Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
From: 1 Maccabees 2:15-29
Mattathias Takes Action at Modein
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[15] Then the king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the city of Modein to make them offer sacrifice. [16] Many from Israel came to them; and Mattathias and his sons were assembled. [17] Then the king’s officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: “You are a leader, honored and great in this city, and supported by sons and brothers. [18] Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the men of Judah and those that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.”
[19] But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to do his commandments, departing each one from the religion of his fathers, [20] yet I and my sons and my brothers will live by the covenant of our fathers. [21] Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. [22] We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.”
[23] When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice upon the altar in Modein, according to the king’s command. [24] When Mattathias saw it, be burned with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him upon the altar. [25] At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. [26] Thus he burned with zeal for the law, as Phinehas did against Zimri the son of Salu.
[27] Then Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: “Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” [28] And he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the city.
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Commentary:
2:15-28. Mattathias certainly behaves savagely but he has a special reason for acting in this way: it helps to legitimate his leadership and that of his descendants in the liberation of Israel. Due to his priestly background Mattathias was a man of some status; what he did could influence others. Here, in a sense, he represents the people. Not only does he not succumb to the temptation to gain social and financial advantage by being untrue to his conscience and his religion (cf. vv. 17-22); he shows signs of being a savior of his people. His action is comparable to that of Phinehas (v. 26), that priest who, according to Numbers 25:6-15, ran a spear through an Israelite and a Midianite woman, thereby turning God’s wrath back from the people. In reward for his action God gave Phinehas a covenant of peace and promised him and his line a perpetual priesthood (cf. v. 54). Moreover, on that occasion God disposed that the Israelites should attack the Midianites and defeat them. The memory of Phinehas endured in Jewish tradition (cf. Ps 106:28-31; Sir 45:23). Although the sacred writer does not expressly say so, the comparison with Phinehas gives us an inkling that Mattathias is becoming someone who has a covenant with God and will be a savior of the people.
Both Phinehas and Mattathias were motivated by zeal for the Lord and for his Law (vv. 24, 26-27; Num 25:11). Although the way they expressed their zeal was understandable only in that distant context (it would not he acceptable today), their zeal for God and the things of God is still something to be imitated (cf. Origen, "Commentarii in Epistulam ad Romanos", 8, 1). Our Lord Jesus Christ will also feel zealous for the house of God, the temple, and will perform a symbolic act of violence against those who profaned it (cf. Jn 2:17; Ps 69:9). It is this sort of zeal that leads a Christian to “holy intransigence". “Be uncompromising in doctrine and conduct. But be yielding in manner. A mace of tempered steel, wrapped in quilted covering. Be uncompromising, but don’t be obstinate” (St J. Escriva, "The Way", 397).
The Messiah Enters the Holy City
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[28] And when He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. [29] When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, [30] saying, "Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. [31] If any one asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' you shall say this, 'The Lord has need of it.'" [32] So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. [33] And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" [34] And they said, "The Lord has need of it." [35] And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. [36] And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road. [37] As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, [38] saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" [39] And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." [40] He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."
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Commentary:
28. Normally in the Gospels when there is mention of going to the Holy City it is in terms of "going up" to Jerusalem (cf. Matthew 20:18; John 7:8), probably because geographically the city is located on Mount Zion. Besides, since the temple was the religious and political center, going up to Jerusalem had also a sacred meaning of ascending to the holy place, where sacrifices were offered to God.
Particularly in the Gospel of St. Luke, our Lord's whole life is seen in terms of a continuous ascent towards Jerusalem, where His self-surrender reaches its high point in the redemptive sacrifice of the Cross. Here Jesus is on the point of entering the city, conscious of the fact that His passion and death are imminent.
30-35. Jesus makes use of a donkey for his entry into Jerusalem, thereby fulfilling an ancient prophecy: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass” (Zech 9:9).
The people, and particularly the Pharisees, were quite aware of this prophecy. Therefore, despite it’s simplicity of form, there was a certain solemnity about the whole episode which impressed those present, stirring the hearts of the people and irritating the Pharisees. By fulfilling the prophecy our Lord was showing everyone that he was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament.
Other aspects of this episode are commented on in connection with Mark 11:3.
[Commentary on Mark 11:3: 3. Although, absolutely speaking, our Lord has no need of man, in fact he does choose to use us to carry out his plans just as he made use of the donkey for his entry into Jerusalem. “Jesus makes do with a poor animal for a throne. I don’t know about you; but I am not humiliated to acknowledge that in the Lord’s eyes I am a beast of burden: ‘I am like a donkey in your presence; nevertheless I am continually with you. You hold my right hand,’ (Ps 72:23), you take me by the bridle.
“Try to remember what a donkey is like--now that so few of them are left. Not an old, stubborn, vicious one that would give you a kick when you least expected, but a young one with his ears up like antennae. He lives on a meagre diet, is hard-working and has a quick, cheerful trot. There are hundreds of animals more beautiful, more deft and strong. But it was a donkey Christ chose when he presented himself to the people as king in response to their acclamation. For Jesus has no time for calculations, for astuteness, for the cruelty of cold hearts, for attractive but empty beauty. What he likes is the cheerfulness of a young heart, a simple step, a natural voice, clean eyes, attention to his affectionate word of advice. That is how he reigns in the soul” (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 181).]
38. Christ is greeted with the prophetic words referring to the enthronement of the Messiah, contained in Psalm 118:26: “Blessed be he who enters in the name of the Lord!” But the people also acclaim his as king. This is a great messianic demonstration, which infuriates the Pharisees. One of the acclamations, “Peace in earth, and glory in the highest”, echoes the announcement made by the angel to the shepherds on Christmas night (cf. Lk 2:14).
40. To the reproaches of the Pharisees, who are scandalized by the people’s shouts, our Lord replies in a phrase which sounds like a proverb: so obvious is his messiahship that if men refused to recognize it nature would proclaim it. In fact, when his friends were cowed on the hill of Calvary the earth trembled and the rocks split (cf. Mt 27:51). At other times our Lord imposed silence on those who want to proclaim him King or Messiah, but now he adopts a different attitude: the moment has come for his dignity and his mission to be made public.