SIULAI 10, 2023
The Compassionate Womb
KO E MANAVA ‘OKU ‘OFA
1 SAMUEL 1:4-5
"ON THE DAY WHEN ELKANAH SACRIFICED, HE WOULD GIVE PORTIONS TO PENINNAH HIS WIFE AND TO ALL HER SONS AND DAUGHTERS. BUT TO HANNAH HE GAVE A DOUBLE PORTION, BECAUSE HE LOVED HER, THOUGH THE LORD HAD CLOSED HER WOMB."
1 SAMIUELA 1:4-5
4 Pea ‘i he ‘aho na‘e fai feilaulau ai ‘e ‘Elikena, na‘a ne ‘ave ‘inasi ki hono uaifi ko Pēnina, pea ki he‘ene fānau tangata mo fānau fefine kotoa pē: 5 ka ko ‘Ana na‘a ne ‘ave ki ai ha ‘inasi lōua; he ko ‘Ana na‘a ne ‘ofa ki ai: ka kuo tapui ‘e Sihova ‘ene fanau.
The Israelites pole-vaulted over (what we call) scientific or physical causes of events. They beelined straight to the source: "God did it." Thus Hannah had no children because "the Lord had closed her rechem ['womb']." But in time, the same God who had closed her rechem opened his heart to racham ("be compassionate toward") her. To racham someone is to "womb" them - that is, to show the same compassion toward them that a woman does to the baby inside her. In the Hebrew mind, to be in utero is to be in compassion. Indeed, there is no place in the world more iconic of compassion than the womb. Here God weaves together life. And here compassion too has its birth.
When Mary, in the Magnificat, sang of God's mercy, that mercy was growing fingers and toes inside her. In her rechem was the compassion of God in the flesh, for "as a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him" by sending to us his own dear Son (Ps. 103:13).
Heavenly Father, do not be angry or hide your face from us, but with everlasting love have compassion on us (Isa. 54:8).
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