Life when Death Seems Certain

Elizabeth M. Hoster
June 10, 2007

We have two parallel stories this morning: two widows, two only sons, two deaths, two resurrections, two families we never hear from or about again. Each person here is a crucial part of escalating stories about God’s power, identity, generosity, and love.

Our first lesson begins in the middle of the story: Elijah has been raised up by God as a prophet, decreed that a drought would take place, and has hit the road to save his life. So God sends him off, outside of Jewish territory.

God has commanded a widow to feed him–one who does not claim the same God. She is both destitute as a widow and a victim of the drought like everybody else. Shortly before where we join the story this morning, Elijah asks her for a morsel of bread, and she replies that she was going to use the last supplies to make some bread for her and her son so that they may eat it and die.

Elijah then promises her that the oil and grain will never run out for her. All is well and good for a short time–God is feeding the three of them–and then the son gets sick and dies. The widow thinks this is both punishment from God for her past sin and the end of her life.

And so Elijah proves the power of his God even more: in a scene of great pain and grieving, Elijah begs God to restore life to the boy. God listens, hears, and restores the son. She replies, “now I know that you are a man of God,and that the Word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

The lesson here seem pretty straight forward: God provides prophets, God listens and works even in great adversity, all servants of God are also sent to help each other, as Elijah relies on the widow as well.

God can give life even when death seems certain. And, this God is the God of all, not just of a particular territory.

And all of these are present in the parallel story in the Gospel! Indeed, the scene is very similar. Even the language is similar, and that is intentional: like Elijah, Jesus “gives the widow back her son,” which, in this day and culture, means giving back her life.

The point is to show that Christ is in the line of, but even greater than, Elijah. Notice in the Gospel story a few differences: there is a crowd present–lots of witnesses to Christ’s action. Christ commands the man to get up–he does not ASK God, as Elijah does, but, as he and the father are one, has the authority to bid him rise. In response to that, a large group of the people proclaim, “A great prophet has risen among us,” and “God has looked favorably on his people!”

This resurrection, like all the other healings and miracles in Luke, are to point to Christ as Son of the Living God, and to the life-giving generosity of that God.

And it is life that is being given here–and not just to the sons. We know that the loss of these sons would have meant certain death to the widows–destitution, starvation. Both stand at the edge of life as their sons have already died. It would have been easy for society to ignore them–they are not productive, and a burdon. But the resurrection in both of their lives points to who God is and What God values.

All had an encounter with God–a LIFE GIVING encounter with God–that utterly changed their perspectives.

Who are we in these stories, and what are we to do with them?

Occasionally, I will run across writers who interpret these stories to mean that we are to be prophetic. While I believe that God calls us to be that, these are not the stories to prove that point.

Instead, I believe we are to find ourselves with the widows. In order to keep our humility and be some kind of light in this world, we need to always remember that we ARE the widows.

Our place, as widows, is to witness to the miracles in our own life, and to what those miracles point to–the life-givingness of God in the face of death, the possibility or new life for all.

This resurrection can happen in a number of ways. A friend told me the story of her ex-husband. They have been divorced well over 25 years. Her husband had always been the type who was right no matter what, and had always gotten his way. They had not talked in years. Recently, he was diagnosed with cancer that had already gone through his body. In all likelihood, he will not be getting physically well. But he is seeing other resurrection in his life. He has been in touch with his adult kids, who are now working together to help with his care. He has become more appreciative. And, in one remarkable conversation, he apologized to my friend for not being a better husband and dad.

Yes, it is too late for many things here, but he has finally found that he stands with thsoe who have lost much and are in need. In finally accepting that, some real healing, real resurrection, can happen. His body may be dying, but his recognition of God’s grace is growing every day.

That recognizing and receiving from God is hard stuff. It would be easier if these stories were to urge us to go out and be prophets. BUT–we are being asked to do something FAR HARDER. We are being asked to sit still and see God’s grace in our lives, and see how it points to a God who gives new life in a thousand different ways. God’s grace, and point to it as an indication that God does look favorably on God’s people–all of them.

And at the end of it all, we are asked to acknowledge God, and live–and die-- as though that God matters.