1 Maccabees 5:63-68: a reflection

63The man Judas and his kindred were glorified exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and of all the Gentiles, wherever their name was heard of. 64Men gathered together to them, acclaiming them. 65Judas and his kindred went out and fought against the children of Esau in the land toward the south. He struck Hebron and its villages, pulled down its strongholds, and burned its towers all around. 66He marched to go into the land of the Philistines, and he went through Samaria. 67In that day certain priests, desiring to do exploits there, were slain in battle, when they went out to battle unadvisedly. 68But Judas turned toward Azotus, to the land of the Philistines, pulled down their altars, burned the carved images of their gods with fire, took the plunder of their cities, and returned into the land of Judah.

In the midst of Judas Maccabeus's successful campaigns, a sober note is sounded about some who acted presumptuously, beyond their calling, and paid for it. Certain priests, desiring to do exploits, went out to battle unadvisedly, and were slain. They were not sent; they took it upon themselves, out of a desire to distinguish themselves, to do what they had not been called or commanded to do. They acted presumptuously, on their own initiative, beyond their proper role, and it cost them. The account does not celebrate their zeal; it marks their fall as the fruit of acting unadvisedly, going out where they had not been sent. There is a warning here about the danger of acting presumptuously, beyond our calling, driven by a desire to distinguish ourselves rather than by a genuine sending.

Notice what went wrong: the priests went out unadvisedly, beyond their calling, and were slain. Their fault was not cowardice but presumption; they took upon themselves a task they had not been given, going out to battle when they had not been sent, out of a desire to do exploits and distinguish themselves. Zeal is good, but zeal that runs ahead of our calling, that acts presumptuously on its own initiative, can lead us into harm. The priests had their own proper service; but they reached beyond it, unadvisedly, and it cost them. There is a difference between faithful boldness within our calling and presumptuous action beyond it. To act presumptuously, driven by a desire to distinguish ourselves rather than by a true sending, is to court the harm these priests met. Acting beyond our calling, however zealously, is not the same as being faithful in it.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is danger in acting presumptuously beyond our calling, driven by a desire to distinguish ourselves. We can be tempted, out of zeal or a wish to distinguish ourselves, to reach beyond our calling, to take upon ourselves tasks we have not been given, acting presumptuously on our own initiative; but the priests who went out unadvisedly, beyond their calling, were slain. Faithfulness within our calling is one thing; presumptuous action beyond it is another, and it can lead us into harm. Do not act presumptuously beyond your calling, driven by a desire to distinguish yourself; be faithful within it. Be faithful within your calling rather than acting presumptuously beyond it, driven by a desire to distinguish yourself, as the priests who went out to battle unadvisedly, beyond their calling, were slain; for zeal that runs ahead of our calling and takes upon itself what it has not been given can lead us into harm, and there is a difference between faithful boldness within our proper role and presumptuous action beyond it that courts trouble.

Lord, in the midst of Judas Maccabeus's successful campaigns, a sober note is sounded about some who acted presumptuously, beyond their calling, and paid for it. Certain priests, desiring to do exploits, went out to battle unadvisedly, and were slain. They were not sent; they took it upon themselves, out of a desire to distinguish themselves, to do what they had not been called or commanded to do. They acted presumptuously, on their own initiative, beyond their proper role, and it cost them. The account does not celebrate their zeal; it marks their fall as the fruit of acting unadvisedly. Show me what went wrong: the priests went out unadvisedly, beyond their calling, and were slain. Their fault was not cowardice but presumption; they took upon themselves a task they had not been given, out of a desire to do exploits and distinguish themselves. Zeal is good, but zeal that runs ahead of our calling, that acts presumptuously on its own initiative, can lead us into harm. There is a difference between faithful boldness within our calling and presumptuous action beyond it. Take that to my heart, for there is danger in acting presumptuously beyond my calling, driven by a desire to distinguish myself. I can be tempted, out of zeal or a wish to distinguish myself, to reach beyond my calling, to take upon myself tasks I have not been given; but the priests who went out unadvisedly were slain. Faithfulness within my calling is one thing; presumptuous action beyond it is another. Keep me from acting presumptuously beyond my calling, driven by a desire to distinguish myself; help me be faithful within it, Lord, as the priests who went out to battle unadvisedly were slain.