Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking (Daniel 5:5-6 NIV)
Belshazzar, ruler of Babylon, sipped wine from the golden and silver vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Princes, wives, and concubines also partook, and they praised the gods of silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone. In terms of worldly success, they had reached the top of the pinnacle and feared no earthly foe.
None of the wise men who served this king could translate the inscription, and Daniel, a Judean captive, received a summons. Offered riches and power, Daniel would interpret the words without any reward.
Here is what these words mean:
Mene[a]: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
Tekel[b]: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
Peres[c]: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
Daniel 5:26-28 (NIV)
Belshazzar's fear and trembling proved justified. Babylon appeared "too big to fail," and its ruling class arrogantly and complacently expected their good fortune to endure. God's harsh judgment ended Belshazzar's reign, and the glorious empire of Babylon became absorbed by the Medes and Persians, the survivors reduced to slavery and captivity.
Eyes strain to read the current writing on the wall, and when it appears with clarity, hopefully someone will hear the call to interpret. As for the concept of having been weighed on the scales and found wanting, humans constantly judge each other as unworthy and falling short of perfection.
How many times in one's life do the words "weighed and found wanting" resonate in the psyche? How often feelings of inadequacy due to the flawed judgment of other people weigh us down, and we are found wanting positivity?
May God's mercy touch our hearts, and allow us to feel worthy and loved.
Contributed by Carol
Monday July 6, 2015
Liturgical Year B: Week 32
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading: Proper09
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost