Grace Congregational UCC

“The Widow of Zarephath”
I Kings 17:8-24
Luke 7:11-17

June 10, 2007 - Kim M. Henning

I am a man and I live in the 21^st century. I have a good education. I live in a country that provides many safety-nets. Social Security. Disability Insurance. Food Pantries. I was always fortunate to find work. Every time I have been in need, my family has responded affirmatively—100% of the time. When I retire, a pension fund will be more generous than I need it to be.

In contrast, let me introduce you to a woman from Zarephath as her story is told in I Kings. Female, she has almost no human rights. Education? Probably not. Job opportunities? No. Social Security. No. Disability? No. Insurance? Pension Fund? No. No. She was a woman.

To add injury to crises, our woman from Zarephath was a widow. Her husband, her one security blanket is dead. We don’t even know her name. She’s ‘the widow of Zarephath’.

Our story begins our widow out and about collecting sticks. She’s about to start a fire to cook a meal that will be her last meal because she’s out of money and she’s out of food. She’s gathering sticks when who should she meet—but Elijah.

Elijah is said to be the greatest of all prophets to have ever walked the face of the earth. He was fearless before kings. He had courage to confront the prophets of Baal. He spoke with passion–against evil, for God. He was filled with Spirit from above....

But in today’s story, Elijah had fallen upon hard times. In part, he’s running for his life, Jezebel wants Elijah put to death. But that’s not all. He’s also hungry.

Now the Lord led Elijah to Zarephath and then to that widow. The renown prophet says to the widow, “Bring me some water so I may drink.” She drops her sticks when Elijah continues, “And by the way....Bring me also some bread.” She replies, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked. I have only a handful of flour, and a little oil. That’s all I have, sir. That’s honestly all I have.

And Elijah replies......don’t be afraid. Do as you have said. But first make me a cake and bring it to me, then serve yourself and your son.

Isn’t this an incredible story! I love it. We have the greatest of God’s spokesmen, Elijah....he’s like a Billy Graham or Diedrich Bonhoeffer with a Word from the LORD. And when he’s hungry......who does God said him to? A widow, who’s pantry is empty. This is so God-like.

You’d think that the Lord would send Elijah to someone who could well afford hospitality. You’d think that the Lord would send Elijah to someone with wealth, someone with means for compassion, for hospitality.

But God sends his best----Elijah----to a widow in Zerephath who has (count them), one meal left in her cupboard.

The story of Elijah and the widow from Zerephath is a story of compassion. There is no getting around the challenge of this morning’s scripture. Compassion is never easy. It does not come naturally. God chooses a woman who is at the end of her rope to be his compassionate one.

Compassion is not an obvious value for a human being to have. You have to grow compassion, learn compassion, pray for compassion. Robert Roberts has studied compassion and has noticed four things. One. Roberts says that compassionate people face the reality of their own mortality. Compassionate people know that life is short. Second, Roberts says that compassionate people are acquainted with suffering. They know that life is not easy. They know how to cry.

Third, Roberts says that compassionate people are honest about their own sin. They are not finger-pointers, saying, ‘oh, if only you had made better choices, if only you hadn’t been so foolish.’ No, compassionate people say, “I too am a sinner and I too have needed grace” Fourthly, Roberts says that compassionate people know failure. They know what it’s like to suffer defeat. They know what its like to miss the winning free throw at the end of the game.

God sends Elijah to a widow, and she certainly knows how to be compassionate. She has suffered death. She knows what its like to be in want. She knows what its like to be facing her own mortality. She knows what its like to be hopeless. And when she fears giving up her last morsel of bread, the word of God from Elijah is, ‘do not be afraid.’ She is a perfect candidate for compassion. Give us more widows like her.....

Compassion is one human being, without walls, without callousness—standing vulnerable before a second human being.

Have you ever thought that one of the real crises of the world today is the shallowness of our regard for one another. We don’t want to be bothered. We want our private lives. Self-made, we are self-sufficient. And we expect others to be as well. And along comes a beautiful story of a nameless woman who is at the brink of death being compassionate. Isn’t she beautiful!

The question begs to be asked: So what do we mean to accomplish with this life? If it is anything less than compassion, I think we’ve missed the mark.

The Hebrew word for compassion is “rachamin” which means ‘of the womb.’ The womb is where life is formed. The womb is where we spend the first nine months of our lives and we are cared for by the grace of another human being. The womb is where we are known intimately, and we are caressed when we become restless. And the womb finally, is where contractions push us forth into the world.

Compassion----it’s all there. “Rachamin” From the womb..... God loves you intimately. God cares for you more than you will ever know. God nurtures you, caresses you, and thrusts you out into the world. Be compassionat!

One of those difficult scriptures is from the book of Matthew, when Jesus says, “Be ye perfect, as your heaven Father is perfect.” Mostly, in Bible study, we think that scripture doesn’t apply to us because only God is perfect, and who I am to think I can be anything like God.

But someone has noticed that in the book of Luke, Jesus does not say, “Be ye perfect...” but “Be ye compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate.”

We must ask, “what frightens you?” Elijah says to the widow, “Do not be afraid–make me that loaf, it will be ok,” . What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of caring for another human being? What are you frightened of? Frightened someone may take advantage of you? Are you afraid that there isn’t enough in your nest egg to be compassionate? Are you afraid that you may not have as much luxury as you would like? Remember......the contrary word of God is “Rachamin.’ Be compassionate.

God knows our suffering. Are you willing to become acquainted with the suffering of another human being? God knows our loneliness. Are you willing to risk being lonely with another human? God knows our insecurities. We’re full of them from beginning to end. Are you willing to embrace the insecurity of another human being? God knows our failures. Are you willing to offer yourself to another human being who is lying face down?

The widow of Zarephath is a model of compassion and generosity. She goes to her home. She makes bread. She gives bread to Elijah. She goes back, there is more flour–there, and there is more oil there. She makes bread for herself and her son. And surprisingly, there is still more flour there, and there is still more oil there. And the day after, and the day after, and the day after. That is so God. You and I are so convinced that we’re going to run out......but with God, with God with us, with God above us, with God among us.....God’s grace is sufficient. We shall not run out.