclosed; and he went out to meet Judas in battle beside Capharsalama. 32About five hundred men of Nicanor’s army fell, and the rest fled into the city of David.

In this account, an enemy commander named Nicanor is sent to destroy God's people. He approaches Judas not with open hostility, but with deceit, sending words of peace: Let there be no battle between us; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace. But it was a trick; his real intention was to seize Judas by force. Judas, however, discerned the deceit behind the friendly words, and would not be caught off guard.

Notice that the danger came dressed as peace. Nicanor did not announce his hostility; he masked it with friendly words, hoping to disarm Judas and catch him unaware. And Judas's safety lay in discernment, in seeing through the peaceful words to the treacherous intent behind them. He was neither needlessly suspicious nor naively trusting; he perceived the deceit, and acted wisely on what he saw.

That calls for a wise discernment in us as well. Not every friendly approach is sincere; sometimes harmful intent hides behind pleasant words, and a show of peace masks a plan to do us harm. This is not a call to cynicism, suspecting everyone; but it is a call to discernment, to not being naively taken in by friendly words that mask ill intent. Ask God for the discernment Judas had, to recognize when apparent friendliness conceals harm, without becoming distrustful of everyone. Be neither cynical nor naive, but wise; take people's friendliness at face value where you can, but be alert to the deceit that sometimes wears the mask of peace, and do not let a show of friendship disarm your discernment.

Lord, the enemy Nicanor approached Judas not with open hostility but with deceitful words of peace, hoping to disarm him; but Judas discerned the treachery behind the friendly words and was not caught off guard. Give me that wise discernment. Not every friendly approach is sincere; sometimes harmful intent hides behind pleasant words, and a show of peace masks a plan to do harm. Keep me from cynicism, suspecting everyone; but keep me also from being naively taken in by friendly words that mask ill intent. Give me the discernment Judas had, to recognize when apparent friendliness conceals harm, without becoming distrustful of everyone. Help me be neither cynical nor naive, but wise: to take people's friendliness at face value where I can, but to be alert to the deceit that sometimes wears the mask of peace. Guard me, and give me a discerning heart.