Judith 3:1-5: a reflection

1And they sent to him messengers with words of peace, saying, 2“Behold, we the servants of Nebuchadnezzar the great king lie before you. Use us as it is pleasing in your sight. 3Behold, our dwellings, and all our country, and all our fields of wheat, and our flocks and herds, and all the sheepfolds of our tents, lie before your face. Use them as it may please you. 4Behold, even our cities and those who dwell in them are your servants. Come and deal with them as it is good in your eyes.” 5So the men came to Holofernes, and declared to him according to these words.

As the armies of Holofernes advance, the nations in their path surrender utterly, abjectly, offering him everything: We the servants of Nebuchadnezzar lie before you; use us as it is pleasing in your sight. Our dwellings, our fields, our flocks, our cities and their people are your servants; deal with them as it is good in your eyes. Out of fear, they give total, unconditional submission to a human conqueror, holding nothing back, surrendering everything to a man. Their fear led them to yield to a human power the total submission that belongs to God alone.

Notice the total submission they gave, out of fear, to a mere man. They held nothing back; their lives, their lands, their cities, all were laid at the conqueror's feet, to do with as he pleased. This was the submission owed to God alone, given instead to a human tyrant out of fear. Fear of a human power led them to surrender everything, to yield an unconditional submission that no man should be given. The abjectness of it shows how fear of human power can lead people to give away what should be reserved for God, bowing to a man as they should bow only to God.

That is worth taking to heart, for fear of human power can tempt us to give it a submission that belongs to God alone. We can be so afraid of human powers, of those who seem able to harm us, that we yield to them a total submission, letting them dictate everything, as the nations surrendered utterly to Holofernes; but such unconditional submission belongs to God alone, not to any human power. Our ultimate allegiance is God's, and fear of man must not lead us to surrender it. Do not let fear of human power lead you to give it the unconditional submission that belongs to God alone; reserve your ultimate allegiance for God, not yielding it to any human power out of fear. Reserve your ultimate submission for God alone, not surrendering it to human power out of fear as the nations surrendered everything to Holofernes; for total, unconditional submission belongs to God, not to any human power, and the fear of man must not lead us to yield to others what is God's alone.

Lord, as the armies of Holofernes advance, the nations in their path surrender utterly, abjectly, offering him everything: we the servants of Nebuchadnezzar lie before you; use us as it is pleasing in your sight; our dwellings, our fields, our flocks, our cities and their people are your servants; deal with them as it is good in your eyes. Out of fear, they give total, unconditional submission to a human conqueror, holding nothing back. Their fear led them to yield to a human power the total submission that belongs to you alone. Show me the total submission they gave, out of fear, to a mere man. They held nothing back; their lives, their lands, their cities, all were laid at the conqueror's feet. This was the submission owed to you alone, given instead to a human tyrant out of fear. Fear of a human power led them to surrender everything, to yield an unconditional submission that no man should be given. The abjectness of it shows how fear of human power can lead people to give away what should be reserved for you. Take that to my heart, for fear of human power can tempt me to give it a submission that belongs to you alone. I can be so afraid of human powers, of those who seem able to harm me, that I yield to them a total submission, as the nations surrendered utterly to Holofernes; but such unconditional submission belongs to you alone. My ultimate allegiance is yours, and fear of man must not lead me to surrender it. Keep me from letting fear of human power lead me to give it the unconditional submission that belongs to you alone; help me reserve my ultimate allegiance for you, Lord, not yielding it to any human power out of fear.