Psalm 119:49-72; 1 Kings 17:1-24; Phil. 2:1-11; Matt. 2:1-12
The Lord brings drought on the land for judgment against the wicked Ahab. Elijah is first cared for during this drought by ravens and then a widow in Zarephath. Ravens are considered unclean birds as they eat carrion and the widow lived in a Gentile city near Sidon, the home of Jezebel’s father. God is using not clean vessels to provide for His prophet but unclean. It is interesting that when we first meet the widow she is prepared to sacrifice to meet the need of Elijah, an interesting glimpse into her character. She is prepared to die and yet willing to believe the words of Elijah concerning God’s provision. When, however, she finds her son dead, she is now angry with the prophet for two reasons, “You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!" We have no idea what sin she is speaking of but this son is the one she was prepared to die with when she met Elijah. Now, it seems she has taken the provision for granted and is upset that this son has died. God uses the prophet to raise him back to life. Her reaction is interesting, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth." Did she have doubt before this when God provided oil and flour for them each day?
The wise men have traveled perhaps 1,000 miles because of the star they have seen and have ascertained the meaning of the star to be that the king of the Jewish people has been born. The star must have been a significant celestial event to have caught their attention. When they come to Jerusalem and inquire where the king is to be born, the people are quick to quote this passage from Micah 5 and yet the Jews themselves seem to have no interest in this event at all. They don’t seem to have noted the star, aren’t awakened by these wise men on a mission, and no one seems to have gone the few miles to Bethlehem with them. Herod is concerned because if this is true it will upset his apple-cart, but the people aren’t interested. Is it possible to know the Scriptures and not truly be interested in God’s work today?
Paul calls us to a life less consumed with self and stuff. We are called from self-obsession to God-obsession and other obsession. The only presumption in the Great Commandment to love God and love one another is that we already love ourselves and we are called to extend that love to others. In Jesus, we see the perfect example of the love to which we are called. In our first lesson, we have no idea what the woman’s original motivation was to extend kindness to Elijah but she was willing to sacrifice on his behalf for water and then willing to respond in faith concerning her last bit of food. That type of sacrificial living in faith is the call on our lives. The only thing it comes down to is the same question the Gospel gives us, what value do we assign to Jesus who has done all this for us?
Christ for the world we sing,
The world to Christ we bring, with joyful song;
The newborn souls, whose days, reclaimed from error’s ways,
Inspired with hope and praise, to Christ belong.
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