1 Maccabees 9:36. "But the sons of Jambri from Medeba came out and seized John and all that he had, and departed with it." John is Jonathan Maccabeus' brother who has been sent to seek permission from the Nabateans to store the "great amount of baggage" of the rebels, as they are being pursued by Bacchides. As this verse says, John is waylaid and all of the baggage taken. Later we learned that John was killed, and Jonathan and Simon avenge his death at a Jambri family wedding (1 Maccabees 9:37-42).

Lately I have been somewhat preoccupied with the amount of "stuff" we have accumulated over the years, and how to get rid of it all. I am not good at getting rid of things, I always think I or someone else might one day want or need this, or we might have grandchildren who would want to play with all our kids' old toys, or any other excuse my mind can come up with to hang on to something. This tendency of mine has caused there to be too much stuff in our house, and my husband (who would be very happy to just rent a dumpster and throw everything away!) and I have been gradually going through it and getting rid of things one by one. It is a lot of work, and takes so much time! I thought of this when I read this verse because Jonathan was trying to find somewhere to store his and his men's baggage while on the run, and I thought "That's just what it is, baggage! It is weighing me down and I would be fine, if not better, without it!" Jonathan not only loses his baggage, but his brother, and that puts things in perspective!

I also tend to worry about money, especially for the future, but this is also a lesson to me that no matter how we plan and save, it could all go away in a moment. Not that we should not be prudent about spending and saving, but just that I should stop worrying about it. Instead, I should trust that God will take care of me and my loved ones and let go of any attachment I have to things and to money. As St. Paul says, and as my husband often reminds me, it is all so much rubbish!