From: 1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19
Jeroboam Revolts and Becomes King of Israel (Continuation)
Ten Tribes Withdraw (Continuation)
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Commentary:
11:26-40. Jeroboams revolt is the will of the Lord God of Israel. Through the prophet Ahijah, he makes Jeroboam, who was not a descendant of Solomon, king of the ten tribes of the North, of which Ephraim was the most important. In the past, it was God, too, who designated the king of Israel, as in the case of Saul (cf. 1 Sam 10:22-24) and David (cf. 1 Sam 16:1-12). Now God decides who is to rule each of the two kingdoms (Israel and Judah) that come into being as a punishment for Solomons sin—and in keeping with Gods promise. On account of the sin, the kingdom ought to be taken away from Solomons line, but because God is faithful to his promise to David he will keep a member of Davids house on the throne. So, two kingdoms come into being.
St Cyprian sees the prophet Ahijahs gesture of tearing his cloak into twelve pieces as a counter-symbol to the unity of the Church as symbolized by Christs tunic. Christ carried within him the unity which exists on high, the unity of heaven and the Father; this unity can never be sundered by anyone who acquires or possesses it; rather, it always retains as its indivisible character all the solidity and stability of unity. No one who breaks and divides his Church can put on the garment of Christ. What happens is the opposite of what took place at the death of Solomon, when his kingdom and his people were divided up. At that time, the prophet Ahijah, on his way out to meet Jeroboam in the fields, tore his cloak into twelve parts, saying: Take ten pieces.... Just as the twelve tribes of Israel were separated, Ahijah tore his cloak. But since the people of Christ cannot be divided, the Lord’s tunic, woven in a single piece without seam, was not torn up by those who fought to take possession of it: undivided, close-knit and united, the tunic is a symbol of the harmony that ought to exist among our people, we who have submitted ourselves to the service of Christ. Christ prefigures the unity of the Church in the mystery and symbolism of his tunic (”De Unilate Ecclesiae”, 7).
12:16-19. The cry To your tents, O Israel (v. 16) is not so much a declaration of independence as an act of treachery, as when Sheba rebelled against David (cf. 2 Sam 20:1). The situation that the Northern tribes want to recreate by cutting themselves off from the house of David, is interpreted by the sacred writer as a crime and not a right. They call themselves Israel, which will be the name of the kingdom of the North, whereas that of the South, where Davids line will continue, will be called Judah, after the tribe that made it up. Theobservation to this day (v. 19) shows that this history was written at a time when those two kingdoms still existed but it also denotes hope of a future reunification.
From: Mark 7:31-37
The Curing of a Deaf Man
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Commentary:
32-33. Sacred Scripture quite often shows the laying on of hands as a gesture indicating the transfer of power or blessing (cf. Genesis 48:14ff; 2 Kings 5:11; Luke 13:13). Everyone knows that saliva can help heal minor cuts. In the language of Revelation fingers symbolized powerful Divine action (cf. Exodus 8:19; Psalm 8:4; Luke 11:20). So Jesus uses signs which suit in some way the effect He wants to achieve, though we can see from the text that the effect—the instantaneous cure of the deaf and dumb man—far exceeds the sign used.
In the miracle of the deaf and dumb man we can see a symbol of the way God acts on souls: for us to believe, God must first open our heart so we can listen to His word. Then, like the Apostles, we too can proclaim the “magnalia Dei”, the mighty works of God (cf. Acts 2:11). In the Church’s liturgy (cf. the hymn “Veni Creator”) the Holy Spirit is compared to the finger of the right hand of God the Father (”Digitus paternae dexterae”). The Consoler produces in our souls, in the supernatural order, effects comparable to those which Christ produces in the body of the deaf and dumb man.