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REFLECTION

“Mind your business!” is the topic for our reflection. Mind your business means refraining from prying or interfering with other people’s issues or private matters. Ham, the youngest son of Noah saw the nakedness of his father and was cursed but his other two brothers who covered their father’s nakedness were blessed. There are two important lessons in the episode of Noah and His three sons for our reflection or mediation.

First, it is important to be discerning and mind your business by not necessarily interfering or prying into the private affairs of others. We are told that “Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. (Genesis 9:20-22) it is important to note that Noah did not sleep naked on the compound he mutually shared with his family nor did he sleep naked at the frontage of his tent where he could conspicuously be seen by anyone passing by. The man was drunk and simply went to sleep naked in his own tent. Whether a person is drunk or not, is it not normal for him or her to sleep naked in his or her own tent or room? How does sleeping naked in one’s room become a problem for his family or society? Noah could have slept naked possibly because the weather was hot or simply because he felt good sleeping naked given the fact that he was drunk. The key question that one would curiously ask is how did Ham discover that Noah was sleeping naked in his own tent? The only logical conclusion is that Ham entered his father’s tent uninvited or peeped at his father while he was sleeping in his tent and found out that he was naked! In law, Ham committed the offence of trespassing. Ham refused to mind his business and as a result discovered the forbidden, the nakedness of his father. The key lesson here is that, let us not intrude or pry into people’s private issues or affairs uninvited less we become part of the problem and not the solution.

Secondly, if you refuse to mind your business then be of help or do the needful. When Ham entered into his father’s private space, he did nothing about his father’s nakedness but rather exposed him by bringing a private matter or issue into the public domain. If Ham was genuinely concerned about his father’s nakedness, he would have kept it a secret and simply cover his father’s nakedness but what did he do? “Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. (Genesis 9:22). This is the behaviour of some people in our lives, they interfere or pry their noses into our private issues such as marriage, finances, unemployment and sickness only to ridicule us before others or disgrace us before others. In other words, some people may pretend to care about you but behind the scene, they rather gather an army of mockers to make a mockery of our predicament or deplorable situation. This was the attitude of Ham towards Noah, why did he invite his other brothers to come and look at their father’s nakedness when he could have easily covered him and no one on earth except himself will know that their father slept naked. His elder brothers were reasonable and concerned about their father’s nakedness, therefore, “Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.” (Genesis 9:23) May God cause your mockers to bring your helpers and benefactors your way. Jesus assures us that “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26). It is important to always do what is right before God, let us not be drawn into a situation where we will be recruited by others to mock the disgrace or shameful situation of helpless people. If there is something we can do to change someone’s deplorable or unbearable situation let us do it to the glory of God. Although Noah slept drunk, he certainly did not lose his consciousness or self-awareness, he knew he slept naked therefore he might have awakened up to realise that he was covered, which will certainly be a surprise to him. It meant someone entered his tent while he was asleep and covered him, therefore, When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son (Ham) had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers. ” He also said, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. May God extend Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.” (Genesis 9:24-27) We get nothing from mocking the predicament of others other than curses. However, if we help to take away the shame and disgrace of others blessing shall follow us.

In conclusion, we must be discerning and know when to mind our business. If we decide to pry or interfere in the affairs or issues of others then we must do with a genuine and good heart. It must not be borne out of malice or mischief for there is no blessing in worsening or publicly ridiculing the predicament of others as believers. May the Holy Spirit grant us discernment to know when to mind our business and when to offer our help when duty calls so that we can continue to be instruments of transformation in the life of others. Amen