The Scripture Passages this week are:
- 1 Kings 17:17-24
- Psalm 116:1-9
- Acts 9:36-42
The Sermon title is LIFE!
Early Thoughts: With God comes life. Or at least with God comes the promise of life. This week our scripture stories remind us of that. They remind us of possibility. They remind us that sometimes we lose hope before the end. And they remind us of that claim that strike close to the core of Christian faith -- Life Wins!
Last week we heard about a widow who met the prophet Elijah and her never-emptying jar of flour. This week we hear some more about the time Elijah sojourns with her. The son dies. The widow reproaches Elijah (and perhaps through Elijah the God whom Elijah serves). Elijah also reproaches God for the death of the child, and calls on God to intervene. God does and the child is restored to the widow. This probably also helps restore future possibilities to the widow. It appears she is a woman of some means (thou house has an upper room) either due to inheritance or her own labour. But who will take care of her in her aging years?? The restoration of her son gives her that support system.
Our Psalm reading is a plea for God to help. With great trust that God has been, is, and will be present in times of trouble the poet calls upon God for deliverance. Do we express that level of trust? When life falls apart where do we look for solutions? How have we met the deep love and compassion of God in our own lives?
Some of you may remember the story of Jesus and Jairus' daughter. In that story Jesus is approached by a father whose daughter is ill. By the time they get there the daughter has died but Jesus insists she is merely asleep. He then proceeds to wake her. (This story is found in Mark's Gospel) This week's passage from Acts has many deep resonances with that story. It also has many stark differences.
Tabitha/Dorcas appears to have been a leader and financial supporter of the Christian community in Joppa. Her death has caused great distress within the community, possibly in part because her financial support has been keeping people fed and with her death who knows where that support will come from. Peter is close by and is sent for. Did the people send for Peter so he could offer words of comfort? Or did they trust that Peter could call upon God and intervene in the situation? Did they expect, or at least hope, that Peter could bring life back into the situation?
At any rate that is exactly what Peter does. Using words very similar to the word Jesus uses in the story of Jairus' daughter Peter calls Tabitha/Dorcas back and there is great rejoicing. Many people see this as witness to Christ, remembering that in Christ God also brought healing and life.
Where do we find life that surprises us? Where/when do we start to mourn and then in a big turn around life pops up and takes us by surprise?
Last Sunday the sermon talked about compassion. In our stories this week (including a story from Luke that is also about a raising that may get a mention in Sunday's sermon) we see compassion in action. I believe Elijah is moved by compassion for the widow. I believe it is possible that Peter, seeing the great distress within the Christian community at Joppa, is also filled with compassion. After all Peter has learned at the feet of Christ and more than once in the healing miracles stories of the Gospels we are told that Jesus is filled with/motivated by compassion.
And so I am forced to suspect and suggest that the path to life is marked by compassion. The path of love is marked by compassion. Where there is compassion there is life. There may be pain as well, but there is life. ANd in the end Life Wins. Does that mean compassion wins as well?
--Gord
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