1 Maccabees 11:38-44: a reflection

38When King Demetrius saw that the land was quiet before him, and that no resistance was made to him, he sent away all his troops, each man to his own place, except the foreign troops, which he had raised from the islands of the Gentiles. So all the troops of his fathers hated him. 39Now Tryphon was one of those who previously had been on Alexander’s side, and he saw that all the forces murmured against Demetrius. So he went to Imalcue the Arabian, who was raising up Antiochus the young child of Alexander, 40and urgently insisted to him that he should deliver him to him, that he might reign in his father’s place. He told him all that Demetrius had done, and the hatred with which his forces hated him; and he stayed there many days. 41Now Jonathan sent to King Demetrius, that he should remove the troops of the citadel from Jerusalem, and the troops who were in the strongholds; for they fought against Israel continually. 42Demetrius sent to Jonathan, saying, “I will not only do this for you and your nation, but I will greatly honor you and your nation, if I find an opportunity. 43Now therefore you shall do well if you send me men who will fight for me; for all my forces have revolted.” 44So Jonathan sent him three thousand valiant men to Antioch. They came to the king, and the king was glad at their coming.

King Demetrius, once the land was quiet, dismissed the very troops who had served him and his fathers, keeping only foreign mercenaries; and the result was that all the troops of his fathers hated him. Having alienated those who should have been most loyal to him, he found, when trouble came, that his forces had revolted against him. By his careless treatment of his own, dismissing them once he thought he no longer needed them, Demetrius turned loyal servants into enemies, and was left exposed when he needed them. He had alienated those who should have stood by him.

Notice the folly of how Demetrius treated his own. These were the troops of his fathers, who should have been his most loyal supporters; but he dismissed them carelessly once he thought the danger past, keeping foreign mercenaries instead. And so he turned them against him; when he needed loyalty, he found revolt. His careless, self-serving treatment of those who should have been closest to him bred the hatred that undid him. He alienated the very people whose loyalty he would later need, and paid for it. The way he treated his own, when he thought he no longer needed them, cost him dearly.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can alienate those who should be closest to us by how we treat them, especially when we think we no longer need them. We can treat carelessly, or use and discard, those who are loyal to us, our family, friends, those who serve us, once we think we no longer need them; and in doing so we breed resentment and turn allies into strangers, as Demetrius turned his own troops against him. How we treat our own matters, and comes back to us. Do not treat carelessly or discard those who are loyal to you when you think you no longer need them; you may alienate the very ones whose loyalty you will need, as Demetrius did. Treat those closest to you, and those loyal to you, with care and faithfulness rather than using and discarding them when convenient, as Demetrius alienated his own troops and was left exposed; for how we treat our own returns to us, and careless treatment of those who should be closest breeds the very estrangement that undoes us.

Lord, King Demetrius, once the land was quiet, dismissed the very troops who had served him and his fathers, keeping only foreign mercenaries; and the result was that all the troops of his fathers hated him. Having alienated those who should have been most loyal to him, he found, when trouble came, that his forces had revolted against him. By his careless treatment of his own, dismissing them once he thought he no longer needed them, Demetrius turned loyal servants into enemies. Show me the folly of how Demetrius treated his own. These were the troops of his fathers, who should have been his most loyal supporters; but he dismissed them carelessly once he thought the danger past. And so he turned them against him; when he needed loyalty, he found revolt. His careless, self-serving treatment of those who should have been closest to him bred the hatred that undid him. Take that to my heart, for I too can alienate those who should be closest to me by how I treat them, especially when I think I no longer need them. I can treat carelessly, or use and discard, those who are loyal to me, my family, friends, those who serve me, once I think I no longer need them; and in doing so I breed resentment and turn allies into strangers. How I treat my own matters, and comes back to me. Keep me from treating carelessly or discarding those who are loyal to me when I think I no longer need them; help me treat those closest to me with care and faithfulness, Lord, rather than using and discarding them when convenient, as Demetrius alienated his own troops and was left exposed.