Exodus 17:8-13 / 2 Tim 3:14 – 4:2 / Luke 18:1-8
There is a particular sport that will put every muscle and bone in the body to the test.
And because it is such a challenging sport, not many people take it up at the competitive level.
But it was in that sport that Singapore won her first Olympic medal.
That sport is weightlifting. In the 1960 Olympics, Tan Howe Liang won the silver medal in the lightweight category in weightlifting.
Whatever we may think of that sport, not many of us would be that keen to take it up.
But more practical than weightlifting would be weight training.
Weight training helps to build up muscle mass, and will also strengthen the body to lift heavy objects.
But, whether weightlifting or weight training, it is about weights, something that is heavy and bulky, something to be careful with.
If we lift up something, maybe a book, and keep holding it there, we can manage it for a while, but not for too long.
Similarly, raising our hands above our heads may not take much effort or strength.
But if we keep our hands raised above our heads, then fatigue will begin to set in, and we will feel the weight of our hands.
In the 1st reading, the enemy attacked Israel, and Moses sent Joshua and his men to fight them.
Meanwhile, Moses went to the hilltop and stood there with the staff of God in his hands.
For as long as Moses kept his arms raised, Joshua and his men had the advantage over the enemy.
But when Moses let his arms fall, the enemy had the advantage.
So, Aaron and Hur helped Moses, and he sat on a stone, and Aaron and Hur supported his raised arms.
With that, Joshua and his men overcame the enemy.
This passage teaches us that while God will protect and defend us against our enemies, our efforts are also needed.
Moses raised his arms in prayer to invoke God’s help, and the assistance of Aaron and Hur helped Joshua to overcome the enemy.
The teaching is simple, and that is, to persevere in prayer when we are invoking God's help to overcome our enemies and our difficulties.
The reality is that fatigue wears down the raised hands of prayer and perseverance is eroded.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, but the combined efforts of Moses, Aaron, Hur and Joshua brought about God's help in that critical moment.
Yes, perseverance is needed and the raised hands of prayer will bring about God's justice and judgment.
And that is also the message of the parable in the gospel passage.
Jesus promises that God will see justice done to His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night, even if the justice does not come immediately.
For those who persevere in their trials and tribulations, God promises that He will protect their dignity.
There is this story that a police station received a call that an elderly woman with mild dementia was missing.
So, a team was sent out to look for that elderly lady.
After about an hour or so, they managed to find that lady.
But instead of getting straight into the matter, they walked along with her and chatted with her.
She even thought that the police officers were out for stroll, and they stopped by for drinks and snacks.
They walked on and finally the police officers brought the elderly lady to be reunited with her family.
The important thing about life is not so much about the facts.
Rather it is about respecting and protecting the dignity of people.
The police officers did not bring up the reality of the situation to the elderly lady, because they did not want to disturb her peace of mind.
Rather, they respected and protected her dignity as a person.
And that is the dignity of the humanity that God wants us to respect and protect.
Because God Himself will protect our dignity and He will see justice done to His children who cry out to Him day and night.
Let us also persevere in prayer, and let us be united in prayer as we invoke the Lord for His blessing and protection.