2 Maccabees 6:18-23: a reflection

18Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, a man already well advanced in years, and of a noble countenance, was compelled to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh. 19But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with defilement, advanced of his own accord to the instrument of torture, but first spat out the flesh, 20as men ought to come who are resolute to repel such things as not even for the natural love of life is it lawful to taste. 21But those who had the charge of that forbidden sacrificial feast took the man aside, for the acquaintance which of old times they had with him, and privately implored him to bring flesh of his own providing, such as was proper for him to use, and to make as if he did eat of the flesh from the sacrifice, as had been commanded by the king; 22that by so doing he might be delivered from death, and so his ancient friendship with them might be treated kindly. 23But he, having formed a high resolve, and one that became his years, the dignity of old age, and the gray hairs which he had reached with honor, and his excellent education from a child, or rather the holy laws of God’s ordaining, declared his mind accordingly, bidding them to quickly send him to Hades.

Eleazar, an aged and respected scribe, is being forced to eat forbidden food under threat of death. Those in charge, out of old friendship, offer him a way out: bring meat of your own that is lawful for you, and only pretend to eat the forbidden sacrifice, so you can save your life. All he has to do is fake it. But Eleazar refuses even to pretend. He will not act a lie, even to live, because of what such a pretense would mean and who would see it.

Notice why he refuses the easy escape. It was not that anyone would necessarily know the difference; he could have quietly saved himself. But Eleazar reasons that the young, who looked up to him, would think he had genuinely abandoned his faith at ninety, and might be led astray by his example, and that his own conscience and the honor of God would not permit such a hollow deception. Better an honest death than a dishonest life that misled others. Integrity, for him, would not even pretend.

That is a costly, searching example. We are often offered the pretend option, the small deception that would let us keep our comfort or safety while appearing to compromise, the quiet fakery no one would catch. Eleazar would not take it, because he weighed his conscience and the example he set for others as worth more than his own life. When you are tempted to fake a compromise to save yourself trouble, remember Eleazar, who would not even pretend. Consider the weight of your example and the integrity of your own soul. Some things are worth more than escaping the cost.

Lord, Eleazar would not even pretend to compromise, though pretending would have saved his life, because of his conscience and the young who watched his example. When I am tempted by the small, easy deception that would spare me trouble, give me his integrity. Help me weigh the example I set and the honesty of my own soul above my comfort, and to refuse even to fake what I know is wrong.