Giving Life

Scriptures:     I Kings 17:8-24,  Psalm 30

Galatians 1:11-24    Luke 7:11-17

Today’s readings give us not one, but two miracle stories of deceased people being restored to life; the Old Testament story of Elijah raising from the dead of the only son of an impoverished widow – a Gentile widow, no less, a foreigner to Elijah – and in our Gospel reading, Jesus raises from the dead the only son of another poor widow.  In a moment, by God’s gracious action, tragedy is turned into a triumph of life over death.

In both of these stories, the widows were in a precarious situation even before the death of their sons.  In those days when Jesus walked the earth there were no pensions, no social security, really not much of an economic safety net of any kind.  In those days, a woman’s security was in marriage, and if her husband died before her, she had nothing to fall back on but her children, if she had any old enough to work, and the goodwill of the community.  Now through the death of their sons, these two widows, though separated by centuries, found themselves in similar situations, having to depend on the goodwill of the community even for bare survival.  And then God stepped in and changed everything.

In our Old Testament reading, the death of the widow’s son seems especially unjust, because the widow in question had helped the prophet Elijah when he was on the run from King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.  The widow and her son had been in extremely dire circumstances – down to their last little bit of flour – and they had planned to eat one last small meal together and then watch each other starve to death.  Elijah walks into this desperate household, and of all things, requests hospitality, in the form of water and a small cake of flour.  The widow initially balked at this request, but finally did as Elijah asked.  We’re told that, because of her faith, the flour and oil did not run out for many days, and Elijah stayed with her.  And then after all the widow had done for Elijah, her son had died.  Even Elijah cried out to God at this seeming injustice.  And God heard Elijah’s cry of the heart, and the son’s life was restored.

In the case of the young man whom Jesus brought back to life, can you imagine what this scene would have looked like. A funeral procession is on its way to the cemetery – on foot of course, carrying the deceased on a bier, similar to the stretchers used to move injured people into an ambulance, and Jesus stops the procession, tells the young man to arise, and the deceased sits up and starts talking.   Luke tells us that “Fear seized all of them” – ya think?  I think if I’d been there, I’d have been scared half out of my wits – to our ears it may sound a bit like zombie apocalypse.  But then they praised God, saying “a great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has looked favorably on his people!”  For those who knew the widow and son, this miracle was an amazing sign of God’s love. This restoration to life would have reminded onlookers of the story of Elijah restoring the widow’s son to life, and so they believed Jesus was a great prophet like Elijah.

As we read these accounts, while they’re wonderful stories, they may seem far removed from our experience.   When we go to funerals, we don’t expect a total stranger to wander in halfway through the viewing, tell the deceased to arise, and watch the deceased sit up and ask whether the Phillies are ahead.  Things like that likely don’t happen to you.  They don’t happen to me either…probably a commentary on my lack of faith.   And yet I think there are a few things we can take away from these Scriptures.

The first thing – the main thing – is that God is about life, not death.  God wants us to live – not just exist, not just slog through the day, but to live, really live, every day, to live life with passion, to live life to the fullest, to show up for life.  In the memorable words of the character Auntie Mame, “Life’s a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death.”  On most non-communion Sundays I say these words:  “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.  God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”    And the book of Deuteronomy tells us that as the children of Israel were entering the promised land, God said, “See, I have set before you life and good, and death and evil; choose life, that you may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:15) Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) And yes, there are things that God does not want us to do, and our thoughts and actions often disappoint God – but it’s not because God is a spoilsport or some cosmic sadist just waiting for the opportunity to smite us or hurl a thunderbolt at us.  Rather, it’s because these actions that displease God are also not good for us or those around us, not healthy for us or those around us, not life-giving for us or those around us.   They take away life instead of give it. And above all things, God is the giver of life.   It’s like parents telling their children to drink their milk and eat their vegetables instead of junking out on sugar snacks – because milk and veggies help children to grow up strong, while sugar causes cavities and childhood obesity.  When God warns us away from the path we’re on, it’s generally because the path leads over a cliff.  And when God guides us on a path, it’s for our good and for the good of God’s people, even though sometimes painful and even terrifying along the way.

A second takeaway is that God cares about us, as the gathered people of God, but also as individual men and women and children created in God’s image.  When we hurt, God hurts.  When we grieve, God grieves.    When we’re so overwhelmed by life that we can’t even find words to let out the pain, God’s Holy Spirit within us groans with sighs too deep for words.   God knew the need and saw the pain of the widow at Zarephath – a Gentile widow, by the way; to Elijah she would have been a foreigner, probably one who worshipped idols until she saw God’s power in action, seen by most people as a nobody living a nothing life out in the middle of nowhere – until God sent the prophet Elijah her way.  God knew and saw the pain of the widow at Nain, and sent Jesus her way.  And however painful our journeys may be – and I’ve been here at Emanuel Church long enough now to know that every single person here, and every single one of our members who aren’t here, is carrying heavy loads and dealing with pain of one kind or another – and so am I - we can be sure that we are not alone on the journey.  Just as the widow at Zarephath and her son were literally down to their last meal – a meal of crumbs at that – Elijah shows up, the widow shows hospitality even with the tiny bit of food she had, and God provided, God filled the emptiness with good things.  Sometimes the only way God can reach us is when we’ve tried every other option and been let down.  God promised that God will never leave us nor forsake us…..though God may lead us down some frightening paths.  When the road gets scary, we can hold on even more tightly to our faith, reach for and grasp even more strongly the helping hand God sends us – and that helping hands God sends may well be our hands as helping hands for one another – in fact, I know God has done this, is doing this, and will continue to do this. You can take that to the bank.

The miracle stories in Scripture were, of course, incredible gifts for those who were healed or restored to life in one way or another – but miracles are not just for the individuals involved.  Miracles point beyond themselves to the kingdom of God, to the reign of God that Jesus proclaimed.  These miracles are like when you’re at a party and it’s not time for the main course, but the server comes around with a plate of appetizers….it’s not the main course, but a taste of the dinner to come. – consider these miracles a sample or glimpse of things to come.  The miracles of Elijah and of Jesus told people who they were, that they were prophets – and in the case of Jesus, much more than a prophet.  Elijah and Jesus could speak, and people could listen to what they said and take it or leave it – but when dead people are restored to life, well, that got peoples’ attention.    And our actions – or lack of them – likewise get peoples’ attention.  People can visit Emanuel church, sing the hymns, listen to the sermon, God help them, and if that’s all they find, they may forget every word they’ve heard the second they leave the building.  But – if people can see that even as tiny as our church is, that here the hungry are being fed, that those in need are being helped, that here at Emanuel people are experiencing healing of body and mind and spirit – that’ll get peoples’ attention.   Like the widow at Zaraphath, even though we’re small and it may seem sometimes that we have nothing but crumbs and table scraps to offer – still, God can use that, just as God used the last crumbs in the jar of flour of the widow Elijah visited.  People will see who we are, that we are indeed a gathering of God’s people, that what they see here, however tiny, however limited, is the real thing, that “truly the Spirit of the Lord is in this place.”

The Psalmist wrote, “Hear me, O God, and be gracious unto me! O God, be my helper!  You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.  O God, my God, I will give thanks forever. “  When we’re overwhelmed by life, may we remember that though weeping lasts for a night, joy comes in the morning.  May we turn to God as our helper, and may we be God’s helpers to those whom God sends our way. Amen.