The story of Susannah in today’s first reading rivals any TV “who-dun-it” plot. Susannah is the beautiful wife of a rich and wise man. Scripture begins by telling us that she was God-fearing and that her husband, Joakim, was also known for his goodness. The setting is Babylon during the exile. This is an important detail, because it means that the Jewish people in essence must “take the law into their own hands” to deal with the complicated situation according to the laws of Moses.
Two men who were appointed judges of the people often visited Joakim. They noticed Susannah and “lusted after her.” Interestingly, there is a very important sentence in the story here: “They suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments.”
One day the men were “waiting for the right moment” to pressure Susannah to have sex with them. They found her in the garden without clothes on because she was bathing and momentarily without attendants. They propositioned her. She refused and screamed. As people came running, the men made up a great lie that they had caught her in the garden with another man. He had escaped.
By Jewish law, Susannah should die—if she had committed adultery. Even though Susannah came from a well-respected family and both she and Joakim both were known for holiness and wisdom, it all disappeared in a heartbeat in light of the accusations.
It looked very bad for Susannah. Yet she was innocent, and she cried out to the Lord. God heard her cry, the story says, and changed everything through the voice and wisdom of a young boy—Daniel. Daniel stopped the mob by calling attention to the fact that the only evidence was the testimony of these two men and their only evidence was their story. He asked the elders to examine things more carefully.
Seeking Truth
The elders recognized Daniel spoke truth. They invited him to join him as they went back to court, realizing that God may well be in his understanding. Daniel had the two men separated and asked each a detail question, “Under what tree did you see Susannah and this man?” Each named a different tree. It was thus clear they were lying. According to Mosaic law, therefore, the two men should be subjected to the same punishment they had attempted by their lying to impose unjustly on Susannah.
Our scripture readings all through Lent invite us to look at sin in ourselves. Readings right after Ash Wednesday started with violations of the Ten Commandments and basic requirements of loving God and neighbor. Then they moved to the more subtle standards of God contained in the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness.
Now, this week, we are encouraged to look at the hidden nooks and crannies of our souls where we might do what those elders did: “suppress our consciences, not allow our eyes to look to heaven, and not keep in mind just judgments.” What are our secret sins?
One way we might be unaware or hiding sinfulness is avoiding looking at our intentions. The guilty, lusty elders had evil intentions. The boy Daniel had good intentions. In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees are accusing Jesus of evil intentions. Like the boy Daniel, Jesus responds that, truth be known, his intentions are good, while theirs are evil.
The Church Teaches
The Catholic Catechism is clear that intention is a critical factor in determining a moral act. This is what it says:
1750 The morality of human acts depends on:
– the object chosen;
– the end in view or the intention;
– the circumstances of the action.
The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the “sources,” or constitutive elements, of the morality of human acts.
1751 The object chosen is a good toward which the will deliberately directs itself. It is the matter of a human act. The object chosen morally specifies the act of the will, insofar as reason recognizes and judges it to be or not to be in conformity with the true good. Objective norms of morality express the rational order of good and evil, attested to by conscience.
1752 In contrast to the object, the intention resides in the acting subject. Because it lies at the voluntary source of an action and determines it by its end, intention is an element essential to the moral evaluation of an action. The end is the first goal of the intention and indicates the purpose pursued in the action. The intention is a movement of the will toward the end: it is concerned with the goal of the activity. It aims at the good anticipated from the action undertaken. Intention is not limited to directing individual actions, but can guide several actions toward one and the same purpose; it can orient one’s whole life toward its ultimate end. For example, a service done with the end of helping one’s neighbor can at the same time be inspired by the love of God as the ultimate end of all our actions. One and the same action can also be inspired by several intentions, such as performing a service in order to obtain a favor or to boast about it.
1753 A good intention (for example, that of helping one’s neighbor) does not make behavior that is intrinsically disordered, such as lying and calumny, good or just. The end does not justify the means. Thus the condemnation of an innocent person cannot be justified as a legitimate means of saving the nation. On the other hand, an added bad intention (such as vainglory) makes an act evil that, in and of itself, can be good (such as almsgiving).39
How Do I apply this to me?
Am I walking in the light, as Jesus reassures us today he is doing? This week, I take that question to mean it is time to take at least a flashlight to my intentions—especially as I struggle at times with divisions and perspectives within the Church. I can spend substantial time in the middle of the night justifying how I see things and arguing in my head with, criticizing, and being upset with perspectives that seem wrong to me.
How wrong are they? And what is my intention for taking the differences between us so seriously? Are my thoughts in the night from God to help me walk in the light? Or are they a way that Satan can at best distract me from God’s work and perhaps even lead me toward darkness? Am I like the elders in the Susannah story who believe the surface evidence and come to conclusions without looking carefully? How can I be like Daniel and identify truth? Are my struggles more like those of the Pharisees in today’s Gospel than I want them to be?
Good Questions. For me. For you.
Prayer:
Lord, this week help me examine my intentions. Help me hold them up to the light of your truth. Give me the grace to adjust my intentions to your standards and your will. Lead me, guide me, Lord.
