The LCA provides this sermon edited for lay-reading, with thanks to the original author.
Pentecost 3, (Proper 5) Year C
1 Kings 17:8-24
Armed forces board a ship and shoot at civilians. A man goes on a shooting spree, killing
indiscriminately. Tornados and floods threaten homes and lives. A man attacks his wife with a
knife. Thousands of jobs are threatened or lost. Another life tragically cut short through a car
accident. People are dying as a result of drug overdoses, AIDS, natural disasters, starvation, and so
on.
These are the headlines, the big pictures, the cold hard facts of our crazy, mixed up, destructive,
chaotic and troubled world. Yet for every headline, there are individual stories of tragedy, sorrow,
guilt, anger, and bewilderment.
However, in between every news story of tragedy and trouble, you’re bombarded with adverts
telling you that you don’t have enough. It’s almost like they’re saying: “The world is troubled.
You’re feeling upset. Your life might be out of control. Well, drive away your feelings of anger,
sadness and grief with the latest gadget! This latest thing will make you happy and bring you
fulfilment! Things like iPods, iPads, mobile phones, internet access, big screen TV’s, new cars, wizbang kitchen appliances, gourmet meals, blocks of chocolate, 3D movies, beer, wine, drugs, sex,
body enhancements, a new machine for the shed, and so on will make you feel better, or at least
these things will distract you from your misery or from the relationships you’re trying to avoid – at
least until your money runs out!”
But no matter how many of these things are crammed into our homes and lives, it’s never enough.
We’re never truly satisfied or content. We are still troubled by events around us. Relationships
keep breaking down. People are angry, which is often a sign of fear. We’re not at peace. We’re
scared - scared of failure, or of being found out for who we truly are, or we’re afraid of losing it all,
including our life.
So, in light of all this, how will this strange text from the Old Testament give us hope,
contentment, or peace?
Well, firstly it helps by understanding what’s going on in the background. What led to this scene?
A new King came to rule over the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His name was Ahab and was worse
than all the other kings put together. He married a woman named Jezebel who came from Sidon,
one of the neighbouring cities and among the enemies of Israel. Not only that, but instead of
worshipping Yahweh who had saved Israel and brought them into a fertile land, he worshipped the
god Baal – who was supposedly ‘the god of the waters’ and therefore also a god of fertility. The
way it worked was like this: if you worshipped Baal, he would send rains to make the land rich and
fertile, and you would be prosperous. The better the crops, the more profit you made so that you
could buy more things. By worshipping Baal, you would have more than enough.
So our God Yahweh sent the prophet Elijah to Ahab to tell him there would be no more rain until
God says so. In this way, the true battle going on was a battle between gods. While King Ahab
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worshipped Baal, the so-called god of water, Yahweh tells him no more rain will come on the land
until he says so. Yahweh is the true God, not this make-believe god called Baal. Yahweh brings
about a drought to the land in order to lead them to repentance and so they may worship the true
God once more.
That’s the big picture. That’s the headline. But there’s always a personal story behind the
headlines. Poor old Elijah’s now caught up in the drought. How will he survive in a time of drought
and death?
Well, God looks after this people, so he sends Elijah to drink from a little brook and crows bring
meat to him every morning and night. In a land gripped by drought, God provides enough water
and meat for Elijah to survive. It’s not much, but it’s enough. However, the brook eventually runs
dry. Elijah, the prophet sent by God to announce the drought, is in danger of dying as a result of
that same drought.
So God sends him outside of the Promised Land to live with his enemies! He sends him to a small
town named Zarephath, which is about 10kms south of Sidon to be looked after by a widow. Since
the people of God in Israel are only interested in looking after themselves, God sends him to one
of the enemy who will actually care for the outcast. But there’s a small complication. This widow,
who is supposed to look after this great prophet of God, has only enough food left for one more
meal, and then she and her son are going to die.
Despite this desperate situation, Elijah speaks those words of peace and comfort: “Don’t be
afraid.” He continues by saying, “Make your last meal, but make some for me first,” implying “you
and your son can make do with what’s left over.”
At first this seems like a greedy and selfish request. Not only do they have to share their meagre
last meal with this stranger, but they have to give the first and best portion to him first! How often
do we always want the first pick in order to get the best portion for ourselves? If we actually think
of giving anything to God or his servants, we’re likely to give what’s left over. Why should we give
the first fruits to God? We want them for ourselves!
But this was to be a sign of her trust, because there was one more thing Elijah said. He told her the
handful of flour and the little bit of oil she had in the jar wouldn’t run out. By following Elijah’s
instructions and giving him the first fruits of the meal, she would have a small, but almost-neverending supply of flour and oil. While this meal was nothing special - and certainly not like a neverending packet of Tim Tams - it would be enough for them to survive on for the whole time of the
drought, which was to last about 3½ years.
So firstly, God supplied water and meat for Elijah where there was none, and now he supplies food
for Elijah, this widow and her son, when it should have run out. While God may not always give us
what we want, he provides enough. God’s Word proved to be true and trustworthy.
But then there’s a heartbreaking twist to this little community. The son gets sick and dies. Another
young life is tragically cut short. The widow, who has not only lost her son, but also her only means
of support for when she gets old, does what most of us do when faced with such unfairness. She
got angry. She took her anger out on Elijah and on God. After doing so much to help this stranger,
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this is how she’s rewarded. Sure, she may not be perfect, and certainly it seemed to remind her of
something she felt guilty about, but it’s still not fair, and she let Elijah know it.
Without explanation, Elijah asks for the boy and takes him from her lap. He then carries this dead
boy up to his room and lays him on his bed. He too seems frustrated by such unfairness; almost
accusing God of purposely bringing trouble to this widow who’s provided for him for so long. Then,
stretching himself over the boy three times, he asks God to return life to this lifeless boy.
Miraculously, this God who provided water and meat where there seemed none, and who
provided flour and oil when it should have run out, brings this boy back to life. Life and breath
returns to a boy who had none of each. Even though God seems to bring trouble and calamity,
here we learn God desires and is able to bring peace and life and hope.
Elijah brings the now-living boy to his mother and she comes to believe the Word of God that
Elijah speaks to be true. While the never-ending jar of flour wasn’t enough to prove God’s Word is
true, the raising of her son was. In the land of Israel’s enemies and in the time of drought, faith
comes to this foreign widow. Witnessing this resurrection, she learnt to trust God who is true to
his word. God’s Word will now be enough for her.
Unfortunately, God’s Word isn’t always enough for us. We often want more. We want God to be
like a genie for us, granting our wishes for never-ending happiness, never ending streams of
money, health, beauty, fame, or a never-ending packet of Tim Tams.
Sometimes people complain that they get nothing out of Sunday worship, as if it is a total waste of
their precious time. But it’s impossible to get nothing out of worship! In worship we’re presented
with the trustworthy and Spirit-filled Word of God. In the Lord’s Supper we receive the true body
and blood of Jesus Christ to reassure us of God’s love and undeserving forgiveness. Aren’t these
holy gifts enough? No-one gets nothing out worship. Everyone receives something. Even a mother
busily chasing after her children the whole service receives something: a Word of peace here, a
nibble on God’s body and blood there. And perhaps a quick prayer from the heart that is heard by
God. It may not be much, but it may be enough.
Even though Elijah and his hosts would have probably preferred a lovely roast meal with lots of
gravy every now and again, the flour and oil was enough. God may not have given them what they
wanted, but provided what they needed to survive. God’s living and trustworthy Word, and the
Word made flesh and blood is enough to sustain even the hungriest and weariest of faiths.
When you were baptised, it may have seemed like a simple splash of water. But that little splash
and the holy name of God is more than enough. In this world of chaos, death and destruction,
we’re promised eternal life with Jesus in a place where death no longer exists. We’ve heard today
God can raise the dead. He did this a number of times in the Old Testament. Jesus did it a number
of times during his life, including the widow’s son at Nain and Lazarus. Then, when Jesus rose from
the dead, the hope of resurrection was extended to all who believe and trust God’s Word. Faith is
simply trusting God’s Word, God’s promises. For God says that those baptised into Jesus have
been buried with Jesus and have also been raised to new life with Jesus. This chaotic and hungry
world doesn’t get the last word. God’s Word gets to have the final say.
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In the face of stories of death and destruction, and in the face of an unfulfilled desire for more and
more to fill empty and fearful hearts, God provides enough. He provides a Word of peace,
resurrection and forgiveness that can be trusted. He provides an eternal promise of cleansing,
accompanying presence, and eternal life through the waters of baptism. He provides a small but
comforting meal of forgiveness, life and peace through the Lord’s Supper.
Perhaps we want more. That’s natural. But the widow learnt to trust God’s Word. For her, that’s
enough. No matter what troubles we may face, may God’s true and trustworthy Word be enough
for us too, to sustain us through this life and into eternal life with him.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard our hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus. Amen.
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