Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Christ the King

 


God’s grace, peace and mercy be with you. My sermon is entitled Kings, Prophets and Christians and my focus is 1st Kings (19:1-8). Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”  Now that our feet are within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.

You may have missed it, but in January of this year, Denmark’s Queen Margarethe II handed over the scepter to her son Frederik after exactly 52 years on the throne. Once known as a rebellious party prince, Frederik, now 55, has spent a lifetime preparing for the job, but has been reluctant to assume the throne. The Danes are happy to see that the King and his wife, Queen Mary, have also produced heirs to the throne. The King enjoys an 80% favorable rating among the country’s citizens.

This transition is unlike the former practice of dying on the throne. Abdicating the crown has become common in recent years, and is not as newsworthy as Edward VIII of the United Kingdom who stepped down in 1936 when he married Wallis Simpson. As Americans, we never took seriously establishing a monarchy. First of all, we despised King George III. On the other hand, as Christians, we sing of Good King Wenceslaus. The English word king comes to us German word König. It is likely that it was originally from the word kin meaning a “leader of the people.”

The books of Kings are the fourth part of what tradition calls the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings).[1] These are history books, but not political or social history. Rather, they are theological history books. Most likely, written by one author, Kings recounts Israel’s life in its own land from the occupation under Joshua to the Babylonian Exile.

The author’s interest is not an accurate chronicle of events, but an explanation of the tragic fate of God’s people. The purpose of Kings is to explain how God’s people came to be in exile. The explanation is that Israel and Judah led by their kings were guilty of cultic infidelities so numerous and so terrible that destruction was the only fit punishment.[2]

David is the paragon for the rulers of Judah. He was faithful and obedient to God, who in turn promised him an unending dynasty. We read in 2nd Samuel the words of God spoken to David through the Prophet Nathan, “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.”[3] But beginning with Solomon, most southern kings (Judah) failed to follow David’s ways. Even those who are faithful were praised with some reservation. Only Hezekiah and Josiah received unqualified approval. The northern kings (Israel) were condemned without exception.

After reading and studying Kings, a question comes to my mind that the author may have thought: How did we get here? I will ask that question again when we get to my third point, but for now, my second point, prophets.

The role of prophets in the unfolding history of Israel is a central concern, particularly in the sections of Kings that deal with Elijah and Elisha. Through the prophets God continually confronted the errant people and would call them back to His ways. The prophetic word could be an assurance of victory or a promise of peace, a threat or a condemnation.[4] In every case it is God announcing in advance the plan of history – a plan that reaches fulfillment inevitably. In short, God is in charge and reveals his counsels to his servants the prophets.

So, who is this guy named Elijah?[5] He is the loftiest and most wonderful prophet of the Old Testament. What we know of his public life is sketched in a few popular narratives in 1st Kings, which bear the stamp of an almost contemporary age. Most likely, these stories took place in Northern Israel, and are full of the most graphic and interesting details.

Given what I said about the kings of Israel and Judah, the people of God needed such a prophet. Under the baneful influence of his wife, Jezebel, King Ahab, though perhaps not intending to forsake altogether God's worship, had nevertheless erected in Samaria a temple to Baal and introduced a multitude of foreign priests. Undoubtedly, he offered sacrifices to the pagan deity, and, most of all, hallowed a bloody persecution of the prophets of God.

We know nothing about Elijahs's origin. His whole manner of life resembled the Nazarites and is a loud protest against his corrupt age. He wore a leather and skin garments, slept in cliffs or caves, and was a fast runner.

He appeared abruptly on the scene to announce to Ahab that God had determined to avenge the apostasy of Israel and her king by bringing a long drought on the land. He delivered his message and then vanished as suddenly as he appeared. Guided by the spirit of God, he went to a brook the east of the Jordan River, where ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and evening.

God chose Elijah to defeat the prophets of Baal, but before that happened, he provided an endless supply of flour for a widow and raised her young son from the dead. Elijah was able to accomplish this not because he possessed any extraordinary power, but because he prayed passionately to God. He relied on God, not himself to accomplish deeds. When he challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, he said this prayer: “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Scripture tells us that “the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.”[6]

After God consumed the holocaust, the issue was fought and won. The people knew that Yahweh was God, not Baal. At Elijah's command they slit the throats of the pagan prophets. And then something happened that we often overlook. That same evening the drought that plagued Israel for a very long time suddenly ended with a heavy downpour of rain. In the midst of this monsoon Elijah ran to the entrance of Jezreel before Ahab in his horse driven chariot.

Yet, in a matter of days, Elijah went from complete jubilation to complete depression. You see, Elijah suffered from depression. He went from fearless confidence in God to fearing for his life. He went from feeling like a special messenger of God to feeling like a fruitless and worthless vine. It was so bad that Elijah even asked God to take his life. Why? Because Queen Jezebel ordered his death. Now, this could only occur if Ahab permitted it. So, not only did Elijah fear the hit on his life, but also realized that the king remained faithful to his queen and Baal.

Elijah’s haste to flee and his later complaint against Israel suggested that the people’s conversion to God on Mount Carmel was shaky. They could turn away from God on a whim. For this reason, he fled to the southern desert to save his life. Once there, he prayed to die, and Elijah’s ambivalence set the tone for today’s passage. His flight was a journey out of this ordinary world, symbolized by leaving behind companionship and food, and a pilgrimage to a sacred place.

Many people think that the prophets were morally or spiritually superior to us, and it’s easy to think of Elijah in this way. The truth is, he wasn’t. Like us, Elijah needed correction, encouragement and the knowledge that other believers were standing against Baal too. Elijah was not exceptionally spiritual or superior. He was completely human. Yet, what made Elijah extraordinary was his complete commitment to the Will of God. Elijah gave all his energy and heart so that the world would know the one true God. To sum it up, God uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary.[7]

So, what do Kings and Prophets have to do with my third point, Christians? Why are the accounts of Ahab and Elijah relevant to us and me? In other words, as I concluded my first point, you and I now ask, “How did we get here?”

We can ask that question on many levels. As an individual, how did I get to this point in my life? No matter if we are talking about a successful career or being unable to make ends meet on social security and savings, pondering the happiness of grandchildren or wondering where my marriage failed, marveling at my athletic achievements or musing about the last days of my life, we ask, “How did I get here?”

As a congregation that’s bursting at its seams or turning out the lights, how did we get here? As denominations grow or shrink exponentially, dazzled at the work of the Holy Spirit or bewildered at the sinful acts of their leaders, members must be asking how did we get here? And like citizens in many other countries, we too wonder how we got here.

Without laying blame or pointing fingers, perhaps it is time to ask another question, “Now what?” We know that Kings was about the infidelities of the people through their leaders. We know that God spoke to the people through His prophets, as strange as many of them were. We also know that the answer to “Now what?” is, “Turn to God.”

Elijah is an important figure not only in the history of Israel, but also in the salvation history of Christianity. Not only did he dedicate his life to getting people to turn from idols and return to the one true God, but he is also mentioned throughout the Gospels, particularly on Transfiguration Sunday. Meeting a man like Elijah may make us feel uncomfortable. However, his message to us would be no different than his original message – trust God completely.

Now, The Small Catechism reminds us to submit ourselves to governing authorities, which may not sit well with some of us. Yet, we read, “It is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”[8]

That said, what do we do when we suspect that our authorities are not acting as God’s servants? What do we do when judges authorize whatever is necessary to prevent pastors and congregations from gathering to worship? Do we acquiesce or oppose? Do we submit or resist? Would we elect governors and presidents who would force churches to shut their doors like they did in 2020 and 2021? What do we say to fellow Christians whose churches and pro-life pregnancy centers have been burned to the ground or vandalized while elected politicians say they understand the feelings of violent protestors?

At times, Elijah stood tall and at other times he fled. When he was so distraught that he wanted his life to be over, God strengthened him for the journey and His mission. Like Elijah, Moses and Jesus, we should seek first the Kingdom of God. We should submit totally to the Will of God. Friends, the purpose of Elijah’s life was not to trust in himself, but to trust God totally. Why? Because the Church needs prophets. God’s world needs Christian prophets – people dedicated to our Triune God and to prayer. Our world needs people dedicated to listening to God’s Word in the depths of their hearts.

Friends, I ask you to consider how God’s Spirit poured into your hearts, nurtured through Sacrament and Word, prayer and action, will make all the difference in the world – even if that world is small. And when you do, may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.



[1] Walsh, Jerome T and Begg, Christopher T. “1-2 Kings,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ (1990), p. 160.

[2] Ibid., p. 161.

[3] 2 Samuel 8:16.

[4] Walsh and Begg, p. 161. See 1 Kgs 20:13, 2 Kgs 7:1, 1 Kgs 22:17, 2 Kgs 1:3-4.

[5] See Elijah at https://www.newadvent.org

[6] 1 Kings 18:36-38.

[7] Lesli White, “Who is Elijah in the Bible and Why is He Important?” www.beliefnet.com

[8] The Small Catechism, Of Citizens.

No comments:

Post a Comment