2 Maccabees 8:21-29: a reflection

21And when he had with these words filled them with courage and made them ready to die for the laws and their country, he divided his army into four parts. 22He appointed his brothers, Simon, Joseph, and Jonathan, to be leaders of the divisions with him, giving each the command of one thousand five hundred men. 23Moreover Eleazer also, having read aloud the sacred book, and having given as watchword, “THE HELP OF GOD”, leading the first band himself, joined battle with Nicanor. 24Since the Almighty fought on their side, they killed more than nine thousand of the enemy, and wounded and disabled most of Nicanor’s army, and compelled them all to flee. 25They took the money of those who had come there to buy them as slaves. After they had pursued them for some distance, they returned, being constrained by the time of the day; 26for it was the day before the Sabbath, and for this reason they made no effort to chase them far. 27When they had gathered the weapons of the enemy together, and had stripped off their spoils, they kept the Sabbath, greatly blessing and thanking the Lord who had saved them to this day, because he had begun to show mercy to them. 28After the Sabbath, when they had given some of the spoils to the maimed, and to the widows and orphans, they distributed the rest among themselves and their children. 29When they had accomplished these things and had made a common supplication, they implored the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants.

As Judas Maccabeus prepares his outnumbered men for battle, he encourages them, and the watchword he gives, and the way they respond to victory, reveal where they placed their trust. Their battle cry was The Help of God; they went into the fight looking not to their own strength but to God's help. And when the victory came, they did not congratulate themselves; they kept the Sabbath, greatly blessing and thanking the Lord who had saved them, and then shared the spoils with the maimed, the widows, and the orphans. They attributed their success to God's help, not their own might; they responded to it with thanksgiving to God and generosity to the needy. The help was God's, and the response was gratitude and open-handedness. To look to God's help, to thank him for success rather than claiming it, and to share the fruit of it with the needy, marked these men.

Notice how they held their success: as God's help, met with thanks and generosity. Their watchword was The Help of God; they did not trust in their own strength but looked to God to help them. And when they succeeded, they did not take the credit; they blessed and thanked the Lord who had saved them, and shared the spoils with the maimed and the widows and the orphans. Their success did not make them proud or grasping; it made them grateful and generous. They attributed the good to God's help, gave him thanks for it, and let it overflow to the needy. This is how to hold whatever success we are given: as help from God, met with thanksgiving to him and generosity to others, rather than as our own achievement to be hoarded and boasted of. Success received as God's help draws out gratitude and generosity, not pride. What God helps us to gain is rightly returned to him in thanks and shared with those in need.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to attribute our success to God's help, meeting it with thanksgiving and generosity. When we succeed, we can take the credit ourselves and hoard the fruit; but Judas's men looked to God's help, thanked him for the victory, and shared its spoils with the needy. Success is rightly held as help from God, met with gratitude to him and generosity to others, not claimed as our own achievement to boast of and keep. Do not claim your success as your own achievement to hoard; attribute it to God's help, thank him, and share it with the needy, as Judas's men did. Attribute your success to God's help and meet it with thanksgiving to him and generosity to the needy rather than pride, as Judas's men fought under the watchword The Help of God, thanked the Lord who had saved them, and shared their spoils with the maimed and the widows and orphans; for what we gain is rightly received as help from God, returned to him in thanks and shared with those in need, and success held this way draws out gratitude and generosity rather than pride.

Lord, as Judas Maccabeus prepares his outnumbered men for battle, he encourages them, and the watchword he gives, and the way they respond to victory, reveal where they placed their trust. Their battle cry was The Help of God; they went into the fight looking not to their own strength but to your help. And when the victory came, they did not congratulate themselves; they kept the Sabbath, greatly blessing and thanking you who had saved them, and then shared the spoils with the maimed, the widows, and the orphans. They attributed their success to your help, not their own might. Show me how they held their success: as your help, met with thanks and generosity. Their watchword was The Help of God; they did not trust in their own strength but looked to you to help them. And when they succeeded, they did not take the credit; they blessed and thanked you who had saved them, and shared the spoils with the needy. Their success did not make them proud or grasping; it made them grateful and generous. This is how to hold whatever success I am given: as help from you, met with thanksgiving to you and generosity to others. Take that to my heart, for I do well to attribute my success to your help, meeting it with thanksgiving and generosity. When I succeed, I can take the credit myself and hoard the fruit; but Judas's men looked to your help, thanked you for the victory, and shared its spoils with the needy. Success is rightly held as help from you. Keep me from claiming my success as my own achievement to hoard; help me attribute it to your help, thank you, and share it with the needy, Lord, as Judas's men fought under the watchword The Help of God and shared their spoils with the widows and orphans.