Held High

A Reflection on the First Reading for October 20th, 2019:
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

EXODUS 17:8-13

8 Then came Am'alek and fought with Israel at Reph'idim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out, fight with Am'alek; tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Am'alek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Am'alek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands grew weary; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua mowed down Am'alek and his people with the edge of the sword.

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Joshua fought, Moses prayed, and Aaron and Hur literally supported him. What does this short passage of God’s word have to tell us?


The first time I read this passage I immediately began to think of all the people who have “held me up” throughout my journey. My family members, friends, teachers, students, strangers… so many people have played a supporting role in my life. I could tell countless stories of how I couldn’t have gotten through without the help of a friend. Or at least, life would have been so much harder and much less enjoyable had I not had these people in my life.


The next time I read this passage I began to see how each person in the story had an important role to play. Joshua obeyed Moses and led the army in battle. He used his military skill and strength to do his part. But that wasn’t enough to win. Moses went to the top of the mountain to pray. He knew that his job was to be the spiritual leader of the Israelites. But that wasn’t enough. Aaron and Hur went with Moses and before long they too discovered their job, to support him. They became strength for Moses when he had none of his own. But that still wasn’t enough.


The staff or rod of Moses is at the center of this story. This very rod was shown to be a powerful weapon of God in the past. It parted the Red Sea, turned into a snake and then back again, and drew water from a rock. This same rod was then held high, from the top of the mountain, to remind the army that God was indeed with them. When the staff was lowered and they could not see it they began to lose the battle. When it was held high for all to see, they won.

"The people that we journey with are critical to our stories. God has made it so. He has wired us to need each other."

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The people that we journey with are critical to our stories. God has made it so. He has wired us to need each other. The Trinity is our heavenly example of the necessity of relationship. Like Joshua, sometimes we need to be obedient. Like Aaron and Hur, sometimes we need to be supportive. Like Moses sometimes we need to be willing to accept that we can’t do it on our own. But, ultimately, we need to remember that it is by the power of God that we “win” every day. We can hold fast to the truth that our God is our Staff and the higher we hold Him up in the face of our trials, the more we can be assured of victory.


Let us pray:
Lord God, I am grateful for all those people You have put in my life. Today I will give and receive with abandon. I will hold Your staff high in the face of all my trials and I will trust in Your victory without doubt or fear.

Amen


​Maxine Brown

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