Godly Provocation

When I was studying these two scripture passages, I was struck by the radically different examples of the word “provoked.” I was reminded of two people from the church where I was the associate pastor, forty years ago. Dora and Walter are examples of some of the ways we might “provoke” another person.

Dora generously provided a candy jar for each of the three staff ministers. She arrived early every Monday morning to fill our jars with our favourite candy. She also served as the representative to the Presbytery. I remember her scratching out detailed notes of the meeting on our drive back to church. She generously shared her homemade pralines she made at Christmas. Dora was also generous with her critique of our performance and quickly pointing out our mistakes, however small they may have been, on the previous Sunday.

Walter stopped by the office regularly and pulled up a chair. He didn’t bring candy but sat with a deep desire to listen to us talk about our week; what we were excited about, and where we felt stuck. We never felt rushed or that he had an agenda for his listening. Walter always shared a story of what he’d learned from his vast experience of life, not as a correction, but as a fellow struggler in the faith.

How do we take whatever challenges we face and continue to be led to prayer and encouragement for one another?

How do we provoke one another to move toward love and good deeds?

Professor Tom Long explains that the writer of Hebrews is addressing a common and familiar pastoral problem: congregational decline. Long writes that the “congregation is basically tired and discouraged— tired of trying to live the Christian life in a culture that offers no support for it and discouraged about the way evil still seems to persist in the world. As a result, the congregation has begun to question the value of being followers of Christ.” In verse 25, the writer implies that some have neglected to meet together, their zeal for mission has waned, and congregational life that is rich in love and compassion has begun to fade.

The preacher of Hebrews urges his listeners to “hold fast to the confession of hope without wavering (v.23). We are Christ’s beloved. We can therefore walk into church knowing that Christ claims us as his own and our hearts are made new. Finally, we can live as people who “provoke one another to love and good deeds.”

What does that look like when we provoke one another to move toward love and good deeds?

The word “provoke” in both the scriptures we read means to incite as in “wrestling together” with what “love and good deeds” will look like in our contexts. Martin Luther King, in one of his letters from jail, wrote that the “love and good deeds” to which Christians must provoke each other “include agitation against an unjust status quo”

Our first lesson we read from 1 Samuel offers another example and response to provocation. Hannah was the favourite of Elkanah’s two wives. The other wife, Peninnah, was blessed by having several children. Peninnah bullied Hannah for being barren. Year after year, she made fun of Hannah for not being able to have children and pointing to her own success in giving children to their husband. In this culture, childbearing was a measure of a woman’s worth. In fact, barrenness was a sign of divine punishment. Hannah carried the humiliation of not being able to bear children and Peninnah provoked her shame.

Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, was not very sensitive. He asked Hannah why she was weeping, what was wrong and why she didn’t eat? It is another way of saying, snap out of it. He also provoked her by asking, “Am I not enough for you?”

Elkanah’s or his other wife’s provocation did not stop Hannah from addressing her need. Hannah goes into the temple and takes her petition directly to God. In her distress, she prayed, “Oh Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a Nazirite until the day of his death.” In essence, Hannah is promising the Lord, “if you will do all you can do, I will do all that I can do.” Notice she never points to what others have done to her by saying, “I’m bullied. I’m misunderstood. I am devalued in society and in my family.” Hannah focused only on her greatest desire.

Again, Hannah was met with discouragement. Eli, the high priest, noticed her mouth moving and accused her of being drunk. He proposes a solution. “You should put away your wine.”

Hannah appealed to him, “I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time.” Eli realizes he has accused her falsely and finally, he listens to her and provokes a blessing, “Go in peace and God will answer your prayer.”

Hannah’s prayer focused on her greatest desire. She prayed for a male son and if God would answer her prayer, she vowed to dedicate the child to God’s service. She worked on herself rather than blaming others she couldn’t control. Hannah learned that a loving God was listening attentively to her prayer and was waiting to respond with grace.

How do we take whatever challenges we face and continue to be led to prayer and encouragement for one another?

We all respond as Doras and Walters at one time or another. Today’s stories remind us that we are the carriers of God’s redemptive work, wrestling together with what “love and good deeds” will look like in our relationships with one another. Like Hannah, will you promise the Lord, “if you will do all you can do, I will do all that I can do.”