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How peculiar that Antiochus said to himself, “I was kindly and beloved in my rule”?(1 Maccabees 6:12)!
From the information here, we know that he thoroughly plundered Jerusalem, tortured and destroyed its inhabitants, was in the process of attacking Judah again, and was proposing to capture and pillage nearby Elymais. Torture, murder, destruction, theft, and forcible restraint do not paint the picture of a generous and compassionate ruler.
Clearly, Antiochus had no real or accurate idea about his life—at least, not until he stopped and thought things over. Then he recognized the terribly wicked way he had lived.
Maybe not to the extent of King Antiochus, but we all run the risk of becoming so preoccupied with ourselves that we don’t take the time to examine what we are doing and the effect our actions may have on other people.
So let’s get in the habit of asking: “How have I acted today toward the people I encountered?” Let’s also ask: “What has God been saying to me about the way I act toward them in general?” “Why is it that I can be so kind and generous at times, but then so sharp and critical at other times?” Asking questions like these can give the Holy Spirit a chance to show us some of our deeper drives and motivations—the good ones as well as the bad ones.
The last thing any of us wants is to die “in bitter grief, in a foreign land” as Antiochus did (1 Maccabees 6:13). The “foreign land” for us is any place where Christ doesn’t reign in our lives. It’s any world that we have constructed that feeds our selfish inclinations instead of honoring the Lord and his people.
The Holy Spirit wants to help us see ourselves as we really are. He wants to show us how to get out of any foreign land that we have fallen into. He’s just waiting for us to ask him to build up our virtues and to change any of our “foreign” ways. A simple daily examination is one of the best ways we can learn more about ourselves. It’s also one of the best ways we can ask the Spirit to show us how to live in God’s way of love.
“Holy Spirit, help me to begin to see myself truthfully, rejoicing in your life in me and facing what needs to change.”
Psalm 9:2-4,6,16,19; Luke 20:27-40
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