That’s kind of where Sarah finds herself in the Book of Tobit.
Imagine this: you’re a young woman, ready to start your life, but every man you marry dies on your wedding night. Not exactly the happily-ever-after you were dreaming of. And worse, you're being blamed for it! That's what's happening to Sarah, as we learn in this chapter.
The story unfolds with Sarah, deeply wounded by the accusations hurled her way. Can you imagine the shame and grief? We find her in her father's upper chamber, a private space for anguish and prayer. There, she pours out her heart to God in a bitter voice.
“O Lord God,” she cries, reminding God that He gave her to her elderly parents. Now, she feels like she’s bringing them nothing but sorrow. And what’s the cause of all this misery? According to Sarah, it's a demon king who has been sent against her husbands. She acknowledges God’s power over all spirits, good and evil, recognizing that "in thy hand are all the kinds of evil spirits which are in the world."
Her prayer is raw, honest, and filled with despair. She asks, "Is it good in thine eyes that I should bring down the old age of my father and my mother in sorrow to the grave?" If she is destined for this suffering, she begs for an end to it all. "Destroy me utterly, I pray," she pleads, "and let me see no longer my exceeding trouble and my great reproach."
It's a powerful moment of vulnerability. Sarah defends her purity and innocence: "Thou knowest, O Lord, that I am pure from all pollution with man, and that I have not polluted my name nor the name of my parents in the land of my captivity." She emphasizes her unique position as her parents' only child, the one who should be securing their future. Instead, she feels like a curse.
"And behold seven husbands are dead for my sake," she laments. "And what profit have I in being any longer in the world?" It's a question that cuts to the core of her existence. If she can't fulfill her role as a wife and daughter, what purpose does she serve?
Yet, even in her despair, there's a glimmer of hope. She ends her prayer with a plea for mercy. "But if it be not good in thine eyes to kill me, look and answer me, and have mercy on me, that I may hear my reproach no more."
Sarah’s prayer is a powerful reminder that even in our darkest moments, we can turn to God with our pain, our doubts, and our fears. It's a testament to the human spirit's resilience, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges. And it sets the stage for what comes next in the Book of Tobit – a story of healing, redemption, and the enduring power of faith. What will God's answer be? Will Sarah find relief from her suffering? We'll have to keep reading to find out.