2 Maccabees 4:39-50: a reflection

39Now when many sacrileges had been committed in the city by Lysimachus with the consent of Menelaus, and when the report of them had spread abroad outside, the people gathered themselves together against Lysimachus, after many vessels of gold had already been stolen. 40When the multitudes were rising against him and were filled with anger, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men, and with unrighteous violence began the attack under the leadership of Hauran, a man far gone in years and no less also in folly. 41But when they perceived the assault of Lysimachus, some caught up stones, others logs of wood, and some took handfuls of the ashes that lay near, and they flung them all in wild confusion at Lysimachus and those who were with him. 42As a result, they wounded many of them, they killed some, and they forced the rest of them to flee, but the author of the sacrilege himself they killed beside the treasury. 43But about these matters, there was an accusation laid against Menelaus. 44When the king had come to Tyre, the three men who were sent by the senate pleaded the cause before him. 45But Menelaus, seeing himself now defeated, promised much money to Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, that he might win over the king. 46Therefore Ptolemy taking the king aside into a cloister, as if to get some fresh air, convinced him to change his mind. 47He who was the cause of all the evil, Menelaus, he discharged from the accusations; but these hapless men, who, if they had pleaded even before Scythians, would have been discharged uncondemned, them he sentenced to death. 48Those who were spokesmen for the city and the families of Israel and the holy vessels soon suffered that unrighteous penalty. 49Therefore even certain Tyrians, moved with hatred of the wickedness, provided magnificently for their burial. 50But Menelaus, through the covetous dealings of those who were in power, remained still in his office, growing in wickedness, established as a great conspirator against his fellow citizens.

This passage recounts a painful injustice: the wicked Menelaus, guilty of grave wrongs, escapes judgment through bribery, while the innocent men who spoke for justice are unjustly condemned to death. Menelaus, seeing himself defeated, bribed an official to win over the king; and so the guilty man was cleared, while the innocent were sentenced to death, men who, the account says, would have been acquitted even before the most brutal judges. It is a stark injustice: the corrupt escape and the innocent suffer, through the covetous dealings of those in power. Yet even here, some, moved by hatred of the wickedness, gave the wronged an honorable burial. This confronts the painful reality of injustice, and points us to trust God's ultimate justice. The corrupt sometimes escape while the innocent suffer. Human justice often fails; the guilty escape and the innocent suffer. Injustice is real; we must trust God's ultimate justice. When human justice fails, God remains the true judge.

Notice the painful injustice this account records honestly. Menelaus, truly guilty, used bribery to escape judgment; and the innocent men who had rightly spoken against him were condemned to death instead, a verdict so unjust that even brutal judges would have acquitted them. The corrupt escaped through the covetous dealings of those in power, while the innocent suffered. This is a hard reality that Scripture does not hide: that human justice often fails, that the guilty sometimes escape and the innocent suffer, that corruption and bribery can pervert justice. It would be easy to despair at such injustice, or to conclude that justice does not matter. But the account also notes that some, moved by hatred of the wickedness, honored the wronged with a proper burial, a small light of doing right amid the darkness. And behind it all stands the truth that God is the final judge, who sees all, and who will finally set right what human justice fails to. When human justice fails, we can still do what right we can, and we can trust God's ultimate justice, which will not fail. Human justice often fails, but God's ultimate justice will not. Do the right you can even amid injustice. Trust God's final justice when human justice fails. God sees what human courts miss, and will set things right.

That is worth taking to heart, for human justice often fails, the guilty escaping and the innocent suffering, but God remains the final judge whose justice will not fail, and we can still do what right we can. We can despair when we see the corrupt escape and the innocent suffer, concluding that justice does not matter; but this account records such injustice honestly, while noting some who still did right, and behind it all stands God, the final judge who will set things right. Human justice fails; God's does not. When you see injustice, do not despair; do the right you can, and trust God's ultimate justice. Trust God's ultimate justice when human justice fails, doing what right you can even amid injustice, as this account records honestly that the wicked Menelaus escaped judgment through bribery while the innocent who spoke for justice were unjustly condemned to death, men who would have been acquitted even before the most brutal judges, the corrupt escaping through the covetous dealings of those in power while the innocent suffered; for Scripture does not hide the hard reality that human justice often fails, that the guilty sometimes escape and the innocent suffer, and that corruption and bribery can pervert justice, and it would be easy to despair at such injustice or conclude that justice does not matter, but the account also notes that some, moved by hatred of the wickedness, honored the wronged with a proper burial, a small light of doing right amid the darkness, and behind it all stands the truth that God is the final judge who sees all and will finally set right what human justice fails to, so that when human justice fails we can still do what right we can and trust God's ultimate justice, which will not fail.

Lord, this passage recounts a painful injustice: the wicked Menelaus, guilty of grave wrongs, escapes judgment through bribery, while the innocent men who spoke for justice are unjustly condemned to death. Menelaus, seeing himself defeated, bribed an official to win over the king; and so the guilty man was cleared, while the innocent were sentenced to death, men who would have been acquitted even before the most brutal judges. It is a stark injustice: the corrupt escape and the innocent suffer, through the covetous dealings of those in power. Yet even here, some, moved by hatred of the wickedness, gave the wronged an honorable burial. This confronts the painful reality of injustice, and points me to trust your ultimate justice. Show me the painful injustice this account records honestly. Menelaus, truly guilty, used bribery to escape judgment; and the innocent who had rightly spoken against him were condemned instead. The corrupt escaped through the dealings of those in power, while the innocent suffered. This is a hard reality that Scripture does not hide: that human justice often fails, that the guilty sometimes escape and the innocent suffer. It would be easy to despair at such injustice, or to conclude that justice does not matter. But the account also notes that some, moved by hatred of the wickedness, honored the wronged, a small light of doing right amid the darkness. And behind it all stands the truth that you are the final judge, who sees all, and who will finally set right what human justice fails to. Take that to my heart, for human justice often fails, but you remain the final judge whose justice will not fail. When I see the corrupt escape and the innocent suffer, keep me from despairing or concluding that justice does not matter; help me do what right I can even amid injustice, Lord, and trust your ultimate justice, which will not fail, knowing that you see what human courts miss and will finally set things right.