As the people of Israel journeyed through the desert, they were not alone, and they were not always at peace. In the Book of Exodus, not long after God causes water to come from the rock Moses strikes with his staff, the Amalekites commence an unprovoked attack against the Israelites. But the people of Israel trust in God’s power, for Moses is standing on top of the hill, with the staff of God in his hand, a sign of God’s intercession on their behalf. They know, as Psalm 121 reminds all, that their help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. So long as they go into battle in prayer and stay in prayer throughout the battle, focused on God at work in them, the people of Israel can be sure that the Lord will guard them from all evil. It is their persistence, and that of Moses, Aaron and Hur, that brings Joshua and his soldiers through the battle successfully.
In Luke’s Gospel, the widow who petitions a dishonest judge, calling out to him day and night, is persistent because of her faith; unlike the judge who neither feared God nor respected any human being, the widow knows she is one of God’s chosen ones, and he will see to it that justice is done for her. Jesus tells his disciples this parable so that they might recognize the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. Like Moses, who must keep his hands elevated in prayer for his people to be successful in their quest, Jesus’ disciples must remain open to God continuously through prayer and petition, never forgetting that God is with them. St. Paul will remind Timothy of this very same lesson: be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Timothy has known the sacred Scriptures from infancy, and they are to be the focus of his prayer and the source of his wisdom for salvation. He has but to remain faithful to what he has learned and believed, and to proclaim the Word, persistently, grounding himself in prayer.
We too have the Scriptures to serve as our source of wisdom, and we must pursue the Word with open hearts, persistently, that we might know always that God, our help, is with us, and we with him. Then when the Son of Man comes, he will find faith on earth. Our faith can and must remain persistent and patient, and it can only do so if we open ourselves to God in prayer and find our strength in him, that we too might proclaim the Word, embodying that faith on earth that reassures us that God is indeed always with us, no matter what we may be facing.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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