Tuesday 23 June 2026
St Paulinus of Nola
2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36. God upholds his city for ever – Ps 47(48):2-4, 10-11. Matthew 7:6, 12-14.
God judges perfectly
People often discuss the apparent harshness of God as found in some passages of the Old Testament, such as God’s action against Sennacherib and his marauding army. Frequently critics present a skewed picture, fixating on what are in truth only a few passages. I often encounter another crucial mistake: people read these texts with a back-to-front framework of power and empire.
In truth, the Old Testament is the writings of a suffering and oppressed people, longing for liberation. Do not almost all of us, looking at the suffering and oppression of innocent people, long for liberation? Faced by serious evil, do we not yearn for some authority to right the injustice, punish the offender, uplift the wronged? I desire this even knowing the fallibility of my judgments and moral weakness. May I never elevate my thoughts above God, who knows, loves and judges perfectly.
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