Lent 1, Matthew - Command these Stones

Matthew 4.1-11

‘If you are the son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ (Mat 4.3)

Stones……they are everywhere in the Middle East. They form the roads and mark the paths of the goats on the hillside; they get stuck in your sandals. The stones are the architecture of the buildings—gleaming white in the sun. The Romans made roads from these stones that tourists walk on two thousand years later when they visit the Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem or the ruins of Sephoris near Nazareth.

The tempter stooped, scooped up some of these stones and challenged Jesus….”command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Sounds good—people are hungry and need our help. Jesus himself made miracle bread.

We are always most tempted by our own best intentions.

Twenty-seven Palestinian children were shot in the past year while they were gathering stones—gravel, building materials—or helping their families farm the area on the north end of the Gaza Strip, near its border with Israel. Defense for Children International reports on the injuries and deaths caused by Israel’s ongoing security measures.

In February, Mustafa, 17, Nashat, 16, and Mohammad, 15, were each shot in the leg while they were gathering gravel or watching others working on Palestinian land. Israelis still do not allow enough building materials through their checkpoints, so there is a market for gravel to make the cement to rebuild houses destroyed in Operation Cast Lead (January, 2009). Gathering the gravel is a good way to make some money to buy bread for your family. Until you are shot.

Awad, Abdullah, Said, Hasan, Ibrahim, Mohammad M, Arafat, Hameed, Mohammad S, Ahmad, Shamekh, Belal, Rasmi, Nu’man, Khaled, Mahmoud, Yahia, Mokhles, Suhaib, Fadi, Rami, Mahmoud S, Hatem, Ismail…..shot in the right leg, left leg, right elbow, the head, knee, torso, left arm. They were gathering gravel, grazing goats, collecting wood. They are 15-16-17 years old and they were helping their families survive. Children can earn $8-14 a day collecting building supplies from destroyed buildings close to Israel’s border. They were all working 30-800 meters inside the border fence. See photos of the boys and stories about each one

We could dismiss these injuries….lucky they weren’t killed…..they should have been more careful….everyone knows it’s dangerous to be too close to the border.

But we cannot dismiss our role in these shootings. It is our tax dollars that pay for this Israeli security, $3 billion every year. We pay for the weapons that shoot these children; we supply the bullets and the tear gas canisters that break up demonstrations against the land confiscations. It seemed like such a good idea to use our tax dollars to protect people from suicide bombers. But Abdullah, Mustafa, Awad and the rest of these young men are not suicide bombers; they are not the ones throwing rockets into Israel’s southern towns. And they are suffering. Every evening their mothers await their return, wondering who will be shot today. Photo: Gaza farmers loading their cart in 2009, near northern border with Israel - demolished farmhouse in background.

Gracious God, you led your people through the wilderness, through the rocky desert where Israelis and Palestinians are struggling and suffering. As you gave Moses your commandments, show us your will today and give us courage to worship you in the manner you desire…loosing the bonds of injustice, sharing bread with the hungry, bringing the homeless poor into our homes. Amen.