1 Kings 21.1-16

Later the following events took place: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.  And Ahab said to Naboth, ‘Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.’  But Naboth said to Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.’  Ahab went home resentful and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, ‘I will not give you my ancestral inheritance.’  He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat.  His wife Jezebel came to him and said, ‘Why are you so depressed that you will not eat?’  He said to her, ‘Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, “Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it”; but he answered, “I will not give you my vineyard.” ’  His wife Jezebel said to him, ‘Do you now govern Israel?  Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.’

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal; she sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who lived with Naboth in his city.  She wrote in the letters, ‘Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth at the head of the assembly; seat two scoundrels opposite him, and have them bring a charge against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king.”  Then take him out, and stone him to death.’  The men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them.  Just as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, they proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the assembly.  The two scoundrels came in and sat opposite him; and the scoundrels brought a charge against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, ‘Naboth cursed God and the king.’  So they took him outside the city, and stoned him to death.  Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, ‘Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.’

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, ‘Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.’  As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
 

Reflection

This is a lesson on how deliberate venial sins can and do sometimes progress into the greatest of evils.  Wanting what he could not have Ahab becomes angry and bitter.  His contempt overflows into dialogue with his wife.  His wife, perhaps in a bid to win Ahab's affection or to prove her power or worth, writes letters of deception in his name to have Naboth murdered.  Who knows where this campaign of sin ultimately ended.

Thus is deliberate venial sin shown to be a seed planted in fertile soil, watered and germinated.  How hard it can be to stop its growth when we consider it benign and leave it to itself.  It's effect spreads, often unseen, until that point where its roots are well-established and deep.  It is not without reason, therefore, that the Saints are unanimous in their conviction that the first step of the spiritual life is to abhor and flee deliberate venial sin.  May God grant us the grace of a deeper conversion.