1 Maccabees 15:1-9: a reflection

1Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon the priest and governor of the Jews, and to all the nation. 2Its contents follow: “King Antiochus to Simon the chief priest and governor, and to the nation of the Jews, greetings. 3Whereas certain troublemakers have made themselves masters of the kingdom of our fathers, but my purpose is to claim the kingdom, that I may restore it as it was before; and moreover I have raised a multitude of foreign soldiers, and have prepared warships; 4moreover I plan to land in the country, that I may punish those who have destroyed our country, and those who have made many cities in the kingdom desolate; 5now therefore I confirm to you all the tax remissions which the kings who were before me remitted to you, and whatever gifts besides they remitted to you, 6and I permit you to coin money for your country with your own stamp, 7but that Jerusalem and the sanctuary should be free. All the weapons that you have prepared, and the strongholds that you have built, which you have in your possession, let them remain yours. 8Every debt owed to the king, and the things that will be owed to the king from henceforth and for evermore, let them be remitted to you. 9Moreover, when we have established our kingdom, we will glorify you and your nation and the temple with great glory, so that your glory will be made manifest in all the earth.

In this account, King Antiochus writes a letter to Simon, the leader of the Jews, full of generous promises. He confirms tax remissions, grants the right to coin their own money, promises freedom for Jerusalem, forgives debts, and pledges future glory. But the reason behind this sudden generosity is clear from the context: Antiochus was seeking Simon's support in his struggle against a rival, and needed the Jews on his side. His lavish promises were bound up with his own need for their help.

Notice the connection between the king's generosity and his need. Antiochus made grand promises not out of pure goodwill, but because he wanted something, the support of the Jews against his rival. His generosity served his own purpose. And as such stories often go, promises made in a moment of need are not always kept once the need is met; when the maker no longer needs us, the lavish promises can be quietly forgotten.

That is worth remembering when we are courted with generous promises. Those who need something from us often make lavish promises to win our support, and their generosity, tied to their need, may not outlast it. This is not a call to refuse all who offer us good, but to weigh the promises of those who court us in their moment of need, and not to stake our security or our loyalty on them. Do not be too quickly won by grand promises from those who need something from you; weigh whether the generosity is genuine or self-serving, and do not build your security on promises that may be forgotten once the need that prompted them is met. Place your final trust not in the promises of those who court you for their own advantage, but in God, whose promises never fail.

Lord, in this account King Antiochus made lavish promises to Simon, confirming privileges and pledging future glory, because he needed the Jews' support against a rival; his generosity was tied to his own need. Help me remember that when I am courted with generous promises. Those who need something from me often make lavish promises to win my support, and their generosity, tied to their need, may not outlast it. Keep me from refusing all who offer me good, but help me weigh the promises of those who court me in their moment of need, and not stake my security or loyalty on them. Keep me from being too quickly won by grand promises from those who need something from me; help me weigh whether the generosity is genuine or self-serving. And help me build my security not on promises that may be forgotten once the need is met, but on you, whose promises never fail. Let my final trust rest in you, not in the promises of those who court me for their own advantage.