The writer, Jesus, son of Sirach, adds a hymn of praise to
God for deliverance. The prayer is
similar to that of Jonah and also to those we find in various psalms. The praise is for deliverance in a time when
there was no hope except in the Lord, when no human assistance was forthcoming
and the situation looked dire. In particular
there were those who were gathered like jackals against him and into the midst
of this, the Lord acted on his behalf and the deliverance was ever sweeter as
his enemies saw their plot unravel. Think
today about a time in your life when the Lord acted on your behalf and thank
Him again for His love.
Dropsy means a swelling in the limbs due to excess bodily
fluids. Why was the man at the home of the
Pharisee this day? Possibly because
Jesus was there and the man wanted to be healed. They are watching Jesus carefully anyway so
here He asks a simple question concerning the Law of the Sabbath. A man was allowed to relieve the distress of
a son or ox who had fallen into a critical situation on Sabbath, so His
question is, "How is this situation different?" Next, Jesus teaches humility, not taking the
chief seat.
Babylon the great is no more. Rome is the city but it is compared with
Babylon, the former "world city" that tormented the Jewish
people. John sees the same type
destruction as Babylon experienced, the same things that Isaiah prophesied
against Babylon. Drunkenness and
prostitution are simply metaphors for the worldliness and wealth accumulated by
plunder and relationships with client states that exacted tribute that went to
Rome. She has set herself above all others
and revels in luxury while non-Romans suffer.
Could these words be directed to the United States at times? Have we sought justice around the world and
have we gained wealth on the backs of poorer nations? These are legitimate and difficult questions
we should consider as we move towards Advent.
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