Healing Touch
Pentecost 2c, June 2, 2013 (I Kings 18:20-37; Galatians 1:1-12; Luke 7:-10)
Elijah is my favorite Old Testament prophets. Now I need to say something about prophet before I say why he is my favorite. Prophet – prophet not profit – is not someone who so much predicts the future but rather someone God calls and commissions who is then enabled to speak a word of God into that present situation. Not many people, if any wanted to be prophets. Prophets weren't usually well received by their own people.
Nevertheless Elijah carries out his calling well. As we meet him today Elijah is in the face of the people, because he cares about them. Not only that but Elijah battles his own fears and doubts – sometimes even running for his life. Nevertheless he remains in the people's faces speaking the word of God to them in their time and place.
Today we hear him saying to the people of Israel, "How long are you going to attempt to limp along trying to follow two gods?" It's a good question. It's also a relevant question even though at first glance we may not think so.
he people of Israel were torn. They sometimes didn't like to make difficult decisions. So, at times they followed the path of least resistance. Baal was the god of thunder and lighting. If you have ever been out in a thunder storm – you can understand how powerful thunder and lightning can be. Baal was a very popular god of the time – for many of the people who lived in the surrounding area of the Israelites. Could it hurt if they "paid" that god some allegiance? After all they still observed the Sabbath, the dietary food laws. What could it matter if they threw Baal something his way? It might even help. You never know....
But Elijah refuses to back down.. Whom we give our allegiance to does matter! Whenever anyone or a group attempts to worship two gods, when you give your loyalty and allegiance to one or something that is not god – there will be negative repercussions. The rest of this story is quite interesting, in many ways disturbing but ultimately pointing to this profound truth: there is only one God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Later as Christians we see the extrapolation of this truth: this One God is the One who becomes human in Jesus and then sends his/her very Spirit to inhabit us, to move us – to direct us for the well being of others and the earth.
Do we believe this? Do we live this way?
Of course, we may not be tempted to worship a thunder and lightning god! But do we ever think, do we ever act as if our well being and the well being of those we love the very most depends only or primarily upon us? Do we sometimes work frenetically and frantically in attempts to get ahead while neglecting God, neglecting even a regular time to worship, to give thanks, even to joyfully share with others the goodness of God? Or, are we sometimes so concerned with what others may think of us, that we betray our own fundamental convictions?
What happens then? Might our families be hurt? Are our neighbors neglected, forgotten, because we give our primary loyalty or allegiance to someone or something other than God? Does the earth suffer when the Gross National Product or our income is the most important thing to us? Are the people whose homes are below current sea levels being hurt? Are people in third world countries damaged when to us only the best and the brightest (as computed by our "standards") matter – and our number one priority is ourselves? Are we then worshiping God who commands us to love the Lord our God with all of our heart and mind and strength and our neighbors as ourselves? Or are we giving allegiance to some other false "god"?
Finally do we not even hurt ourselves when we attempt to assume the role of God – by providing for ourselves all we need and desire? How foolish, how exhausting, how all consuming such "living" is! Is it any wonder that we sometimes then become sceptical, even deeply negative? In such times we are limping, figuratively and literally.
But it need not be that way.
St. Paul does not tire of frequently telling the Galatians that the Gospel is good news. The Gospel is all about what God does – not what we do! God is the One who becomes human in Jesus. This Jesus is the One who crosses all kinds of social boundaries (hear the Gospel today) to embrace others, who then suffers and dies so that we and creation can be reconciled to God, to each other and even the rest of creation (so Colossians). Jesus undertakes His mission so that we and many can live, not just exist, now and even through death (in all its forms) to new life.
Do we hear this? Our deliverance, our new beginnings always come from God and can only be received as gifts . Thanks be to God! Or, as Inspector Gadget says, Wowsers!!! We don't have to be a "certain way" to be loved by God. God reaches out again and again to all people of all times and places. Thanks be to God! This grace is for us too – just as we are. It is even by God's grace, that we are enabled to trust God.
There are amazing results, possibilities to such grace, to God's radical love in becoming human for us and with us. Such results are good, that is, of God. Paul says to the Galatians that because of Jesus and all Jesus does they can be freed/delivered from this present "evil age". Such freedom doesn't mean escape – as if we, who are somewhat aware and attempting to respond to God's grace live in one reality totally devoid of thoughts and feelings, hopes and fears, disappointments and failures – on a so-called heavenly plane, while everyone else is somehow bad or evil or less than us. Not at all!
But what this ongoing reconciling love and forgiveness of Jesus for us and others and creation does mean, is that we are being enabled to love others, to practice forgiveness, to be honest about our culpabilities – even to attempt whatever else we discern God calling us to be and do in this time and place. Such living response IS BOTH EXCITING AND EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT.
Who knows - one of our enemies, or a person who harasses or bristles our very being may show up asking for help or claiming that God has already helped them. What will we do then? Shoo them out the door – or tell them that it's their fault they didn't believe or didn't work, or didn't treat us "right"? Shall we turn a deaf ear because they bother us or have hurt us?
Or, do we see Jesus in today's gospel? The Roman centurion, a representative of all those who had been oppressing Jesus' own people for a long time requests help on behalf of another whom he loves. Jesus responds. Through Jesus' action the oppressor's hope comes to fruition.
Don't we see? God and God's love is so much greater than our understanding, beyond any deserving or even great expectation. All of this is our reason for rejoicing and living with hope for the world!
So Lord - we confess that we believe. Still we need your help for our unbelief. And, dear Lord, help us to live in and from your love for the well being of others, our world and even ourselves – for Christ's sake. Amen.