1 Maccabees 11:60-66: a reflection

60Jonathan went out and took his journey beyond the river and through the cities. All the forces of Syria gathered themselves to him to be his allies. He came to Ascalon, and the people of the city met him honorably. 61He departed from there to Gaza, and the people of Gaza shut him out. So he besieged it and burned its pasture lands with fire, and plundered them. 62The people of Gaza pleaded with Jonathan, and he gave them his right hand, and took the sons of their princes for hostages, and sent them away to Jerusalem. Then he passed through the country as far as Damascus. 63Then Jonathan heard that Demetrius’ princes had come to Kedesh, which is in Galilee, with a great army, intending to remove him from his office. 64He went to meet them, but he left Simon his brother in the country. 65Simon encamped against Bethsura, and fought against it many days, and hemmed it in. 66They asked him to give them his right hand, and he gave it to them. He removed them from there, took possession of the city, and set a garrison over it.

As Jonathan campaigns through the region, facing many demands at once, he does something wise: rather than trying to do everything himself, he divides the work. Learning that an enemy force has gathered in Galilee, he goes to meet them, but he leaves his brother Simon in the country to handle other matters. And Simon proves capable, taking a city and setting a garrison over it. By trusting his brother with real responsibility, Jonathan was able to accomplish more than he could have done alone.

Notice how Jonathan handles more than one person could do: he shares the load, entrusting real responsibility to his brother. He did not try to be everywhere at once, or to do everything himself; he left Simon in charge of part of the work, trusting him to carry it. And Simon, given the responsibility, proved able to bear it. By sharing the work and trusting others with real responsibility, Jonathan accomplished what he could not have done alone.

That wisdom, of sharing the load and trusting others with responsibility, is worth learning. We can be tempted to try to do everything ourselves, unwilling to delegate, distrustful that others can carry the work; and so we become overwhelmed, and accomplish less. But Jonathan trusted his brother with real responsibility, and it freed him to do what he could not have done alone. When you face more than you can do alone, do not try to do everything yourself; share the load, and trust others with real responsibility, as Jonathan trusted Simon. It takes humility to admit we cannot do everything, and trust to give others real responsibility; but both are wisdom. Do not exhaust yourself trying to do it all; entrust real responsibility to others, and let the work be shared, as Jonathan and Simon shared it, accomplishing together what neither could have done alone.

Lord, as Jonathan campaigned through the region facing many demands, he wisely divided the work, leaving his brother Simon in charge of part of it while he went elsewhere; and Simon, trusted with real responsibility, proved capable. Help me learn that wisdom, of sharing the load and trusting others with responsibility. I can be tempted to try to do everything myself, unwilling to delegate, distrustful that others can carry the work; and so I become overwhelmed, and accomplish less. But Jonathan trusted his brother with real responsibility, and it freed him to do what he could not have done alone. When I face more than I can do alone, keep me from trying to do everything myself; help me share the load, and trust others with real responsibility, as Jonathan trusted Simon. It takes humility to admit I cannot do everything, and trust to give others real responsibility; but both are wisdom. Keep me from exhausting myself trying to do it all; help me entrust real responsibility to others, and let the work be shared, as Jonathan and Simon shared it, accomplishing together what neither could have done alone. Give me the humility to share the load, Lord.