2 Maccabees 3:14-21: a reflection

14So having appointed a day, he entered in to direct the inquiry concerning these matters; and there was no small distress throughout the whole city. 15The priests, prostrating themselves before the altar in their priestly garments, and called toward heaven upon him who gave the law concerning deposits, that he should preserve these treasures safe for those who had deposited them. 16Whoever saw the appearance of the high priest was wounded in mind; for his countenance and the change of his color betrayed the distress of his soul. 17For a terror and a shuddering of the body had come over the man, by which the pain that was in his heart was plainly shown to those who looked at him. 18Those who were in the houses rushed out in crowds to make a universal supplication, because the place was about to come into dishonor. 19The women, girded with sackcloth under their breasts, thronged the streets. The virgins who were kept indoors ran together, some to the gates, others to the walls, and some looked out through the windows. 20All, stretching out their hands toward heaven, made their solemn supplication. 21Then it was pitiful to see the multitude prostrating themselves all mixed together, and the anxiety of the high priest in his great distress.

In this account, an official comes to plunder the treasury of the temple in Jerusalem, and there is nothing the people can do to stop him by force. So they do the one thing left to them: they cry out to God. The priests prostrate themselves before the altar; the whole city is in anguish; people rush from their houses to pray together; women and young and old alike stretch out their hands toward heaven in a united, desperate supplication. Faced with a threat they could not resist, the whole community turned to God.

Notice what the people did when they were helpless: they prayed, together and earnestly. They could not stop the official by their own strength, so they cried out to God with one accord, the whole city joined in urgent supplication. When human resources failed, they turned, not to despair, but to prayer, and to God as their only recourse. Their helplessness drove them to their knees, together.

That is an instinct worth learning. When we face a threat we cannot resist by our own strength, we can flail in panic, or scheme, or despair. But these people did the wiser thing: they turned to God together in earnest prayer, casting their helplessness on him. There is nothing weak about crying out to God when we cannot help ourselves; it is the right response, and often the only real one. When you face what you cannot handle by your own strength, turn to God in earnest prayer, and, where you can, pray together with others. Let your helplessness drive you to your knees rather than to despair, and cast on God what is beyond your power to resolve.

Lord, when an official came to plunder the temple and the people could not stop him by force, the whole city turned to you, crying out together in earnest, desperate prayer, stretching out their hands toward heaven. Teach me that instinct. When I face a threat I cannot resist by my own strength, I can flail in panic, or scheme, or despair. Help me instead do the wiser thing: turn to you in earnest prayer, casting my helplessness on you. There is nothing weak about crying out to you when I cannot help myself; it is the right response, and often the only real one. When I face what is beyond my strength, help me turn to you, and where I can, to pray together with others. Let my helplessness drive me to my knees rather than to despair, and help me cast on you what is beyond my power to resolve. You are my recourse when I am helpless.