The Israelite tribes and families could forever claim the land ceded them at the time of Joshua.

Saturday, 8/5/17

Let me comment on each of our readings. The first reading outlined the highly unique rules for jubilee years among the Israelites. Back when the twelve tribes were preparing for their conquest of the Promised, Joshua sent in knowledgeable men to survey the whole of the Promised Land, instructing them to divide the future homeland into  twelve tracts of land of equal value.

Then, Joshua blindfolded the leaders of the tribes, having had the leaders of each of the tribes to select the tract of land that would belong to their tribe forever. Next, Joshua instructed the leaders of each family in each of the tribal lands to blindfolded select the tract of land that would belong to that family forever. Through the years and centuries land owners sold or traded away their tribal and family lands, but at every Jubilee Year the tribal lands and the family land reverted to their original owners.

When King Herod took his brother’s wife people were afraid of criticizing him. But John the Baptist spoke out, and that wife, Herodias, demanded that Herod imprison John. When John spoke to the prison guards Herod liked slipping down to hear him. He had great respect for John, and he was sorry that he was shamed into killing him.