Br. Robert James Magliula, OHC
Proper 28 B - Sunday, November 18, 2018
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25
Mark 13:1-8
As elsewhere in Scripture, a story on an epic scale begins with a small domestic scene. Hannah is unable to conceive. In a patriarchal culture, childbearing was a woman’s only unique ability. To be unable to conceive was a cause for great shame. It was often viewed as a sign of divine punishment. Her barrenness is the subject of ridicule from her husband’s second wife. She is accused of drunkenness by the inept and insensitive priest, Eli. She asks God to remember her and she makes a promise that a child will be dedicated to God for life.
Hannah embodies both the patriarchal assumptions of her worth as well as God’s concern for her. Her prayers are sincere expressions of her anguish and her dependence on God. She did not come with formal petition or traditional sacrifice. Hers is a prayer of groaning that comes from a place of utter vulnerability. She comes in loneliness, isolation, and despair. She comes as a human being who knows herself to be known and loved by God. God is responsive and present to her. Her humility and honesty in this relationship allows her to unburden herself. Strength springs from her intense awareness of God’s power. Her connection with God transforms her even before she conceives. She is empowered not by might, or by political influence, but by her intimate connection to God, by being spiritually awake.
Hannah’s song of celebration gives voice to the praise and surprise any of us might feel after a dramatic reversal. She gives birth to her son, Samuel. The birth is not a private wonder but a gift of possibility for all of Israel. Samuel is one of the most significant figures in their history. There’s a strong metaphorical connection between Hannah’s barrenness and despair and the emotions of a nation, not unlike our own today, looking for a way to feel secure and hopeful in turbulent times.
Hannah’s story conveys a strong word of hope and encouragement to us by her bold trust in God, receptivity to God, and her praise for the goodness of God. For a pilgrim people, which is an apt description of Israel and the Church, there will always be need for endurance, perseverance, patience, and hope. God’s people live out of the past and into the future, a future that has been promised but is yet to be fully realized. The vision of reality sung by Hannah invites us to see the world as God intends, to behold what God is bringing about. It’s a vision surprising to some and threatening to others.
As we approach the end of the liturgical year, we’re invited to see our life as God’s people in light of the Song of Hannah. We’re given a fresh vision of the new world that is on its way, a world that is not dependent upon human efforts, plans, or strategies, but a world that is God’s gift. Her song summons us to offer ourselves to the One who alone is worthy of praise.
The letter to the Hebrews also holds up that vision. It’s written to a tired and discouraged congregation. They are tired of trying to live the Christian life in a time and culture that offers no support for it. They’re discouraged about how evil still seems to persist. As a result, they have begun to question the value of being Christian. Attendance at worship has slipped, zeal for mission has waned, and the kind of congregational life that is rich in love and compassion has begun to dissipate. The writer offers an invitation for the community to be organized in a new and living way, by trusting more deeply in Jesus Christ. He reminds them that holiness is a Spirit given ability to live in a posture of confidence before God. It is one lived in hope--- a hope that is not rooted in human effort, but solely in the faithfulness of God. This sanctified life is also lived in community. It is there that we are able to stir up and be stirred up to love and good works. The gift of Christ is not one that we receive and keep to ourselves. It is meant for the building up of the whole body, living in solidarity with others, and living with a sense of urgency.
That urgency is expressed in the eight short verses of today’s Gospel. They’re in Jerusalem in the week of his Passion. As the disciples are leaving the temple, they marvel at the buildings that seem so immoveable. Jesus then predicts the horror of an apocalypse of political unrest, disasters and persecutions. He tells them and us that when chaos comes, not to be worried. Things may seem to have fallen apart and anarchy loosed on the world. Nevertheless, the center will hold. He sets out a way to live that does not focus all attention on the chaos but on trust in God. Today, our focus must not only be on the signs themselves, but rather on the One who enables us to look up in chaos and claim the certainty of blessing. Life in our country today summons us to acknowledge the unfinished nature of what God has set into motion. Our transformation personally and communally is not yet complete. To dwell in that place requires trust and encouragement. If you want to know the whole truth pay more attention to the Gospel you hear than to the evil you see.
Jesus’ call to vigilance is an implicit command to keep following his word and example despite the chaos. Perhaps the most daunting challenge for us in the North American context, so set on instant gratification, is this one left to us by Mark: “Beware…keep awake,” watch, resist, hold out for the coming of the Son of Man. Like Hannah, enter into and experience God’s presence fully, honestly, authentically--- luxuriating in God’s loving acceptance which first requires our own self-acceptance. The freedom of knowing that God loves and accepts us translates into selfless service as we become creative participants in the ongoing saving work of God. +Amen
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