Rev. George Miller
Oct 17, 2021
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Question for today- “What is the bigger miracle?”
Here you are, attending worship with a pastor who is a believer in
miracles, believing that miracles happen every day.
But not just I. Ari and Carnide can
testify and tell of the miracles they have experienced.
Water into wine; multitudes fed; manna from heaven; resurrection.
The question for today is “What is the bigger miracle?” But first, a story.
Once upon a time, 3,000 years ago, in the land of Israel, there was a
woman named Hannah.
She had a husband named Elkanah who loved her very much.
But he had a second wife, we’ll call her Penny, who had many children.
Hannah had none, so Penny would tease her.
Every year Elkanah would go to the Temple to worship and praise the Lord. On those trips, Penny would bully Hannah more
and more.
Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Her husband said “Why are you so sad?
I love you so very, very much, just the way you are. Am I not worth more than 10 sons to you?”
One year, after having a meal, Hannah rose up and marched to the Temple.
Eli, the head Priest was sitting at the front door. Hannah paid him no mind, walked right past
him, and presented herself to the Lord.
She was distressed. She was upset. She wept with bitterness. “Oh Lord,” she cried, “Look at me; remember
me!
Jog your memory! I know who I am;
I know what I want. Give me a son and I
will give him to you.”
The audacity! The tears!
Hannah continued praying right there, not giving a fig what anyone
thought. She was moving her mouth so
fast that Eli assumed she was drunk.
“Put away your wine!” he said, “You’re making a fool of yourself.” Hannah faced the chief priest.
“No, I am not drunk. I am a woman deeply troubled, pouring out my heart
and soul to God. I am anxious, I am vexed,
I am doing something about it.”
Eli says “May God give you what you want.
Go in peace.”
“Yes,” she replies, “May I find favor in God’s sight.”
With that, she’s no longer sad.
She dines with her husband, wakes up the next day, worships God, goes
home, and they make sweet, sweet love.
9 months later she has a son, Samuel.
The next year as her husband plans to go to the Temple, Hannah opts not to.
She says to him “After I have finished breast feeding our son, I will
bring him to the Temple so that he can be presented to the Lord, and he will
stay there forever.”
Elkanah honors her wishes.
3 years pass. Hannah takes her son
to the Temple, along with an offering.
She says to the priest “Remember that woman who you thought was drunk but
was actually praying to the Lord? Here I am, standing right before you.
Here is the child I prayed for; the miracle God has granted me. Now I am fulfilling my promise, giving him to
God.”
Then Hannah prays today’s prayer-
“My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in God. There is no one like the Lord, my Rock.
The Lord is a God of knowledge.
The feeble find courage. The
hungry are fed. The empty bring forth
life.
God guides the feet of the faithful, and exalts the anointed.”
Hannah goes home. She visits her
son each year, bringing him a robe.
God takes note of Hannah. She who once
cried out because she was empty is now filled with rich life.
A story of miracles. But what is
the miracle? Is it that Hannah who once
was barren has a baby?
Or is the miracle that she, a woman, was heard by God?
Perhaps the miracle is that she had a husband who actually listened to
her at a time when wives were considered property and props.
Or is the miracle one that is based on action?
Perhaps the miracle is that Hannah did not sit around waiting for
something to happen and for God to act, but she made the decision to participate
and co-create her own story.
Think about- Today’s story is one in which Hannah, on her own, with no
promise, no assurance, no angelic visits or late-night visions, decides to
rally up God and get the Lord to steppin’.
In doing so, a miracle takes place.
Miracles happen every day, little miracles, big miracles. But miracles do not mean we are puppets. Nor do miracles mean that we are
passive.
Or that we are completely helpless bystanders, non-actors in our narratives.
Most miracles, especially those we experience in the Bible, involve both
God and the people of God to make them happen.
Last week’s story of the manna from heaven. God could have sent the people as much bread
as Panera could possibly bake, but it would not make a whit of difference if
the people did not go out each day to gather it.
The Red Sea. Didn’t matter if God
parted the waters and had them stand skyscraper tall if no one was willing to
take that first step across the dry land.
Hagar had to look around to see what God had placed before her. Sarai and Abram had to get up and go to
receive their blessings.
Judith and her maid could have prayed all they wanted but eventually it
came down to what they were willing to do.
Jesus Christ- The Man on Miracles: water into wine, feeding the 5,000.
Oh, we love to tell and hear those stories. But have you ever wondered what the true
miracle is?
Jesus is at a wedding when the Winking Owl runs out, so he replenishes it
with a better vintage.
That sounds like a miracle, but none of it would have happened if the
servants were not willing to follow his instructions, gather the necessary elements,
take a sip, and pass out what had been created.
What’s the bigger miracle? For
Jesus to say it shall be done, or for everyday humans to make it so?
The feeding of the 5,000.
Can you imagine being on that mountaintop with Jesus and a multitude of
people with you and nothing but a few fish and a bits of bread, and being told
to pass it out to everyone present?
Is the miracle that God prepared a picnic before the people, or is it that
the people were willing to be served, and the disciples were willing to do the
serving knowing that logic said there wouldn’t be enough?
What’s the biggest miracle?
That God did what God did, or that the people were willing to believe,
act and behave as if it was true?
Miracles happen every day, big miracles, small miracles, creation,
resurrection, abundance, assurance.
But it does not mean we are inactive.
It does not mean we are to be passive.
It means we get to play a part. We
get to do our thang, regardless if we cry or we pray, we sit or we hand out.
Miracles happen every day, but it takes more than Jesus to feed the
masses or God to part the sea, it requires us to step up, to step out, to extend
a hand, to stick out a foot.
Miracles happen every day, like Judith and her maid it may require severe
action.
Like Hagar and the Israelites, it may take us crying out.
Like Hannah it make take us not caring what others think, and saying to
the Lord “Remember me?”
Miracles happen. Lord knows they
do. What role are we willing to play;
what are the things we can do?
As Citizens of Heaven, how do we continue to co-create with our Lord, our
Rock?
Amen and amen.
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