Friday of the
Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 23:1-4.19.24:1-8.62-67; Matthew 9:9-13)
Abraham’s purchasing land to bury Sarah may seem like a
realistic detail. In reality it is a
very important step in nation-building. People have to own land before they
will identify themselves with it. They
will revere as sacred the places where they bury their fathers and mothers. There they will tell the stories which add
meaning to life and bind themselves to one another.
The wise Abraham realizes these facts as he insists on buying
a broad piece of land rather than accepting as a gift a narrow swath to
accomplish his immediate purpose. He will be buried on the same territory as
will Isaac, Rebecca and Leah, and Jacob.
It will truly become the “land of the patriarchs” worth working to grow
a nation and dying to defend. It remains
a great symbol for Jews who though scattered throughout the world feel a tie to
Israel.
But nations are more than land with flags. They require virtue to create and sustain. Families must be supported and individuals
must dedicate themselves to procuring more than their own needs. Jesus will give priority to the Kingdom of
God in his preaching, but he never denies the importance of family and state to
that end. Without either we are
dehumanized, and the kingdom becomes a sterile symbol.
