Thursday, October 28, 2004
The Martyrs Terence and Neonilla and their Children
Kellia: Judges 12:1-7 Epistle: Colossians 4:2-9 Gospel: St. Luke 9:49-56
Judges 12:1-7 RSV, especially vss. 5, 6: "...the men of Gilead said to him, "Are
you an Ephraimite?" When he said, "No," they said to him, "Then say Shibboleth," and he said,
"Sibboleth," for he could not pronounce it right; then they seized him and slew him at the fords of
the Jordan." In the record of Jephthah's early life (Jdgs. 10:17-11:40) self-serving words, words
in negotiation, and even words spoken rashly predominated in his affairs. Words and their power
continued to be important throughout Jephthah's career, as this concluding passage shows: the
dangers of belligerent words, the place of forthright words, and the ability of words to reveal true
identity. There is much here for us to learn about our words and their power.
Under the leadership of Jephthah, the Ammonites had been "subdued before the people of Israel"
(Jdg. 11:33), but the victory had turned bitter for him personally (Jdg. 11:34-40). Still, he met the
demand of the moment, and in the power of God's Spirit, with a small band of men from Gilead,
he drove out the invaders and won peace for the whole nation of Israel.
Hence, the belligerence of the largest, west-bank tribe, Ephraim, is perplexing when one
considers the triumph that benefitted all Israel (Jdg. 12:1). They were blatantly hostile, taking to
arms against their own brethren. They forded the Jordan into the areas of their east-bank relatives
and confronted Jephthah concerning his military activities inside his own east-bank region. Why
had he crossed over? Why didn't he enlist aid from them for the fight against the Ammonites?
In fact, he never crossed the Jordan, only some east-bank rivers, and his feud had involved the
Ammonites to the east of the east-bank tribes and not those west of the Jordan. It appears that
Ephraim was spoiling for a fight, or was jealous, or was seeking greater power.
How the Lord Jesus warns us against angry words! We are to love our enemies (Mt. 5:44),
remembering that "whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment" (Mt. 5:22). And between brethren "in the Lord," anger is much worse. We are to
forgive brethren "seventy times seven" ( Mt. 18:22), as the Apostle implores us: "be of the same
mind in the Lord," settle grievances, and let our "gentleness be known to all men" (Phil. 4:2-5).
Faced with militant anger, Jephthah spoke simply, frankly and honestly (Jdgs. 12:2,3), but truth
alone would not prevail, so he defended his people and territory necessarily, against his brethren.
He "gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim" (vs. 4). Further, he smote and
defeated them, and cut off their retreat across the Jordan (vs. 5). A good leader must both tell the
truth and defend his community. The letter of Paul to the Galatians is an example of an Apostle
telling the truth and defending his congregations. Harsh words usually stir up anger, and soft
answers often turn away wrath (Prov. 15:1), yet gentleness may not be enough and, then,
unreasonable wrath may have to be met with straightforward words and even acts. The men of
Ephraim learned painfully that angry words too often rebound on those who use them.
The passage ends with a famous account of the verbal test using the word "shibboleth," meaning
"the current of a stream." Pronunciation of the word identified any retreating Ephraimite quite
reliably (Jdg. 12:5-6). Hence, the event has given us a word for "any custom or usage that
distinguishes members of one group." Words have a way of disclosing who persons are, and not
only because of pronunciation. Often they reveal deeper motives hidden from the speakers
themselves. This surely is the reason the Lord Jesus tells us, "Out of the abundance of the heart
the mouth speaks" (Mt.12:34). Ah, but the pure of heart need not fear what they say!
May all the words of my mouth be righteous, and may there be nothing in them wrong or
perverse, but may they be evident to the understanding, and right to those that find knowledge.
