Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: 1. Kings 17,1-16. 7. Trinity

Friday, July 23, 2021

1. Kings 17,1-16. 7. Trinity

1. Kings 17,1-16 4021

7. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 052

Radegundis, Virgin, servant girl, ✠ 13^th c.

18. Juli 2021

1. O Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, who in the wilderness did by Your Son abundantly feed four thousand men besides women and children with seven loaves and a few small fishes: We beseech You, graciously abide among us with Your blessing, and keep us from covetousness and the cares of this life, that we may seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and in all things needful for body and soul, experience Your ever-present help. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »Then the Word of Yahweh came to Elijah: „Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.“ So he arose and went to Zarephath.«

3. Ahab was a notoriously evil king in Israel, the northern kingdom. He reigned for 22 years (1. Kings 16,29). He continued the Baal worship instituted by Israel’s first king, Jeroboam (1. Kings 12,25-33). He added Asherah into Israel’s idolatry, a sister-wife to Baal. Asherah was represented by a wooden pillar or pole, and Baal was represented as a golden calf. Eventually she was viewed as a consort to Yahweh of Samaria, the capital of Israel (inscription at Kuntillet ‘Ajrud).

4. In response to King Ahab, Yahweh raised up with the prophet Elijah. His first action was to tell Ahab that Yahweh was sending a drought (that would last for 3 years) (1. Kings 18,1). Then Elijah left to live in the wilderness where Yahweh provided his sustenance. Then Elijah went to Zarephath and Yahweh provided for Elijah, the widow and her son. Yahweh miraculously preserved the flour and oil for them throughout the many months of the drought.

5. Again and again throughout the Scriptures, God reminds us that He provides for us. Jesus taught us to pray that God the Father gives us this day our daily bread. Luther explains this petition by saying: „God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving“ (Small Catechism). In today’s Gospel pericope, Jesus and His disciples know the people are hungry, so Jesus provides for them and prays a prayer of blessing over the few small fish and the 7 loaves of bread. With this limited supply, Jesus fed 4000 people (Mark 8,1-9).

6. Jesus wants us to realize that our entire life and that of everyone else depends on God. Psalm 145 declares of God: »The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing« (Psalm 145,15-16). Martin Luther used this very verse from Psalm 145 as the introduction for saying a blessing over one’s meal. Jesus also says in the Gospel according to Matthew: »God causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous« (Matthew 5,45). God’s temporal Providence encourages us to pray along with the Psalmist: »O give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good; His mercy endures forever« (Psalm 106,1 lxx). With this petition Jesus wants us to realize that all our physical and spiritual blessings come from our Heavenly Father. All the necessities of life come from God. All the things that make life enjoyable also come from God, for He does not intend to merely give us the bare minimum to live, such as simply food, clothes and shelter. Rather, God in His infinite love, intends to give us abundant blessings in this life. God provides us with more than the bare minimum of existence. He gives us many blessings that make life enjoyable and exciting.

7. God does not simply bless us and provide abundantly for a soul that we enjoy of the Providence of his loving kindness. The gospel works in us and through us, for we love Jesus and our neighbor, to help those in need. The Apostle John exhorts us: »By this we know love, that Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother or sister in need, yet closes his heart against them, then how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth« (1. John 3,16-18).

8. God used the pandemic of 2022 to humble men and women. People around the world suffered heartache, lost wages, struggled with isolation, struggled to get basic food or supplies and even lost people they knew. But through such tribulations, God exhorted us to befriend and help one another, and hopefully that lesson will not be lost among the people of this world. Where we can help our neighbor with temporal needs, then we should and must help.

9. But while God was working good throughout 2020, the Devil was sowing discord. He stoked the flames of political and racial discord. His goal is to increase animosity among men and women. A good way to support the plan of the Devil is to be charitable in word and deed. Refuse to take the bait the Devil dangles, and shine forth with the light and love of Jesus toward our neighbors. As Christians we have the gospel that brings healing to the ills of the world, and in our acts of charity we can help those in distress or need.

10. May God continue to grant us these rich blessings in our life. God has provided for our earthly needs and He has also provided for our spiritual needs, by sending Jesus Christ to be our Savior. As St. Paul says: »All all the promises of God find their „Yes“ in Christ« (2. Corinthians 1,20). Indeed, God blesses us with temporal blessings. Yes, God blesses us with forgiveness and eternal life in heaven. God does this on a daily basis because He is our Heavenly Father who loves and provides for us. Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Lord, whose Name is worthy to be praised; may we sing of Your great mercy from the rising of the sun to it setting, so that our neighbors may hear Your gospel. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Friday, July 23, 2021

1. Kings 17,1-16. 7. Trinity

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