Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Exodus
1:8-14.22; Matthew 10:34-11:1
The first
part of the Book of Exodus tells the story of Israel’s escape from servitude. Today’s
first reading sets the stage for this action.
Pharoah is
not only a new king but probably also the head of a new dynasty. He knows nothing of Joseph perhaps because he
has usurped power from the old dynasty that employed Joseph. More significant than this, however, Pharoah
is apparently insecure on his new throne.
To rally Egyptians behind him, he finds fault with the Hebrews who are
becoming a sizeable minority. His
worries build to the point that forcing them to do hard labor, he enslaves the “children
of Israel.” When the toil fails to break
the Hebrews’ spirit, Pharoah becomes truly despotic. He tells Egyptians to
disregard natural law when he commands them to drown every male Hebrew child.
Jews
consider Exodus the most important book of the Bible because it tells how the
Lord forged them into a holy nation. We Christians
should also study it intensely. We will find in it more than a study of despotism
and God’s compassion. We will learn
about God’s law which still by-and-large applies to our lives.
