If fence grazes the field?

There is a familiar story in which Nathan is challenging David who has used a weak person who was supposed to be protected by him. Hence, the Lord sent Nathan to David. Nathan tells this revealing story of two two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him. David was so angry about this incident and expresses his concern for the poor man. David retorts that the rich man must die and he must pay four times to the poor man. 

It is easier to say that someone is wrong when there is a splinter in your own eye. It is natural for David to sympathize with the poor man and condemn the rich man. In this incident as Nathan enlightens, David is the rich man. He struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. This is a scandal in the life of a king. A king is supposed to protect his people but if the fence starts grazing the field there is no other way the field would be safe. 

This story could be applied to our own lives. We too hold positions in family, society, Church community, and so on. We too have people under us who are like the poor man in the story of David. There are many persons who are submissive and humble. Humility is not a sign of defeat but a sign of victory because it is in humility that you have become witnesses to God. Submissiveness is not a weakness but strength. So, for those of us who are rich man's position must try to understand that persons who are submissive or humble are also in need of us; in face they need us. St. Paul says in 1Corinthians 12:23, "Those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable." 

As family, some of you may be in positions that are above others. That role is given to you by God, to protect, honor and help the other members of the family. The weaker member must get utmost attention so that you strengthen the person. 

Some of you are in positions in this parish community. You are chosen by God to be the servant of servant in the parish community. Everyone of us in the Church is the servant of God but the people in positions are servants of the servants. You have to ensure that everyone is given equal important and weak is given extraordinary care. 

Those of you in business and other professionals, you have employees who need you, who look out for you in case of weakness and poverty. How do you reach out to them? There must not be an attitude of 'squeeze the squeezed'. One has to help someone who is fallen in the dungeons of poverty, ill health, voiceless and so on. This way, we can bring a change in this nation. 

To do this, we need God's assistance. It is God who sends persons like Nathan to challenge us and make us aware of our duty for our fellow humans. Season of Lent is the time for us to retrospect, how we have treated our brothers and sisters who are lower to us.