1 Maccabees 11:45-53: a reflection

45The people of the city gathered themselves together into the midst of the city, to the number of one hundred and twenty thousand men, and they wanted to kill the king. 46The king fled into the court of the palace, and the people of the city seized the main streets of the city and began to fight. 47The king called the Jews to help him, and they were gathered together to him all at once, and they dispersed themselves in the city, and killed that day about one hundred thousand. 48They set the city on fire, and seized many spoils that day, and saved the king. 49The people of the city saw that the Jews had taken control of the city as they pleased, and they became faint in their hearts, and they cried out to the king with supplication, saying, 50“Give us your right hand, and let the Jews cease from fighting against us and the city.” 51They threw away their weapons and made peace. The Jews were glorified in the sight of the king, and before all who were in his kingdom. Then they returned to Jerusalem, having much plunder. 52So King Demetrius sat on the throne of his kingdom, and the land was quiet before him. 53He lied in all that he spoke, and estranged himself from Jonathan, and didn’t repay him according to the benefits with which he had repaid him, and treated him very harshly.

In this account, the king, hard-pressed by a revolt in his own city, calls on the Jews to help him, and they come to his aid and save him. But the king's gratitude does not last. He lied in all that he spoke, the account says, and estranged himself from Jonathan, and didn't repay him according to the benefits with which he had repaid him, and treated him very harshly. Having used the Jews' help to save himself, the king turned on them, failed to repay their kindness, and treated them harshly. This is a sobering picture of ingratitude and betrayal: to accept and benefit from another's help, and then to turn on them, betray them, or fail to repay their kindness. The king took the benefit but withheld the gratitude; he used those who helped him and then discarded them. To use another's help and then betray or fail to repay them is a real wrong, the ingratitude that takes the benefit but gives back harm. Ingratitude that uses others' help and then betrays them is a real wrong. To take the benefit of another's kindness and then turn on them is base. Gratitude repays kindness; ingratitude betrays it.

Notice the king's ingratitude: he was saved by the Jews' help, and then betrayed them. They had come to his aid in his need, fought for him, saved him; and instead of repaying their kindness with gratitude and reward, he lied, estranged himself, failed to repay them, and treated them harshly. He took the benefit of their help but gave back betrayal. This is a base and ugly thing: to accept and profit from another's kindness and help, and then to turn on them, betray them, or fail to repay them. Ingratitude of this kind uses others for what they can give, and then discards them; it takes the benefit but withholds the thanks, returns harm for good. This is the opposite of the gratitude that remembers and repays kindness. To use another's help and then betray or fail to repay them is a real wrong, a base ingratitude. We are called instead to gratitude, to remembering and repaying the kindness of those who have helped us, not using them and discarding them. Ingratitude that betrays those who helped us is base; gratitude honors and repays them. To repay kindness with betrayal is a real wrong. Gratitude remembers; ingratitude discards.

That is worth taking to heart, for it is a real wrong to use another's help and then betray them or fail to repay their kindness, and we are called to gratitude instead. We can accept and benefit from others' help and kindness, and then turn on them, fail to repay them, or discard them once they are no longer useful, as the king used the Jews' help and then betrayed them; but this ingratitude is a base wrong. We are called to gratitude, to remembering and repaying the kindness of those who have helped us. Do not use another's help and then betray or fail to repay them; remember and repay the kindness shown you, rather than the ingratitude the king showed. Remember and repay the kindness of those who have helped you rather than using their help and then betraying or failing to repay them, as the king, saved by the Jews' help, then estranged himself from them, failed to repay their kindness, and treated them harshly; for it is a base and ugly wrong to accept and profit from another's kindness and then turn on them, taking the benefit but withholding the thanks and returning harm for good, and we are called instead to the gratitude that remembers and repays kindness, honoring those who have helped us rather than discarding them, so that to repay kindness with betrayal is a real wrong and gratitude the right response.

Lord, in this account, the king, hard-pressed by a revolt in his own city, calls on the Jews to help him, and they come to his aid and save him. But the king's gratitude does not last. He lied in all that he spoke, the account says, and estranged himself from Jonathan, and didn't repay him according to the benefits with which he had repaid him, and treated him very harshly. Having used the Jews' help to save himself, the king turned on them, failed to repay their kindness, and treated them harshly. This is a sobering picture of ingratitude and betrayal. Show me the king's ingratitude: he was saved by the Jews' help, and then betrayed them. They had come to his aid, fought for him, saved him; and instead of repaying their kindness with gratitude, he lied, estranged himself, failed to repay them, and treated them harshly. He took the benefit of their help but gave back betrayal. This is a base and ugly thing: to accept and profit from another's kindness, and then to turn on them. Ingratitude of this kind uses others for what they can give, and then discards them; it returns harm for good. This is the opposite of the gratitude that remembers and repays kindness. Take that to my heart, for it is a real wrong to use another's help and then betray them or fail to repay their kindness, and I am called to gratitude instead. I can accept and benefit from others' help and kindness, and then turn on them, fail to repay them, or discard them once they are no longer useful; but this ingratitude is a base wrong. Keep me from using another's help and then betraying or failing to repay them; help me remember and repay the kindness shown me, Lord, rather than the ingratitude the king showed, honoring those who have helped me rather than discarding them.