Has anyone seen the commercial for a service that promises to clean up your online reputation?
Having seen it multiple times and heard today’s first reading, can make any of us wonder, “What example, what legacy, will we leave behind for our family members?”
In today’s first reading, we hear that Jehoiachin was only eighteen years old when he became king; can you remember being 18…there’s so much ahead and a sense of hopefulness, and yet Scripture gives a sobering assessment of the king’s reign: “He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just as his forebears had done.”
Those final words: “just as his forebears had done” really stand out. For, Jehoiachin didn’t simply make a few bad decisions; he followed a pattern established by those before him.
Generation after generation, the kings of Judah drifted from God. They ignored His commandments, trusted in political alliances rather than divine providence, and so led the people into spiritual compromise. While it’s true that Jehoiachin inherited that legacy, it's also true that he chose to continue it.
And, the result was devastating. Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. The king, his family, and many of the people were exiled, and the nation suffered the consequences of years of unfaithfulness.
This passage reminds us that our choices do not exist in isolation. For, we inherit habits, attitudes, and patterns from those who come before us. Some are good and holy; others are not. Families can pass on faith, generosity, and prayer. But they can also pass on resentment, indifference, selfishness, or a neglect of God.
The lesson from Jehoiachin’s story is not solely that sin has consequences; we know that….
Rather, the additional lesson is that every generation has the opportunity….to break unhealthy patterns and begin new ones. Jehoiachin repeated the mistakes of his ancestors. He could have chosen a different path, but he didn’t. This connects directly to Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel from Matthew. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father.”
As we know, faithfulness is measured not by words alone, but by obedience and actions. Jesus concludes with the image of the wise man who builds his house on rock, as opposed to the foolish man who builds on sand. The difference is not that one hears His words and the other does not. Both hear. The difference is that one listens and acts on Jesus’ words.
Jehoiachin and many of his forebears heard God’s word but failed to build their lives upon it. Their kingdom was built on the shifting sands of pride, compromise, and self-reliance, and when the storms came, it collapsed.
As Christians, we need to remember that we’re not prisoners of our past. For through the grace of Christ, we’re given the freedom to choose the good and the Godly.
My brothers and sisters, today, let’s take some time in prayer to ask ourselves: What foundation are my family and I building upon? Are we merely hearing God's word, or are we hearing and living it?
For if we build our lives on Christ, the Rock, then the legacy we leave behind will be one of faith, holiness, and hope… what a gift for our families to know and follow!
Then we won’t need to pay for any online reputation service… when we ask: "What example? What legacy will we leave behind…?"