On Nepotism

IT IS PECULIAR what we are led to read and watch. Why do we pick up certain books or watch certain things? For instance, this morning I went to the toilet to read (what else would one do in the toilet?) and on the way I selected a book called, Characters Around the Cross by Tom Houston. Thumbing through the book I stumbled across the theme of Nepotism; Chapter 4 is called "The Nepotism of Caiaphas".

S
Nepotism has roots in the Latin, 'nepotes' which means 'nephew', and the long and the short of it is, people who engage in it favour members of their own family, often at the expense of others perhaps more deserving/capable (but outside the familial context).

SThe family of Annas (Caiaphas' father-in-law) had six members hold the High Priest position in Jerusalem--the ruling position of the Jews--over about a fifty-year period, during the period in which Jesus of Nazareth was alive. This implies that either Annas' family were incredibly gifted for politics or perhaps situations were manipulated for them; this is what Houston writes about--the fact that the second issue was relevant--in fact, the situation of nepotism in Annas' family was referred to by Josephus, the Jewish historian, and it was even recorded in the Talmud--the adjunct reading to Torah, the Hebrew Bible:

S
Woe to the sons of Annas, themselves High Priests, their sons treasurers, their sons-in-law assistant treasurers, while their servants beat the people with sticks.

S
Jews in the High Priest position had enormous influence and were incredibly wealthy--estimated at about $25 million per annum... now that is royalty!

S
"Nepotism's great concern about its own leaves little sympathy for those outside the circle." It is consumed with grasping for one's own kin. The reverse can also occur. When politicians rise to power, or others with influence, relatives can also grasp at opportunities to maximise and rort the environment for their own ends.

S
I see it. I see it in the workplace; I see it in familial situations. I see its injustice, and it reveals a weakness in those to whom engage in it. I know it doesn't appear to be a great sin, but the fact is it is so unnecessary. We can love our family members and those we have allegiances with very adequately without resorting to favouritism.

S
The great thing about the Universal Law is that it holds basically all the time. We really do get what is coming to us... eventually.