Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Sermon series: Lessons from Elijah

2010-07-11 800.mp3

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We are in week two of our sermon series, “Just Like Us- Lessons from Elijah,” in which we are looking at the life of one of the most important Hebrew Scriptures characters, the prophet Elijah.

 The stories of Elijah date from the 9th Century BC at a time of huge religious crisis for the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The king, Ahab, has married a Phoenician princess named Jezebel. She has come with her native religion- the local religion of all of the coastal areas of what was Canaan through Syria. It is a fertility cult- the sky god “Baal” rains on the earth goddess “Asherah,” producing the crops necessary to feed the people.

And, in order for the rain to fall, the people have to act out on earth what is supposed to happen in heaven, so the temples of Baal and Asherah are full of cultic prostitutes... Worse, there is child sacrifice going on- the first born children are either buried in the foundation of a new building, or placed in the red hot hands of a furnace shaped like Asherah...

You can see how all this would be horrifying to those who believed in Yahweh- the God of Heavens and Earth, who had set the children of Israel free from bondage in Egypt, who had shared his presence with them in the Law- including the Ten Commandments, which included things like “You shall have no other gods,” and “you shall not make graven images..” And the idea of child sacrifice had been rejected by Abraham- the founder- the first Patriarch, when God offered a ram to sacrifice in place of Abraham’s only son, Isaac...

So the idea of no rain, and the famine that followed would make perfect sense, right? You go do the things this pagan religion tells you to do, and I will show there is no connection... And it is the prophet Elijah who gets to bear this message to Ahab and Jezebel...

What is so wonderful about these stories is that while God does amazing things through this prophet, it is clear through the narrative that he is a person just like you and me... as the people of Israel, as confused and unfaithful as they are, are people just like you and me... Elijah experiences joy, heartache, triumph, defeat; he’s a real person...

Today we are going to focus on the issue of dealing with indecision- an issue faced by the people of Israel- we will see that Elijah is pretty focused on his task today... But the people of Israel- that is another matter altogether...

Elijah convinces Ahab to have a contest- on Mt. Carmel, all the priests of Baal are gathered, the people assemble, and Elijah poses the question: “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him...”

And the response? “The people did not answer him a word...” They were undecided, they were waffling, they weren’t sure, they were hedging their bets- you get the idea...

Now I almost never share homework, but the Hebrew word translated “limping” is the same word used to describe the dance the prophets of Baal were doing in their efforts to get him to burn their sacrifice... The people’s ambivalence is being characterized as a wild and futile dance- a dance that has allowed great evil...

In my life, the times of indecision have been the worst- and have sometimes caused real damage. I remember dating a beautiful girl in college who might have been gorgeous, but was one of the ugliest people inside I have ever known...

In my efforts to be with her- to be seen with her, I tolerated some incredibly cruel treatment of others. She casually made fun of others; she enjoyed putting people down- not just “friends,” but complete strangers, and I knew it was wrong, but still... she was so pretty, I was the envy of others...and I was “limping along...”

Think back to Germany in the 1930’s... Christians, with very few exceptions, spoke not a word against Hitler, but after the war, many said they knew he was evil, but didn’t know what to do... and there were pluses, after all- Germany was strong again, national pride was restored, the economy was beginning to boom after a horrible depression, trains were running on time...

Or Rwanda in the early 1990’s- no one spoke up about the Hutu demagogues who were blaming the minority Tutsis for all that was wrong... and the result was a horrific genocide and deaths of hundreds of thousands nearly overnight- in a country that was an is majority Christian!

When good people say nothing, evil triumphs... When we waffle, bad things happen...

Where are you with this? Are you limping through your life today- not deciding- on a host of things, but in particular, in your relationship with God...

Every one of us faces this question- we face a world fraught with temptation, and often we try and have it both ways... We’ll trust in God for our everlasting salvation, but do we trust God in the day to day management of our lives- or with our money?

Do we speak up when we hear an inappropriate joke?

Are we willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt- which I would call “grace,” or do we assume the worst from the beginning?

If someone asked you, “Are you a follower of Jesus? Why?” would you be able to answer clearly and succinctly- both to an atheist and to someone of a particular religious understanding who was looking for their particular answer...

These are questions (and there are lots more, of course) that we all have to deal with, and there is always the temptation to waffle- be indecisive, stay popular- or at least out of trouble.

That’s where Peter found himself in the Gospel reading: Jesus had been arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and taken to the High Priest’s house. Peter followed, and was in the courtyard when he was identified by a servant girl as one of Jesus’ followers... Here was a chance for Peter to say “What is going on? This man has done nothing! Why was he arrested???”

But he was afraid- he was only one man- what could he have done? And so he replied “Woman, I do not know him...”

He had two more chances to redeem himself- at the very least, identify himself as Jesus’ friend and follower, and both times he couldn’t do it. Three times, before the cock crowed, just as Jesus had said, Peter denied even knowing him...

Jesus, as he had said he would, was tried and crucified before the day was over. On the cross, he bore the sins of the whole world- Peter’s- the rest of the disciples- yours, mine- everything that separates us from God and from each other.

But on the third day, Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father- offering forgiveness and a relationship with God that will last forever! Death is not the last word, Jesus is, and there is nothing that can take that promise from us.

St. Paul writes in 1st Corinthians that Peter was the first to see his Lord. (Have you ever wondered why Peter and the disciples- the women- were the first people that Jesus appeared to, and not the powerful, not the religious or political leaders, like Caiaphas, Herod and Pilate? That’s where I would have gone- “I’m back, and you’re in deep trouble...) Jesus appeared first to the people who needed him- who had denied him- and who were going to be used by him to change the world!

Peter- another one “just like us” is a changed person from then on. Never again does he waffle, never again is Peter indecisive about who Jesus is, and he spends the rest of his life leading the Apostles and sharing the Good News throughout the known world, until he is executed by the Emperor Nero- crucified upside down because he was not worthy, he said, to die like his Lord had died...

Peter responded to the call of Jesus to follow and his life changed. Had he not, his life would have changed, too. He would not have been used, he likely would have returned to Galilee and fished, and we would remember him today only for his unfaithfulness. As theologian (for real) Harvey Cox once said, “Not to decide is to decide...

 And as Elijah said, If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him!

You and I have several choices: to continue wavering between the temptations we face in the world and our Lord, limping along, with the resulting inertia at best.

Or, we can follow Baal- quit hedging- if success is what you want, go for it completely- do whatever you need to do, and stop worrying about the people in the way. If wealth is what you want, go for it. If lust is what drives you, let it loose...

And I can hear you say- because I’ve said it to myself, “well, I know that will consume me and leave me empty- but can I really let it go and completely follow God?” And the limping dance continues...

I was with that beautiful girl I mentioned earlier in her dorm room one Saturday night. It was late enough that anyone who had plans was in the process of doing them- we were going to a movie. Walking down the quad came a girl- alone- not very pretty- and the young woman I was with- a girl with every advantage- spotted her, leaned out her window and barked at her! The girl on the quad was staggered- looked up with tears welling in her eyes, bowed her head and kept walking...

“How could you do that?” I gasped. “Because it was funny,” she replied, “now let’s go.” “Not with me,” I said, “I can’t be with you anymore- not when you treat people like that,” and out I walked, down the stairs and into the night.

Decision made- a door closed, others opened- and I learned something new about who God wanted me to be- who I was becoming...and it felt good to know the limping dance of indecision was over...

The third choice we have- and my story is the smallest of examples- is to follow God- to give ourselves up and over to God and see what happens- how will we be used!

Elijah challenges the people- and after the amazing contest you heard read earlier with the priests of Baal and the futile effort to call down fire, and Elijah’s immediate success, the people cry out “The Lord indeed is God!” and not long after, rain falls and the famine ends...

Peter preaches powerfully on the Day of Pentecost, and when the people hearing ask “what should we do?” he answers “Repent and be baptized- change your direction, and let God make you part of his family!” And over three thousand are added on that day- the church grows and begins to reach out!

The people stop limping- they make a choice- but remember, it is each individual who has to make a decision- who has to stop that indecision dance- responds to God, and says “Yes, I will follow!” And the world is changed- one person at a time!

That is the question that is posed to each of us today: will we follow the God who has conquered death- who offers eternal relationship, who promises forgiveness for our past, significance for our present and hope for our future?

This congregation has a history of reaching out in mission- in touching people’s lives with the Good News of Jesus Christ, and we are ready to launch out in new ways, as we live out our goal to reach 20,000 people by 2020- to share the wonderful relationship we have with Jesus with our neighbors. The goal has already reached out beyond us- I heard from the pastor of a large congregation in the western suburbs that they are intrigued- and are considering a similar goal of their own. 20,000 could become 40,000 and can you imagine the impact of these people, combined with us on our communities?

But it will take commitment. Each of us is needed, and each of us will have to decide. Will you commit to growing as a disciple- learning what it means to follow Jesus with a community of people dedicated to growing with you, and as committed to you as we are to Jesus?

We will show you how; we will walk with you. But the journey begins when indecision ends. Will you pray with me:

Lord Jesus, I want to follow you. I’m afraid, because I’m not completely sure what it means. But I trust that you love me and will never abandon me, and so I will respond to your love, and commit my life to you. Use me, Lord, like you used Elijah, like you used Peter, like you have used so many others- people just like me, so that my life counts for your kingdom, and your glory.  I ask this in your name. Amen!

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