Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7 / Matthew 16:24-28 (2020)
In the history of the world, we read about the rise and fall of empires. From the conquests of Alexander the Great to the Roman empire, the pattern has not changed.
They rose and they faded, and what is left of them are just names in the history books and remnants that are showcased in museums.
In the Middle East and during the period between 900 BC and 650 BC, Assyria was the major empire, with its capital at Nineveh.
It was also during this time that northern kingdom of Israel was annihilated and the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered.
Yet in the 1st reading, the prophet Nahum proclaimed peace for Judah and of her restoration. But the Lord God was going to put a stop to the ruthless plundering of Assyria.
Assyria in turn will be annihilated and turned into a ruin. As it was with the mighty and powerful kingdoms of the past, so its turn will come.
In the rise and fall of the mighty and powerful kingdoms, Jesus had this to say in the gospel: What then will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?
The answer is obvious and also a foregone conclusion. But that didn't seem so obvious to those who still want to pillage and plunder and to show their power and might.
On a lesser scale, the question for us is what are we trying to gain and what are we longing for.
If what we are looking for are not of the kingdom of above, then all will just fade and be forgotten, as it was with the kingdoms of this earth.