Dearest e-votees-
This week we have two raising of the dead stories in our lectionary. The first is when Elijah restores to life the widow of Zarephath’s son in 1 Kings 17:17-24. The second is when Jesus restores to life the widow of Nain’s son in Luke 7:11-17. The appointed psalm (Psalm 30) and the appointed epistle (Galatians 1:11-24) also have themes and threads of death to life.
Perhaps there are places in our life where death needs to yield to the life-giving gospel of Jesus.
Peace,
Karl
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17 After this the son of the [widow of Zarephath], the mistress of the house, became ill; his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 She then said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!" 19 But he said to her, "Give me your son." He took him from her bosom, carried him up into the upper chamber where he was lodging, and laid him on his own bed. 20 He cried out to the Lord, "O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I am staying, by killing her son?" 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried out to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again." 22 The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 Elijah took the child, brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and gave him to his mother; then Elijah said, "See, your son is alive." 24 So the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth."
11 Soon afterwards [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12 As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!" 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!" 17 This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
Where have you tasted of literal death in your life? Do you know the exquisite pain of losing a child as did both of the widows in our assigned texts? Have you buried friends and siblings? Are you a widow or a widower? Have you stepped into the mantle of the patriarch or matriarch of the family after tending to the deaths of your parents? Have you lost the devoted companionship of pets through death? There is no soft-pedaling death. Death is painful and palpable and awaits us all. All of us know about death more than we might like. Death seems to have the final and crushing word. But then we hear of Jesus’ empty tomb. And we hear stories like the ones above (and Lazarus and the 12-year old girl and Eutychus) [see John 11:1-44, Luke 8:40-56 (among others) and Acts 20:8-12]. Granted all of these accounts except for Jesus are not truly resurrections since all died yet again—but they offer hope. And Jesus’ unique resurrection offers a sure and certain hope. Dare we believe the outrageous hope that is offered in the empty tomb of Easter morn?
Where have you tasted metaphorical death in your life? Have you been touched by job loss? Have you been touched by debilitating illness? Has divorce shattered supposed forever unions? Have hopes and dreams been crushed? Have people betrayed or disappointed or neglected in ways that are irretrievably hurtful? Have plans and schemes and best-laid plans been thwarted? Perhaps the words spoken to the Babylonian exiles speak to you too:
11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the Lord…
There is no soft-pedaling death. Death is real and it hurts whether literal or metaphorical. But God knows the intimate pains of death. That is why Jesus was so stirred at the tomb of Lazarus. That is why Jesus cried from the cross. God enters into our pain. God offers hope and healing even in the midst of the deaths we endure. God isn’t done with us or those who have died yet.
Death is real. God’s love is more real. The Easter truth of resurrection is for us and for all.
God, give us courage and faith to live through the deaths we endure. Gather us at last with all the saints who have gone before us into the sure and certain resurrection hope of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
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