For Sunday, October 20,
2019 ~ 19th Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Readings:
Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 121, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5,
Luke 18:1-8
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| Persistence Photo by Christina Brennan Lee, The Burren, Ireland |
Jacob was left alone
and a man wrestled with him until daybreak…Jacob called the place Peniel,
saying “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” [Genesis 32:24, 30]
I lift my eyes to the hills; from where is my
help to come? My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
[Psalm 121:1-2]
I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent
whether the time is favorable or unfavorable...For the time is coming when
people...will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. [2 Timothy 4:1b-2a, 3a, 4]
" ...yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will
grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming."
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God
grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?...I tell you he
will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he
find faith on earth?" [Luke 18:5-7, 8]
We are God's
people. And persistence is the order of the day. Jacob, in wrestling with
the man until daybreak, is all of us wrestling with our innermost selves, the unjust
judge within us, fearing our self-perceived failings and lackings. But as Jacob
prevails despite a life-long wound to remind him, less about the struggle and
more about his capacity to withstand, overcome obstacles and personal history,
and be preserved by God, so do we.
The Psalmist’s words bring us to the dawn
of inner comfort as our help comes from the Lord
and is always within us if we but remember and believe.
The writer of 2nd Timothy calls us to be persistent, whether
the time is convenient or not, to proclaim the message, and to
be steadfast in the ministry to which Christ calls us, because people – including
us – will wander away from the truth and believe whatever they like.
The parable that Jesus tells is a way to keep the disciples, and us, from
losing heart and abandoning prayer. The widow keeps up the good fight to the
annoyance of the judge who believes he is an entity unto himself. We also stubbornly
yield to the sense of singularity of our own stature or desires at times, with
no apparent care or interest in the needs of others beyond our own. Yet this
widow – a woman with no husband was the least of the least in those days – kept
coming before the judge, a bothersome, constant, squeaky wheel whose noise the
judge could no longer ignore or endure. He grants her the justice she seeks but
only in order to be rid of her. So, too will God grant justice to us who cry –
or rather, pray – day and night, though never to be rid of us. God’s Presence is
always within, always available even in our struggles with doubt and the frustrations
and injustices of daily life.
Jesus leaves us with that final disconcerting
question: And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth? How do we answer? By returning again, and again, and again to
Scripture, to prayer, to patience, to giving and receiving support in a
community of faith and discipleship, to carry out our ministries fully. Let us feel
bothered if we wander away. Let us be bothered enough to listen, remember,
and turn back to the Gospel Truth, each time we turn only to ourselves as judge.
Let us be a bother in patience, persistence, inspiration, to all we meet. Let our faith bloom amidst the rocks and obstacles of this human sojourn. Oh, yes,
do bother!
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Watchful, Loving God, as we wrestle with the unjust judge
inside ourselves, awaken us to Your strength within us, to carry and proclaim
Your truth in our every thought, word, and action.
O Lord, our Help
RESPONSE:
Preserve
us in faith and truth
~ Watchful, Loving God, arouse our inner courage, in this
time of unending urgencies, to be the persistent and bothersome conscience of
all who serve in the halls of government across this Planet, this Nation, and
this Community, on behalf of all Your people and the very Earth itself. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord, our Help
Preserve
us in faith and truth
~ Watchful, Loving God, grant healing and hope to all who
suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and revive the energy and dedication of all
who serve their needs. We now join our
voices to pray aloud for those in need…
O Lord, our Help
Preserve
us in faith and truth
~ Watchful, Loving God, grant divine comfort to those who
grieve as You joyfully welcome, for all eternity, all to whom You gave first
breath and received their final earthly sigh. We pray especially for…
O Lord, our Help
Preserve
us in faith and truth
~ Watchful, Loving God, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud
or silently…
O Lord, our Help
Preserve
us in faith and truth
~ Watchful,
Loving God, enrich and inspire the souls of all who bring us to Your Word and
Sacraments, and guide us to carry out Your ministry in all facets of daily life.
We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord, our Help
Preserve
us in faith and truth
The Celebrant adds: O Lord our God, quicken and
embolden our faith that in all times, whether unfavorable or good, we may persevere
in learning and sharing through the Gospel message, so that others will listen
and walk with us in prayer and faith. We ask through Jesus, Son of Man, and the
Holy Spirit, the Persistent Voice within, who together with You are One God, above all,
forever and ever. Amen.
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