Books Jesus Read

148

Books Jesus Read

Forgiveness for Sinful Soldiers (2 Maccabees 12:39–45) Judas mounted an attack on General Gorgias whose army was again approaching Israel’s southern border. The battle was fierce and Israel lost several men at the outset. Then one of Judas’ best soldiers spotted Gorgias himself on horseback, fighting with his sword. He rode up behind him and when the general’s horse reared up on its hind legs, the soldier grabbed the general by the collar of his armor and pulled him from his horse. Then he dragged him across the battlefield toward Judas, but the general’s armor bearer rode after them and cut off the soldier’s arm, freeing his commander who fled from the battle. Now, Judas noticed that his men were battle weary, so he called to the Lord as his ally to take the lead. Then he raised a battle cry in the Hebrew language, began singing a hymn with all his might and once more led the charge against the enemy, forcing their retreat. The day after the battle, Judas led his men in retrieving the bodies of their fallen comrades before purifying themselves as was their custom. To his surprise, the fallen soldiers were found wearing pagan amulets around their necks. The practice was forbidden by the law of Moses, but these men believed the amulets protected them from death. Now everyone knew what had caused these men to fall, and they praised God, the Righteous Judge, for revealing the result of their idolatry. They even begged God to cover over the sin which the soldiers had committed. 13 13 The passage which follows is cited by the Roman Catholic Church in support of the doctrine of purgatory, that God’s forgiveness can be obtained for sinners, even after their death, by means of sacrificial prayer offered by the faithful on behalf of the dead.