|
Search this Blog:
Subscribe to Blog:
| << |
January 2009 |
>> |
| S |
M |
T |
W |
Tr |
F |
Sa |
| |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
| 4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
| 18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
| 25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
31 |
This blog sponsored by:
The views represented on this blog are not necessarily those of Higher Things, nor does Higher Things necessarily endorse them.
|
|
|
|
Posted At: 7:19am by Brent Kuhlman
|
1 Kings 19:4-8 Pentecost XII
Trinity Lutheran Church Murdock, Nebraska
August 27, 2006
“Get up and eat” (Preached by the Rev. Scott Porath)
“I’ve had enough, Lord. Take my life.” These words coming from the mouth of the prophet Elijah can also be heard from the mouths of nursing home patients, terminally ill people, and others. Days turn into weeks, weeks to months, months to years – unable to go on, they pray – “Lord, take my life.”
“As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.” In other words, as it was for Elijah – as it is now for those at the end of their ropes – it will always be, for them and for you, until our Lord returns in glory. And in the same way – then, now, and always – Jesus, the Bread of Life, is given to sooth, and comfort, and strengthen you for the journey.
Elijah was a mighty prophet. He boldly condemned all who lifted up their hands and their sacrifices to other gods, and called them to repentance – and with equal boldness consoled the repentant with the Gospel of the Lord’s forgiveness.
Such preaching forces Elijah to flee into the wilderness – but even there, he is given water to drink from a brook and is fed by the ravens. In Zarephath he takes the last of the food from a widow and her son – but in return, proclaimed that her jar of flour and jug of oil would never be used up --- and it was so.
Elijah had raised the dead – he had been protected by God from the wicked King Ahab and Jezebel – he had seen the Lord devour the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel – and yet, in spite of all this – Elijah’s heart and soul were weary and heavy laden.
Of this you can be sure – mighty deeds and mighty preaching bring forth mighty retaliation from those who are secure in their unbelief and sin. “As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.”
The journey for Elijah had been difficult and draining, to say the least. “I have had enough,” he says, “take my life.” With these words he commends his life to his Creator. No excuses. No whining. No wondering, “what if?” Just a simple man with a simple faith in His Savior – a faith which trusts that his life will be taken by God at His pleasure and in His due time.
But Elijah’s life is not taken from him. Rather, the angel of the Lord comes to strengthen him with bread and water – and with it, a short sermon (dare I say, very Kuhlman-like): “Get up and eat. The journey is too much for you.”
Notice that God doesn’t zap Elijah with super-human strength. He doesn’t direct him to dig down deep inside in order to find the strength to go on – He doesn’t give him some plan of action to follow. What He does give is bread and water, for these are the means which will sustain Elijah for the journey.
“As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.” Elijah is familiar to us – not just because he is a great Old Testament prophet – but because he is a picture for us, of Jesus Christ who is the Great Prophet. Jesus preached what Elijah preached – the same thing He has given pastor to preach – the Lord’s message of repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
Like Elijah, Jesus’ life was full of sorrows and suffering. This One, through whom all things were created – humbles Himself to be born of a Virgin. He comes into His creation – not into a palace of gold and fine linens – but into a barn littered with dung and flies. The King becomes the slave – God becomes the sinner.
Jesus – true God, begotten of the Father from all eternity – takes on our flesh in order to take on the sins of the world. Jesus takes on the sins of wicked King Ahab and Jezebel – the sins of the prophets of Baal – the sins of Elijah, Pastor Kuhlman – your sins and mine. Loaded down with the sins of the world, Jesus lifts up His eyes to His Father and prays – “Take my life, Father. Into your hands I commend my Spirit.”
But this time there is no angel to attend – no food to sustain Him – as there was for Elijah. Jesus is given no food because He is the food. There is no Bread from heaven because Jesus is the true bread that comes down from heaven to strengthen and give life to the world.
Elijah is familiar to you, not just because he reminds you of Jesus – but because you can see yourself in him as well. Your life is hard, and the journey has been long. You are bombarded on every side by the temptations of the world and Satan – and from the sinful desires that come from within. You are at the same time pressured to do as you please – and to do what the world is pleased for you to do.
You are holy people, set apart by God from the world – and yet, you’re still in it. You endure times of great loneliness – even wondering at times if there are any Christians left in the world, or in your family, or school. You deal with life-threatening diseases and pesky little illnesses. You face all kinds of uncertainties – from nursing homes to imminent divorce to all kinds of family pressures.
Your pastor endures such things as well. Like Elijah, he has endured the retaliation that comes with faithfully preaching God’s Word. For 15 years he’s lived in the crucible – often crushed between the responsibilities of husband, father and pastor – between feeding the flock entrusted to his care, and having compassion on brothers and sisters spread throughout the synod and Church.
Given all that you endure – it is no wonder that you, and he – lift up your eyes, saying: “Take my life, Lord. This life is too much for me to bear.”
“As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.” The Lord hears and answers your prayer. Jesus, the angel of the Lord, comes to you and says: “This life’s journey IS too much for you to bear alone. Get up and eat.”
He who gave Elijah bread and water now feeds you. “I am the Bread of Life,” Jesus says. “Take and eat … Take and drink” – my Body and Blood given into death for you. “My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink” – it takes away your sin and destroys the grip of death. “Come, all you who are weary and heavy laden” – “taste and see that I am good.”
“Strengthened by THAT FOOD, [Elijah] traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.”
Strengthened by THIS FOOD, may it be “your heaven on earth, until you enter heaven.” “As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.”
The peace of God which passes all understanding, guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
|
Comment on entry entitled "Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost"
You may use BBCode within your posts, a reference is available here.
|
|
|
|
