Day 297: Using Good Things for Evil

1 Maccabees 16:1-24 John Hyrcanus took over Judea after the assassination of his father, Simon, and was the target of a coup attempt himself. Peace and independence prevailed in Israel but for only one century.


Sirach 38:1-15 The author stresses the importance of those who help the sick but emphasizes that their skill comes through the providence of God, who in his creation left remedies to be discovered and prescribed. He also urges prayer in times of sickness but not to the exclusion of seeking a cure; the two work together to effect healing if it is the will of God. (CCC 1498)


Ch 38:16-23 The author makes no reference here to an afterlife, but his tone is clear that life is precious and death is permanent. Jews of that time had differing opinions regarding the afterlife. From a Christian perspective, we do well to pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased; prayers and Masses for the dead serve the purpose of hastening their purification so as to enjoy eternal life as soon as possible. The Christian concern for the faithful departed rests on the belief in an afterlife in Heaven. (CCC 1684-1690)


Ch 38:24-34 The Sacred Author had high regard for the scribes who were educated in the Law and Scriptures and held administrative positions in Jewish society. Because of their knowledge, people sought out their counsel and wisdom. These verses stress the importance of the Sabbath rest, which fosters the deepening of wisdom and the spiritual life. (CCC 2172)


Ch 39:1-3 Perhaps ironically, the importance on keeping the Law would soon lead to error when the scribes and Pharisees would insist on a very scrupulous attention to the letter of the Law but lose its spirit. Christ had many disputes with members of these groups during his ministry and was highly critical of their hypocritical attitude. Nevertheless, he agreed with them on the necessity of keeping the Commandments. (CCC 575)


Ch 39:5-7 In addition to the study of Scripture and learning from wise teachers, astute individuals will devote themselves to prayers of praise and petition and meditation on the Word of God. (CCC 2562, 2564, 2631-2632, 2705-2706)


Ch 39:12-35 The author attributes the presence of evil in the world to the sin of Adam and Eve. Sin and evil is not an aspect of human nature or of the created world; rather, it is a consequence of the damage and disruption that Original Sin inflicted on creation. The moral weaknesses experienced and expressed by every human person-with the exception of Mary-testify to our fallen nature caused by the sin of our first parents. (CCC 404-408, 418)

(*The Didache Bible RSV-CE Ignatius Edition, 2006)


  • Beginning with John, the Hasmonean dynasty acquired the features of a Hellenistic regime.

  • This could already be seen in John’s taking of a Greek regnal name, Hyrcanus (Hykanos).

  • With the gradual Hellenization under John and his successors, Jews who were zealous for Torah observance fell out of favor with the Hasmonean priest-kings.

  • Tensions began to mount between the Pharisaic movement, made up of precisely this kind of Jewish believer, and the Hasmonean rulers, who favored a movement of Hellenizing Jews known as the Sadducees.

  • Four generations after John Hyrcanus had assumed leadership, the ferment erupted into a civil war between these two factions.

  • The Romans, led by the general Pompey, intervened in the conflict and captured Jerusalem in 63 BC.

  • Like Antiochus IV before him, Pompey entered the sanctuary of the Temple and killed the priests who were ministering there.

  • He established one of the claimants to the high priesthood, Hyrcanus II, and inaugurated the Roman captivity of Judea, which lasted into the days of Jesus and after.

  • Hyrcanus II’s head advisor was Antipater, an Edomite (the Romans called Edom “Idumea”), who managed to establish a good relationship with the Romans.

  • Julius Caesar appointed Antipater to be procurator of Judea in 47 BC and Antipater’s son Herod the Great would rule Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth.

(*Walking With God: A Journey Through The Bible by Tim Gray and Jeff Cavins)


  • WOW!!

  • So Proverbs Ch 23 gets INTENSE at the end

  • Proverbs 23:29-30, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine, those who go to try mixed wine.”

  • GOSH!!

  • This seems almost out of nowhere

  • Proverbs are like these pearls strung along

  • They aren’t connected by anything other than the fact that they are written here in the Book of Proverbs

  • BUT…

  • Proverbs 23:29-35 talks about how many lives have been completely ruined

  • Proverbs 23:31-35, “Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. ‘They struck me,’ you will say, ‘but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.’”

  • Scripture does talk about alcohol and says, “Wine gives joy to the heart, gives warmth to the heart and makes one merry.”

  • A couple of days ago we heard how music in a setting...what did they say…”like a jewel in the setting of gold is music in the presence of you know a party with wine.”

  • Ok

  • There is some element of GOODNESS there

  • BUT…

  • There is also DESTRUCTION

  • That is just like in Sirach Ch 39 talks about how there are GOOD THINGS that can be USED FOR EVIL

  • Sirach 39:24, “To the holy his ways are straight, just as they are obstacles to the wicked.”

  • The same BLESSING can be used in a WICKED WAY

  • Sirach 39:25, “From the beginning good things were created for good people, just as evil things for sinners.”

  • Is that to say that GOD CREATED EVIL THINGS?

  • NO!!

  • We are talking about how GOOD THINGS are used WELL by GOOD PEOPLE

  • GOOD THINGS are then used POORLY by SINNERS

  • God makes ALL THINGS GOOD

  • We can either USE THOSE THINGS FOR GOOD

  • OR…

  • We can USE THOSE THINGS FOR EVIL

  • The next verse is KEY…

  • Sirach 39:26-27, “Basic to all the needs of man’s life are water and fire and iron and salt and wheat flour and milk and honey, the blood of the grape, and oil and clothing. All these are for good to the godly, just as they turn into evils for sinners.”

  • The blood of the grape AKA wine

  • So these are all good things

  • The only thing God makes is GOOD

  • AND YET…

  • WE CAN ABUSE THAT

  • It goes back to the Book of Proverbs

  • Here is the folly in using wine and alcohol IN THE WRONG WAY

  • Just as earlier we heard about how it can be used in the RIGHT WAY in MODERATION and is NOT DESTRUCTIVE

  • That reality is we walk in the midst of this world and are surrounded by things that are GOOD

  • We can either use those things for GOOD, in the RIGHT WAY, at the RIGHT TIME

  • OR…

  • We can NOT use those things for GOOD, in the RIGHT WAY, at the RIGHT TIME

  • The Book of Sirach, and later on when we read The Book of Wisdom, is about the pursuit of WISDOM

  • What is WISE LIVING?

  • What is PRUDENCE?

  • PRUDENCE is DOING the RIGHT THING at the RIGHT TIME in the RIGHT WAY

  • PRUDENCE also goes along with TEMPERANCE

  • TEMPERANCE is USING the RIGHT THING at the RIGHT TIME in the RIGHT WAY

  • AND YET…

  • We recognize that we can be tempted to NOT DO THAT

  • That is why we have the end of Proverbs Ch 23 and Sirach Ch 39 talking about this

  • WHAT AN INCREDIBLE GIFT!!

  • Sirach 39:34, “And no one can say, ‘This is worse than that,’ for all things will prove good in their season.”

  • So EVERYTHING God has made is ULTIMATELY for GOOD

  • Now it doesn’t mean that things God hasn’t made, like EVILS, are good

  • BUT…

  • EVERY GOOD THING THAT EXISTS IS GOOD IN ITSELF BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT EXISTS

  • Sirach 39:33, “The works of the Lord are all good, and he will supply every need in its hour.”

  • WHAT AN INCREDIBLE GIFT!!

  • We get to experience this Book of Sirach

  • And WHAT A GIFT to conclude 1 Maccabees

  • We have John, the son of Simon, who is taking over

  • That’s pretty much the last we will hear about this until the New Testament

  • We have ONE MORE BOOK in the Old Testament

  • THIS IS CRAZY!!

  • We have 15 CHAPTERS left

  • We have 15 DAYS left

  • UNTIL WE LIVE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

  • Except for Proverbs, ok?

  • Almost everything we are going to read in 15 days is from the New Testament

  • Hopefully you are pumped about that

  • Tomorrow we start 2 Maccabees

  • You might have gotten bogged down by the history lesson of 1 Maccabees

  • All the Greek names

  • All the people

  • All the kings fighting

  • Who belongs to who

  • Who is fighting against who

  • Who is fighting for what

  • BUT…

  • In 2 Maccabees we will take a little turn

  • It is a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE on the SAME STORY that we read in 1 Maccabees

  • It’s a little bit like Numbers and Deuteronomy

  • It’s a little bit like Kings and Chronicles

  • So 2 Maccabees is kinda sorta telling the same story as 1 Maccabees, generally speaking

  • Here we are on Day 297

  • OH MAN WHAT A GIFT!!

  • We seek WISDOM

  • We ask the Lord to give us WISDOM

  • We ask the Lord to give us His Grace that if we have fallen today, that He helps us stand back up, that he picks us back up

  • If you have fallen today, if you struggle today, just know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE

  • YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!

  • Whatever it is that you may be struggling with right now, TODAY, sometimes those words about alcohol can hit us and be that spark that gets us thinking about the ADDICTION we have in our life, or the SLAVERY we have in our life

  • LISTEN, THE LORD WILL HELP YOU GET THROUGH THIS DAY

  • ONE DAY AT A TIME

  • He will get you through this day

  • He will sustain you with His Grace

  • BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT ALONE

  • FR. MIKE IS PRAYING FOR YOU

  • PRAY FOR EACH OTHER

  • PRAY FOR FR. MIKE


Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, thank you so much. Thank you for this day. Thank you for not giving up on us and thank you for giving us perseverance. Lord God, that’s this word, this word today, of just perseverance. And the word of choosing to reflect on your Word, choosing to reflect on your Wisdom, and choosing to reflect on how your Wisdom is meant to guide and shape our lives. We ask that you please guide and shape our lives today. Guide our steps aright, that we may do your will and may see your face. Lord God, help us to be sober in thought, in mind. Help us to choose well and live wisely so that in all things, you may be glorified. And in all things your people may be sanctified. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”