1 Kings 17:7-16

1 Kings 17:7-16 

The stream in the place where Elijah lay hidden dried up, for the country had no rain. And then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, ‘Up and go to Zarephath, a Sidonian town, and stay there. I have ordered a widow there to give you food.’ So he went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a vessel for me to drink.’ She was setting off to bring it when he called after her. ‘Please’ he said ‘bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.’ ‘As the Lord your God lives,’ she replied ‘I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.’ But Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, go and do as you have said; but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make some for yourself and for your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel: “Jar of meal shall not be spent, jug of oil shall not be emptied, before the day when the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.”’ The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.

Food for thought!

After Pentecost, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, we resume a period called Time of the Year. This is the time we see, not so much Jesus in action in Palestine, but Jesus in action outside of Palestine; we see Jesus in action in the world you and I live in; we see Jesus in Zarephath, a Sidonian town. This is what we see in today's First Reading, taken from 1Kings 17:7-16.

This reading reminds us that God is able to do amazing, powerful things in our lives. He can take what appears to be a hopeless situation and manifest his power through that situation. First and foremost, there is a poor widow. She is the focus of this passage. Her description shows us just how hopeless her situation was. Let’s talk about her for a moment. One of the first things we learn about her is that she is a “widow” who lives in a place called “Zarephath.” These two truths reveal a lot about this woman. As a “widow” she was in a difficult place at best. In that society women were largely dependent upon men to take care of them. They depended on the men in their lives to provide shelter, food and protection. This widow had also a son. Not only is she responsible for her own care, she is also responsible  providing for a child.

The depth of her poverty is revealed when the prophet showed up. Elijah asks for for “a morsel of bread.” He isn’t asking for a whole loaf. He isn’t asking for a sandwich. He is asking for a small piece of bread. The widow replies that all she has is a “a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug.” She is outside gathering two sticks. She intends to take those sticks and use them to cook the last of her food. She is looking for fuel to cook a final meal for her and her son. She is in a hopeless situation, and in her mind, there is no way out.

Her plan is simple. She is going to take two sticks, and the last of her food, and she is going to prepare her last meal for herself and her son; then will come the inevitable: death. They have reached the end of the line. Death is the only ending she can see. This is a woman without hope. This is a woman who sees no way out of her situation. This is a woman who is ready to embrace death for herself and for her son, probably by starvation, because there is no other alternative. This is about as hopeless as it gets.

Most of us have never faced a situation quite like this have we? But, we all experience circumstances that appear to us to be hopeless. It might be a sickness in the body that continues to deteriorate; It might be a fracture in a marriage that appears to be getting worse; It might be a financial crisis that grows worse day by day; It might be the death of a loved one and we see no way that any good could ever come out of it; It might be a case of ever-deepening depression that fills the heart and mind with hopelessness; It might be any of ten thousand other things, but the fact is, there are times when life appears to be hopeless and death to be more atractive than life.

Many in the Bible felt that way: Moses - When he fled from Pharaoh after killing an Egyptian, Ex. 2:11-15; Elijah - When he fled from the wrath of Jezebel, 1 Kings 19:4; Jonah - When he found himself in the belly of the whale, Jonah 2:4; The Disciples - When they found themselves in the storm, Mark 4:38; Jacob - When he was told that Joseph was dead, Gen. 37:34-35; David - When his enemies rose up against him, Psa. 42.

Yes, there are times when we are afraid, there are times when circumstances appear hopeless. There are times when there seems to be no way out. Have you been there? Are you there today? I don’t know what impossible situation you are facing today. I don’t know what you will be called on to face in the near future. What I know is that God can be trusted, regardless of what comes your way. If, like this widow, you are serving your last mean, your last card, you have His promise that He will take care of you: He will give you grace for everything that comes your way - 2 Cor. 12:9; He will meet every need that arises in your life - Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:19;   He will walk with you every step of the way - Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20; He will see you safely through the dangers that come against you - Isa. 43:2; He will carry you when you can no longer walk - Deut. 33:27; He will use every pain, problem and pit of life to develop you and to make you more like Jesus - Rom. 8:28-29. To him be praise and honour and glory. Amen.