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Proper
14
I
Kings 19:4-8
August
9, 2009
Elijah
wrestled with God – not physically, like Jacob, but psychologically.
The lectionary reading opens with Elijah under a lone broom tree telling
God, that he had had enough, and God should just take him from this earth. What is going on with Elijah? How did he come to this?
This
narrative follows some high drama. In
the preceding verses, Elijah had just won a decisive victory over the
priests who worshipped Baal. It was like a duel – to see if their
god, Baal, or Elijah’s God, Yahweh, would bring down fire. The priests of Baal went first. They tried everything for hours, to no avail. Elijah just
couldn’t keep quiet. At
one point, he taunted them saying: “Maybe your god is off meditating,
or he wandered away, or went off on a journey; maybe he is asleep and
needs to be awakened.” You can imagine that that just intensified
the tension.
Eventually,
they gave up and it was Elijah’s turn to call on God to send fire
to ignite the sacrifice. To make things even tougher for God, Elijah
set up a bucket brigade. They
doused the altar with water until it ran down forming large puddles. Then, when Elijah called on God to send
fire – Whoosh, there was fire!! Elijah
strutted and pointed to the heavens – The God of the Israelites
was alive and well. He then
had the 450 priests of the Baal rounded up. They
were marched to a valley and killed. Now when Queen Jezebel heard about this, she put out a contract
for Elijah to be killed.
Terrified,
he fled for his life. His confidence in God, gone. . .this on the heels
of that mighty demonstration of God’ power. Elijah
scampered in panic toward the safety of the border. South of the border
Queen Jezebel would not have jurisdiction. He crossed the border and
continued at a dead run, stumbling over the small rocks. He slid down a gulley and scrambled up
the other side. When he couldn’t run anymore, he slowed to a jog. He took a deep breath and began to pick
his route through the desert. He replayed the events of the day in his
mind, especially the last few hours. His heart pounded in his chest. He was afraid. . .but of what? His mind was spinning. The desert sun
was beating down on him and he felt the heat. . . in more ways than one.
Up ahead
he saw a lone solitary broom tree. The
sight of that tree jolted his racing mind. He thought “that is
strange: Usually broom trees grow in clusters.” He went over to investigate the tree or shrub. It was a broom
tree alright: Lots of long skinny straight trunks going up about 5 feet
before spreading out like an umbrella. He knew the roots went down deep
searching for water.
He collapsed
under this tree. Elijah was totally spent. When he had caught his breath,
the first thing he did was to lash out at God, “I have had enough.
I’ve had it. That’s
it. I do all that you want and what does
it get me? I can’t do anything right. I am no good. What good is my life? Take me. Take my life.” He just shook his head and looked at
the ground – and in disgust grabbed a stone and flung it out at
the horizon. Then exhausted, he fell asleep.
God
was watching Elijah. He
had heard his cries. He
knew the fear that Elijah felt. He knew about Elijah’s feelings
unworthiness and depression, his loneliness and discouragement. God
knew Elijah was at the end of his rope.
Dead
asleep, Elijah felt something tap his shoulder. He wondered if he were dreaming or was he awake? The aroma of something warm and tasty
began to penetrate his stupor. Then
an angel whispered to him to eat. As he opened his eyes, there was a
cake or a loaf of bread that had been freshly baked on hot coals and
a jar of fresh water. He ate. He drank but was much too tired to think
or to care, and soon he fell back asleep.
Later,
after he had slept some more, Elijah was awakened again by a tapping
on his shoulder. He heard
the angel say, “Wake up, eat some more. You
need nourishment for your travels. If you don’t get nourishment,
you won’t be able to make your journey. This will help you for
what’s ahead.”
Elijah,
the one who was accustomed to giving, received. He received food. He received the help of an angel. The nourishment
he received sustained him for his forty day journey. As he traveled toward
Mount Horeb, the mountain of God (we know it as Mount Sinai), I wonder
if his thoughts kept returning to that lone broom tree. It was a sacred place because he had
encountered God there. It was a sacred place because an angel touched
him. It was sacred because God accepted him just like he was – with
his anger, his fear, his despair, his questions.
God
didn’t say, “Elijah, You snooze, you loose.” No,
The Holy One sent an angel, nourishment and let Elijah find rest. For
Elijah, resting by the lone broom tree was a breathing space, it allowed
him time to let go of fear, and accept God’s provision so he could
be open to change in his life.
This
week I was reading in the newspaper about the stress facing our military
families. The uncertainties
of war and the repeated deployments are creating havoc within the families. In addition to the family tension, a
high percentage of the soldiers have been diagnosed with PTSD – post
traumatic stress syndrome. It
doesn’t matter if one is on the “winning side” or “losing
side.” No one escapes untouched. Maybe Elijah
was experiencing some form of PTSD – after all, he had 450 priest
herded to a valley and killed. That
had to have had an effect on him emotionally.
The
lone broom tree. We are
invited to recognize and encounter own broom tree.
1. A
place where we can pause from busyness, and be refreshed
2. A
place where we don’t have to pretend, where we have permission
to feel what we feel.
3. A
place where we can question God, or ask hard honest questions
4. A
place where we can receive bread for our journey.
5. A
place where God can send an angel to give us what we need. Some times we will be that angel and at other times Like Elijah
we will need an angel.
For
the people of the greater Clarkesville area and the world, may all the
ministries that we support be like the broom tree.
And
for us, May God continue to make Grace-Calvary like the broom tree -
- a place where all can experience angels and bread for our journey in
life.
The
Rev Mary Wetzel
August
9, 2009
Grace
Calvary
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