Strength for the Journey

Sermon 1 Kings 19:1-12 August 9, 2015 Ordinary Time

Strength for the Journey

Today I’m sharing another one of those stories from Scripture, from the Old Testament, that reveals for us again that we are not so different from our human ancestors of thousands of years ago. I know that the young people who call themselves Millenniums, Gen X and Gen Z have often said there is little in Scripture with which they can identify. They have made it clear to me on more than one occasion that The Bible has no relevance in the world today.  But, each time I read a story such as this one, I cannot help myself but to discover, and of course, then share with those who will hear, the incredible relevance God’s Word has for us in any age. J (smiley face)

Elijah, the great prophet has been there for God and has preached God’s Word to the people. He has stood the test of time and is well known; by today’s standards he is quite the celebrity. 

He would probably have a twitter account and have sent out Instagram pictures of his slaying the priests of Baal. He is not everyone’s favorite as we read that Jezebel is after him. She wants his life for destroying her gods and her priests. 

So, like any good prophet, Elijah knows when to run. He returns to the borders of his homeland. He runs for his life and he is filled with fear. 

He is so filled with fear that he has had enough. 

He has had enough of this life of prophet. 

He has had enough of risking himself in his career. 

He has had enough of giving up all relationships for this one job. 

He has had enough of being lonely in his fame. 

We find him out in the desert sprawled out under a single broom tree 

totally spent and 

completely undone. 

He has said to God, “It is enough!” 

The Hebrew for Elijah’s complaint is ‘rab’ which means ‘too much’. 

And so he asks God to take his life and then he falls asleep.

There are of course, many times when life is going just fine. Perhaps, even excellent, with promotions at work, the ability to pay all the bills and put some away in savings or even build up that retirement account. There are times when things are going well enough to take that long dreamed vacation. Those times are wonderful and we should spend time focusing on all the good and the fabulous. 

But there are times, even when life is going better than we could ever have imagined, that ‘life tumbles in.’ 

Years ago, Cynthia Bolbach had been named moderator of the PCUSA’ general assembly. Not long after her rise to this position, it was discovered that she had cancer. She let the people know that no one is immune to ‘life that tumbles in.’

We are always surrounded by things that threaten to undo us. Storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, financial collapse, family disruptions, diseases are all things that dare to tumble in and threaten our very framework of who we are. And we too might cry out with Elijah to God saying, “It is too much for me.” As we run and find safety from all those things that threaten us, we discover as did Elijah that we are not alone.

Elijah is wakened from his sleep by an angel who comes to minister to his need. He is not rebuked by God for his feelings. God does not chastise him for running back toward his homeland. God does not punish him for being overwhelmed. God doesn’t do any of things that we do to ourselves when we think we are not good enough or that we have failed or that we have had enough. God sends an angel to meet him where he is, in the manner in which he finds himself-God is there.

And at this moment an angel comes alongside and provides him with nourishment. When we find ourselves undone, the first thing we do is neglect our most basic needs. Here the angel comes and wakes him up and commands him to eat. 

He receives basic provisions, practical, tangible things that will nourish him and sustain him. 

The angel explains to Elijah on his second round of eating, that he must eat ‘because the way is too much for you.’ The angel uses the same word he did, ‘rab’ too much. The angel does not sugar coat the future for him. The angel does not say that the way will be easy and life will now be filled with great success. The angel gives a frank assessment of the future and let him know he must eat to receive the strength for the journey.

And this is the message for the church, for families, for kids about to start another year of school, for anyone who has ever found themselves in a position of feeling that life is sometimes overwhelming. God shows up and meets us where we are. God shows up and provides the gentle touch of an angel. God shows up and makes sure we have our basic needs. God shows up and commands us to get up and get going. Jesus told those he healed to get up and be on their way. 

The power of words and a touch are as much food for those in need as a banquet table spread for them. I have heard people say that the cards they receive, phone calls and visits when they are ill or in a slump in life are the embrace they need. 

They share how those kind words and gentle touches are sustenance for the journey that lies ahead. Jesus is the living bread that came down from heaven. Surely the bread of Jesus gives us strength for the journeys of our lives as we rise and go our ways.

It was only after this encounter with reality that Elijah had what he needed for the rest of his journey. He went from there for forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb. There at the mountain he came face to face with God. There at the mountain God appeared in a still small voice. And in that small voice, we listen and find our way.

Take time to read the stories, to listen to them, to find how they are always relevant for our life. They are God’s promises for us. They are food for our journey. Let us rise and be on our way.

Amen.