2 June 2021

‘You are righteous, O Lord,
and all your deeds are just;
all your ways are mercy and truth;
you judge the world.
And now, O Lord, remember me
and look favourably upon me.
Do not punish me for my sins
and for my unwitting offences
and those that my ancestors committed before you.’

Tobit 3:1-11, 16-17, NRSV 

Following the rebuke he received from his wife Anna, the blind Tobit in shame and sorrow turned to God in prayer. His long lament begins with the recognition that God is just and merciful. Tobit goes on to pour out all his woes, finally admitting that he would rather die than to continue to live in misery. The focus then turns to a woman called Sarah, a relative of Tobit, who was also in a state of despair following the death of seven successive husbands and the cruel taunting by her servant about her childlessness. She also prays for God’s help and to be set free from her life. We are told that God heard the prayers of both Tobit and Sarah and sent and angel, Raphael, to help both of them. Their prayers were answered, but not in the way they expected. Tobit’s blindness was cured and a marriage was arranged between Sarah and Tobit’s son Tobias.

• • Why do you think Tobit and Sarah wanted their lives to end?
  • What is your experience of prayer being answered in unexpected ways?

Pray for those today who are in despair and wish for and end to their lives.