RIGHTS OF THE OUTCASTS SPECIAL STATUTES FOR THE SLAIN WITH AN UNKNOWN HAND; THE CAPTIVEWOMEN; THE FIRSTBORN; THE REBELLIOUS SON; AND THE ONE HUNG ON A TREE In the last chapter, he spoke of the believer as a true soldier who enters into the battle under the leadership of God Himself; fights evil with his whole might and firmness. Bearing the Spirit of God, the Grantor of love, he becomes compassionate even to trees; and does not destroy them during the battle. Now, He sets forth to the circle of mercy; to present us, through His Law, with living examples of the true mercy that might not be separated from justice, so as not to turn into a kind of licentiousness. The Legislator intends to confirm two important facts in this chapter; namely, honoring the human life; and caring for the rights of man; especially the one, helpless to enjoy his rights. Here he speaks of the outcasts, the despised, and the oppressed, so that we may take a fitting faith position. He speaks of the blood of the unknown victim of murder; of the captive woman, who is taken as a wife, then sent away by her husband; of the firstborn son from an unloved wife; of the father of a rebellious son; and of the corpse of the one condemned and hung on a tree. These are all various examples of outcast and oppressed categories. 1. The slain with an unknown hand1–9. 2. The captive woman taken as a wife 10–14. 3. The right of the firstborn 15–17. 4. The rebellious son 18–21. 5. The man hanged on a tree 22–23. 1. THE SLAINWITH AN UNKNOWN HAND “If a man is found slain, lying in a field in the land of the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him, your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns” (Deut. 21:1, 2) No one can appreciate the significance of this statute, concerning the blood shed by an unknown hand, more than a scholar who studies the customs of the nations in that time; when the blood of man had no real value. Here, however, it is counted as a crime on earth, and a sin in the sight of heaven, not to be forgiven unless the congregation seriously searches for the killer. Every man’s life is the object of divine care. He previously introduced the statute of the killer by intention (19:11); and how he should be delivered into the hand of the blood-avenger to die; in order to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood. In the present chapter, He deals with the situation in case the killer is unknown. If someone is found killed, it should not be taken lightly, but a serious search for the one responsible for the killing should be conducted, in order that the earth does not get defiled through the shedding of innocent blood. And as it came in the book of Isaiah: “See, the Lord is coming out of His dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer” (Isaiah 26:21). The whole congregation around the location where the murder took place is considered guilty before God, unless it does every possible effort to discover the murderer and condemn him. For this purpose the elders and judges of the neighboring towns would 7 come together to discuss the case1. God inclined His ear to hear the voice of Abel’s blood crying out to Him from the ground (Genesis 4:10). He does not accept any human excuses, saying, “I don’t know; Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). The Law came to confirm the following: a. The importance of a serious search for the killer, hearing the witnesses, and investigating the circumstances around the crime; in order to expose the one responsible for it. Yet, in case that proves to be difficult, no one should be hastily and wrongly accused. b. The elders should follow the following ritual: “The elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke, and lead her down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted, and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck” (Deut. 21:3- 4) In the book of Exodus (13:13) it came: “Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.” This ritual is not a sacrifice offered to God, but it is a symbolic act in which the elders of the town close to where the murder took place proclaim that if the killer ever falls in their hands, they will not hesitate to break his neck. Choosing a valley that has not been plowed or planted, refers to that, because of this crime, the land shall become barren and unfit for plantation. Some Jews believe that, unless the murderer is discovered and put to death, that land in which the heifer’s neck was broken would be left barren and not planted. “The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord and to decide all cases of dispute and assault” (Deut. 21:5) The shedding of a man’s blood, thus brings confusion to everyone: the rulers, (elders), the judges, and the priests; all will cooperate together to look for the killer. “The priests, the sons of Levi,” being the ministers of God, the King of Israel, committed to consummate faithfully His divine Law, shall step forward. Here, the priests who dwell in the town of Levites, closest to the place where the body of the victim was found, will be present. Their presence would add to the holiness to the situation, would reveal its seriousness, and would proclaim the presence of God to decide the case, and would show that God Himself cares for it. c. “Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, and they shall declare: ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor our eyes see it done. Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O Lord, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man..’ And the bloodshed will be atoned for. So will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done the right in the eyes of the Lord” (Deut. 21:6-9) By washing their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken, they proclaim that they are innocent of the blood shed; and that the whole town is committed to proclaim the truth, and expose the killer; as toughly they say together with the Psalmist: “I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord” (Psalm 26:6). “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence” (psalm 73:13). They declare that they, not only have not shed that innocent blood, but they also are not able to discover the killer to deliver him to the 1 Josephus: Antiq. 4:8:16. 8 blood avenger. On the other hand, when Pilate washed his hands, saying: “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matthew 27:24); his words did not relieve him of the responsibility; he will not be able to stand before God and say: “Our hands did not shed this blood nor our eyes see it done.” Washing his hands would not make him innocent of the blood of the Lord Christ. d. The elders (and the priests) pray to God to forgive His people; and would not count them responsible for a crime, committed by someone in secret. Although everyone should be only responsible for his own sin, and not for the sins of others; yet the congregation as a whole is committed to act and to pray for the sake of the collective holy life. When the Corinthians grieved for the sake of one man who fell in the sin of adultery, the apostle Paul said to them: “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you; what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter” (2 Corinthians 7:11). Who is that victim but humanity destroyed by sin? And what would remove its iniquity but the sacrifice of the righteous Lord Christ? We should not marvel at the pressure that the Law puts upon the leaders of the towns close to the location of the crime. The modern science of criminal Psychology has revealed that the one, who committed the crime, would most probably tend to come back to the crime scene to look around; and it happens that secretly watching that scene would often help catching the criminal. As the crimes of murder mostly happen in secret; being the work of the devil, the ruler of the kingdom of darkness; according to the Law, the search for the criminal should be conducted publicly and in the light; so that everything would be rightly done. 2. THE CAPTIVE WOMAN TAKEN AS A WIFE To deal with the issue of marriage to captive women, the Law sets the rights of a wife in case of polygamy. Although not acceptable, yet we can say that for the sake of the hardness of their hearts, the Mosaic Law, allowed a soldier to marry the woman whom he takes captive at war, if he so desired, to keep him from falling into adultery with her, which could lead to destruction among Israel, and for God’s wrath to fall upon the whole army. Yet, this allowance was within certain conditions and limitations. It is obvious that, as the man here is most probably a married man, he would be allowed to have a second wife, to keep his heart from going after a beautiful captive woman to covet her. In the New Testament, however, he, who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery; the Law of the Lord Christ commands us not to look with lust at a woman; to keep the heart from going after the sinful look. a. Whatever is the desire of the soldier, and however beautiful the captive woman is, he should not hasten to get attached to her, before taking her first as wife (11). “When you go to war against your enemies and the Lord your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives. If you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attached to her, you may take her as your wife” (Deut. 21:10-11) b. As the woman is a captive, he has the right to marry her without seeking the 9 consent of her parents, yet he is committed not to go to her before a full month. “Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails, and put aside the clothing she was wearing when she was captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife” (Deut. 21:12, 13) Shaving the head and trimming the nails were signs of mourning at that time in the countries of the East. This was sought so that beauty of the body should not be a motive of hastening to marry her. On another aspect, he should not satisfy his carnal lust on the expense of her personal feelings; he should leave her alone for a full month to mourn her parents whom she left behind. Some believe that having her head shaved is a sign of her denial of her idolatry and of her entering into faith in the living God. Yet, beside the change in her outer appearance, she has to demonstrate another inner change by the true faith. That is why Jews believe that a captive woman, who refuses faith, would not be taken as a wife. She does mourn her practicing idolatry; as much as her attachment to her parents and getting their consent and blessing of her marriage; beside her deprivation of the rest of her family. The duration of her mourning is a full month. The regular duration of mourning by the Jews has been 40 days (Genesis 50:3). As the figure 40 refers to the days of our sojourn in this world, the prophets Moses, Elijah, and the Lord Christ fasted 40 days, as a sign of the (ascetic) life all along our life. Although not disregarding her human feelings, yet letting the captive woman mourn for a duration less than 40 days, is on account that her husband will make up for her loss, and will care for her happiness. She can mourn, yet with hope that her new life would make up for what she has lost, and probably for more than that. She would be treated, not as a captive woman, but as a wife and as one of the family; and she would enter into membership of the holy people of God. c. “And if you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her” (Deut. 21:14) He took her as his wife; so in case he is not pleased with her, he should not deal with her as a piece of furniture, sell her as a slave, or turn her as a captive to another; but, since he has dishonored her, he should let her go, completely free, even to go back to her own country, Some Church Fathers, like Origen and St. Jerome, believe that this beautiful captive woman is the temporal philosophy and human wisdom. Although it is fitting for the believer to use either of them, yet on condition of taking away from them every wrong and dead thought they may bear; as symbolized by having the head shaved and the nails trimmed. In the book of Deuteronomy we read God’s command that the captive woman should have her head shaved, her eyebrows removed, and her nails trimmed, before taking her as a wife. There is no wonder! When I admire the beauty of the temporal wisdom and the grace of its eloquence, and long to make this captive of mine, a wife of the true Israel, I tend to shave off and to cut down everything dead in it; whether it is idolatry, or lust; to take her pure, and to beget from her ministers to the Lord of hosts! The prophet Isaiah speaks of a sharp razor to shave by it the head and the hair of legs of sinners (Isaiah 7:20). And the prophet Ezekiel shaves his head as a symbol of Jerusalem who became a harlot, as a sign of commitment to take away from her 10 everything with no sense or life1. St. Jerome Although war, no doubt, cause many confusions and disturbances, during and after battles, yet this should not give the soldier an excuse not to deal properly with a captive girl. The outside confusion should not touch his heart, mind, or behavior; everything he does, should be with prudence and wisdom. War should not corrupt his principles or his values. There is no comparison between what came here of the rights of a captive woman, taken as a wife; and how the Gentile nations used to deal with captive women. The Jewish Law presented the most a man, who acquired a captive woman, could bear, to honor her dignity. Taking her as a wife, he had to realize that she is not a toy to play with, according to his body lusts; but should honor her as though a daughter of Israel, who shares with him his worship of the living God, and his submission of the divine Law. And in case he does not give her these rights, he should let her go to enjoy the most valuable human gift; namely, “freedom from servitude.” The Law provided a living foundation, for man to receive later on, the Christian thought, that in Jesus Christ, there is no man or woman, but all are members of equal honor in the one body of Christ. The Law here presents a living portrait of the power of love. As even in war, when anger and lust for blood shedding prevail on many; when a girl falls captive into the hand of a soldier; in case he loves her, love would liberate her! Love should remove the spirit of servitude, and replace with that of freedom. Now, if the love of a soldier - an adversary and an enemy - could take away from that captive woman the spirit of servitude, and bring her on, into “the house of Israel” to practice life with complete freedom; what would the divine love do to the soul, submitted to the servitude of sin? God’s love has liberated us from the servitude of the devil, and brought us into the “the household of God.” 3. THE RIGHT OF THE FIRSTBORN After speaking of the rights of the captive woman, loved by the believer, He refers to the rights of the firstborn from a wife hated by her man. By the spirit of justice man should not treat his oldest son according to his feelings toward his mother; but he is committed to honor his right as a firstborn. “If a man has two wives, and he loves one and not the other, and both bear him sons, but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his natural firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him” (Deut. 21:15-17) a. This statute reveals the drawbacks of polygamy; and how it causes man troubles in his relationships with his children. b. This statute reveals God’s amazing care. As God often grants man his firstborn from the woman he does not love, to make him love her for the sake of his firstborn. That is what we see in the story of Jacob who used to love Rachel more than Leah (Genesis 29:31). So God opened up Leah’s womb and granted her children, and made her the mother of Jacob’s firstborn. c. It is fitting for the parents not to be partial in dealing with their children. Jacob has indeed deprived his son Reuben his right as a firstborn, but that was not 1 St. Jerome: Letter 70:2. 11 because he did not love his mother, but because that son insulted his firstborn status by his disgraceful behavior. If the parents are not able to practice complete love toward each other; which has its drastic effect, even on their children, yet they are at least committed not to deal unjustly with their children, as far as their inheritance after their departure from this world is concerned. They should take this in consideration when they write their will. d. The father has no right to count the son of his beloved wife, as a firstborn, disregarding his lawful firstborn from the one he does not love. The translation came as “he cannot;” namely, that the divine statute does not allow him to execute his faulty feelings. It is to be noticed that some of the Gentile nations used to give the firstborn the right to take the whole inheritance, to act like a father to his siblings, for all to live under his shadow in a ‘mass family.’ e. The spiritual man loves others as though his firstborns, wishing to give them a double portion in his farewell will. That is what the prophet Elisha desired when he asked his master, the prophet Elijah to let him inherit a double portion of his spirit (2 Kings 2:9). If Israel has become like an unloved wife because of her insistence on her sins; so that God gave her the certificate of her divorce through the prophets; however the Lord Christ came as a Son of that nation, “He came to that which was His own, but his own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). He is the Firstborn, the true Heir; and whoever connects to Him will inherit together with Him, even if his family or his parents are wicked. In a similar way, we should not fear our reference to a father or mother who are not holy; as we are in the sight of the heavenly Father, His firstborn children, who have the right for a double portion of inheritance. The believer should be proud of his firstborn status, having become a member in the Church of the firstborns; concerning this St. Clement of Alexandria says: This is the Church of the firstborn (Hebrew 12:23), that embraces many good children; these are the firstborns whose names are written in heaven, who celebrate an exalted feast together with the ten thousands of angels. We are likewise firstborn children who are raised by God. We are the true friends of the Firstborn Son, who are granted the knowledge of God, first and before anything else1. St. Clement of Alexandria 4. THE REBELLIOUS SON “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him. His father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, ‘This so of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard. Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid” (Deut. 21:18-20) The statute concerning the trial of the rebellious son came only after presenting much about the responsibility of the parents to practice the true love, to behave as a holy family, to present their life as a living role model to their children, together with creating a suitable atmosphere for raising as is fitting for prophets. The statute concentrated on the responsibility of the parents before condemning the children. This statute came to confirm an important fact, that in every society and in every generation, there are both good and evil children. As if all are good, there would 1 Paedagogus 1:5. 12 be no need for this statute, and if all were evil, there would likewise be no benefit of it. We have already talked about the punishment of insulting the parents1. According to Origen, the rebellion against the biological parents is a shadow of the rebellion against the heavenly parents - God the Father and the high Jerusalem our mother. He says: [If such is the verdict for him who insults his biological family; how much more will be for him who insults God, by denying that He is the Creator of the world? Or for him who speaks bad about the heavenly Jerusalem, who is the mother of us all (Galatians 4:26)?2] Rebellion and stubbornness are like blasphemy; and should be accordingly punished. Yet that should be after the failure of the parents to put him right. In the punishment here, the following should be noticed: a. The crime of rebellion takes place, not because of the inability of the son to execute the commands of his parents, or to realize their significance; but out of an evil will and stubbornness; he hates to be amended, or is ashamed to be referred to his parents or his family; something that grieves their hearts and devastates them. b. He concentrates on the sin of profligacy and drunkenness (20); as they make the son lose his mind and rebel against the authority of his parents. The drunkenness makes man forget about all the laws, hence the commandment of king Lemuel’s mother to her son: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel – not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what the Law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights” (Proverb 31:4-5). The context connects between rebellion on the one hand, and both profligacy and drunkenness on the other hand; which were in the sight of Jews a great crime. When the Lord Christ spoke about the prodigal son, he mentioned that he “squandered his wealth on wild living” (Luke 15:13). And in the book of proverbs it is written: “Who has woe?… Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine” (Proverb 23:30); and, “He who keeps the Law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father” (Proverb 28:7). c. The father or the mother do not individually act against their son; but are committed to agree together that he is rebellious, profligate, and a drunkard. And even if they so agree, they have to resort to the elders of their town, who will investigate the matter thoroughly before issuing their verdict. d. The parents will bring their son to the elders; “Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid” (21). It is very hard on the parents to complain against their rebellious son, knowing that he may probably be condemned to death. But God allowed it in the Old Testament, for all to realize the seriousness of raising the children. If, according to their natural feelings, it is difficult for man to accept that, what would be his position, when he realize that, through his negligence, he may deliver his children, not only to be stoned, but even to eternal fire?! God does not preoccupy Himself with mere human feelings, but with the eternal salvation, and with the ultimate destiny of man. The Law sought that the trial by the elders be public, to give the chance to the people of the town to testify, whether that rebellion was because of the negligence of the parents, their violence, or their personal failings; in order that the children would not be oppressed. e. This Law was set to give man the chance to re-evaluate his position. If 1 Cf. The author: Leviticus, p.208-209 (in Arabic). 2 In Lev. Hom. 11:2. 13 rebellion against parents can bring death on man, how would be the rebellion against God Himself?! f. The sin, especially rebellion, can corrupt the earth; so it is said: “You must purge the evil from among you,” and the Psalmist says: “Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord” (Psalm 101:8). The sin of rebellion, together with profligacy and drunkenness, are not only directed against parents, but against the whole congregation. That is why the punishment is done publicly before the congregation against whom that rebellious son erred. Such a rebellious person destroys the peace of his home; and his bad example influences others. The apostle Paul warns us against the behavior of parents that may cause such a plague, saying: “Fathers, do not embitter your children” (Colossians 3:21). A son needs to live in an atmosphere of love, so as not to divert to violence and corruption. It is truly a primary responsibility of the parents. g. The rebellious son is condemned to be stoned to death (18-21), which reveals the seriousness of this sin. 5- THE MAN HANGED ON A TREE “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God” (Deut. 21:22-23) Death penalty, and leaving the body hanged on a tree (on a cross), was meant to reveal the seriousness and horror of the crime. The Law allowed for hanging the body of a criminal on a tree, not to make a scene of him, but in order to make him an example to others, and to put fear in the hearts of all. Yet, the Law did not allow for the body of the one hanged on a tree to remain there after dark, but it has to be buried the same day. Several scholars believe that hanging on a tree used to happen after the criminal dies, and not as a way to kill him. When the people started to commit harlotry with the girls of Moab who drew them to sacrifice to the idol ‘Baal of Peor,’ God commanded the prophet Moses: “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel” (Numbers 25:5) The custom of hanging on a tree has been known among the Gentiles. When ‘Joseph’ tended to interpret the dream of the baker of Pharaoh king of Egypt, he said to him, “Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head – from you – and hang you on a pole, and the birds will eat the flesh from you” (Genesis 40:19). It is obvious here that the verdict was first to cut his head before hanging his body on a pole, for the following reasons: a. Whatever the horror of the sin, God cares for burying the bodies in graves; intends to honor the human bodies, even of the worst of criminals. God indeed allows for chastisement, yet within limits, so as not to insult the human nature. He allows scourging, yet within limits; and allows for the death penalty when necessary; but on condition that the bodies should not remain unburied for more than one day. b. If God allows for the bodies to be hanged during the day; Yet He wants us not to exaggerate our fear of the sin, Let us remember our sins in order to repent; yet let us bury them as well; and be preoccupied with God, the Forgiver of sins. c. The Law presents a religious rite: According to the Law, the dead body bears uncleanness; as death came to the world as a fruit of sin. Therefore the dead 14 body should not be left unburied, so that the whole land wouldn’t be defiled. d. That Law came to touch the issue of our salvation; there is no curse worse than that, to which the Lord Christ our Savior descended (Galatians 3:13). The Jewish rulers tried in vain to avoid the curse through holding fast to the letter of that Law (John 19:31). The Lord Christ accepted to die crucified; He, who knew no sin, became a sin for our sake. The Grantor of blessing became a Bearer of the curse of the Law for us. He was hanged on a tree, as though not worthy to be neither in heaven nor on earth. But He was buried before sunset to kill the curse, and to grant us in Him the risen life. And according to the apostle Paul: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’); that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13, 14). Our Christ accepted the curse to sanctify us; and St. Peter says: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (2 Peter 2:24). And according to St. John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Our Savior took our place, for us to take His; He was pleased to receive the cross. “Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). That amazing act of redemption is the pleasure of God the Father: “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief, to make His soul an offering for sin” (Isaiah 53:10). God the Father was pleased to offer His beloved Son as an offering for sin, to let Him bear the curse for us, to bring us into His righteousness and His glory. The Evangelist St. John tells us: “Therefore, because it was the preparation day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away” (John 19:31). If one of our congregation asks, for the sake of knowledge, ‘Why would He not bear death by some other way? Let him be told that there is no other way for our benefit. It is good that the Lord bore that for our sake. He came to bear our curse; so, how could He Himself be a curse for us (Galatians 3:13), unless He receives the kind of death that bears a curse? Which is the cross?!1 Pope St. Athanasius the Apostolic Death on the cross was according to them a great curse. Yet they did not realize that it was a prophecy… That death, which was meant for us, whose origin was in the sin; He bore it Himself, and nailed it on the tree2. St. Augustine Finally, what this chapter confirms concerning all the situations mentioned; that, even in the Old Testament, God cares for every man personally. For the sake of a single victim of murder, His wrath would dwell upon all the neighboring towns; if they were negligent in searching for the killer. And for the sake of the body of a criminal hanged on a tree, if it remains there after dark, the whole land would be defiled! In the New Testament, the Lord Christ proclaims that “it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish” (Matthew 18:14); and “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10); and, “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5). The Lord Christ was not preoccupied with the multitudes that crowded around 1 De Incarnatione Verbi Dei, 25:1-2. 2 St. Augustine: On Ps. 38. 15 Him, to stop the whole procession to invite Him to enter into the house of Zacchaeus, who sought to see who Jesus was (Luke 19:2). He also cared among the crowd around Him for the woman who had a flow of blood, and asked: “Who touched Me?” to which Peter and those with him said: “Master, the multitudes throng You and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?” (Luke 8:45) 16 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY (Chapter 21) LET ME ENCOUNTER YOU THROUGH THE OUTCASTS Let me encounter you; who was crucified outside the camp. You have become an expelled and an outcast! To have the expelled and the outcasts encounter you. And those who have no one to care for them. I see You encountering me. No one would embrace me but You. You seek my weakness as an outcast. Let me also seek you, to find You among the outcasts. To encounter You among the expelled! You care for the innocent blood shed by an unknown hand! You do not let oppression defile the earth. You command Your people to care for the blood shed. Yet, at the same time, not to hasten to accuse anyone. To wash their hands in purity. Not to cover up those who shed blood. And not to accuse anyone unjustly. Sin has put me to death and has thrown me on the ground; I became a lifeless corpse. With nobody to look at me, or to care for me. You came down to me and looked at me. You avenged my blood by Your cross. And nailed down the sin, and made a spectacle of the evil one. You have revived me and granted me the resurrection. I am no longer a corpse cast in his blood on the ground. But became a child of God, enjoying the glories. You care for a pagan captive woman, who lost her family and her country. You ask her to mourn her parents, and not her idols. You keep her rights, and protect her from being destroyed by the one who captivated her. You are such a wise God, and a very gentle One. You care for my soul, That was captivated by sin, and humiliated by the evil one. You have liberated me, and brought me into Your secret place. You have poured on me Your splendor! And set a queen out of me! You care for the wife who is not loved by her man. You make up for her by granting her the firstborn son. You care likewise for the feelings of her son. You made me a firstborn, O You, the Only and Unique in first birth. My mother, the Church, is very beloved by her Groom. All her sons became firstborns. All enjoy a double portion of eternal inheritance. You care for the rebellious son. You allow for firmness with him for the sake of his eternity. 17 You proclaim to his parents the danger of his eternal perdition. While his parents deliver him to the elders to be stoned to death; You have taken my rebellion away from me. You did not deliver me to the elders to come against me. But You brought me up to settle down in the bosom of the heavenly Father. You clothed me with Your righteousness, And made me a partner in Your obedience. I confess to You that I have broken Your Law. I have fallen under the curse of the Law. And came to be under the verdict of death, imprisoned within the circle of the curse. But by Your love, You entered by the cross into the circle of the curse. You have blown the curse up and destroyed its gates. You have blessed me and set me free. You have lifted up from me the curse of the Law And granted me the blessings of the eternal glory. The criminal may be worthy of being hanged on a tree; Yet You care for his body not to remain after sunset. By this, You confirm to us, that You honor both the soul and the body. You care for man as a whole, O our Creator. Millions and millions of millions of earthly and heavenly creatures throng You. And yet, with Your love, You care for me personally. I say together with Your saint Augustine: It is as though I do not see in the world except You and my humble person. You are giving me all the love. And I give You all the heart. Is there anybody whom You love like You do me? Is there anybody who loves You like I do? I am Yours my Beloved; and You are mine, O You the desire of my heart!
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