1 Maccabees 7:10-17: a reflection

10They marched away and came with a great army into the land of Judah. He sent messengers to Judas and his kindred with words of peace deceitfully. 11They paid no attention to their words; for they saw that they had come with a great army. 12A group of scribes gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides to seek just terms. 13The Hasidaeans were the first among the children of Israel who sought peace from them, 14for they said, “One who is a priest of the seed of Aaron has come with the army, and he will do us no wrong.” 15He spoke with them words of peace, and swore to them, saying, “We won’t seek to harm you or your friends.” 16They trusted him. Then he seized sixty men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which was written, 17The flesh of your saints and their blood was shed all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.

In this grim episode, an enemy general comes to the people of Judah with words of peace, spoken deceitfully. A group of scribes, and the devout Hasidaeans, trust his words, reasoning that a priest of the line of Aaron among them would do them no wrong. He swears he will not harm them; they believe him. And then he seizes sixty of them and kills them in a single day. The peaceful words were a mask over treachery, and those who trusted them paid dearly.

Notice the painful lesson here: that not everyone who speaks words of peace means them. These men were sincere; they wanted peace, and they trusted the reassuring words and oaths offered them. But the words were a deception, cloaking an intent to harm. Their trust was betrayed, and the betrayal was deadly. Fine words and solemn oaths are not always to be trusted; sometimes they mask treachery.

That is a sober caution about discernment, one we must hold alongside a readiness to trust. We are not to be cynical, suspecting everyone; but neither are we to be naive, trusting every reassuring word without discernment. Some who speak peace mean harm, and to trust them blindly can be costly. Ask God for discernment, then, to tell true words from false, and do not let a trusting heart become a naive one. Be wise as well as sincere; weigh the words and the character of those who make you promises, especially where much is at stake. It is no failure of charity to be discerning; it is wisdom, for not everyone who speaks peace means it, and the discerning are spared what the naive suffer.

Lord, in this grim episode devout men trusted an enemy's deceitful words of peace and his solemn oath, and he seized and killed sixty of them; the peaceful words were a mask over treachery, and those who trusted them paid dearly. Give me the discernment this sober lesson teaches, held alongside a readiness to trust. I am not to be cynical, suspecting everyone; but neither am I to be naive, trusting every reassuring word without discernment. Some who speak peace mean harm, and to trust them blindly can be costly. Give me discernment to tell true words from false, and keep my trusting heart from becoming a naive one. Help me be wise as well as sincere, weighing the words and the character of those who make me promises, especially where much is at stake. It is no failure of charity to be discerning; it is wisdom, for not everyone who speaks peace means it. Give me a discerning heart, Lord, wise and sincere at once.