1 Kings 17:8-24; Luke
7:11-17
“It’s not fair!” In our class
last Monday, the first remark after we read these texts was, “It’s not fair!”
We spent several moments remembering those families who had recent losses which
seemed not fair. It seems unfair that Jesus healed these widows’ sons, when our
children, our young sisters and brothers, are allowed to die with no help from
Jesus.
I’m sure the people who lived
at the same time as Jesus thought the same thing. It’s not fair that he healed
some people but not all people. That’s why there were such throngs surrounding
him, once the words got out that he could heal the sick and repair the broken.
If you weren’t in the right place at the right time, you missed out on the
chance for Jesus to heal you.
Just like the people of Jesus’
time, we wonder why Jesus heals some, but not all, people.
… When we look at the healings
from the point of view of the widows, we get a different view of unfairness. It
was unfair that their sons should die, because that meant that they would have
no home, no financial support, and they would end up living on the streets,
begging.
The scriptures include strong
warnings against the poor treatment of widows, orphans, and resident
foreigners. Here’s one from Exodus 22:22-24.
Don’t treat any
widow or orphan badly. If you do treat them badly and they cry out to me,
you can be sure that I’ll hear their cry. I’ll be furious, and I’ll kill
you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows, and your children will be
orphans.
And another from Deuteronomy
24:17-22, making the reason even clearer. Remember how it felt to be a slave in
Egypt, and treat those in need with care. Note that this is not just a
recommendation; it is mentioned as a command.
17 Don’t obstruct the legal rights of an immigrant or orphan. Don’t
take a widow’s coat as pledge for a loan. … 19 Whenever you are reaping the harvest of your field and you leave
some grain in the field, don’t go back and get it. Let it go to the immigrants,
the orphans, and the widows so that the Lord your God blesses you in all that you do. 20 Similarly, when you beat the olives off your olive trees, don’t go
back over them twice. Let the leftovers go to the immigrants, the orphans, and
the widows. 21 Again, when you pick the grapes of your vineyard, don’t pick them
over twice. Let the leftovers go to the immigrants, the orphans, and the
widows. 22 Remember how you were a slave in Egypt. That’s why I am commanding
you to do this thing.
However, care for the needy is
one of the commands that was – and still is -- frequently ignored by most of
the culture. Widows without family willing to take them in found themselves without
land, without home, without a way to support themselves.
In the stories about widows,
then, Jesus was not just taking care of the needs of two specific families. He
was pointing out to the onlookers – and to those who would hear the stories –
that caring for the needy widows, orphans, and immigrants is important to God.
If it’s important to God, it should also be important to God’s people.
It’s not fair in God’s eyes that
people suffer because of human unkindness. It’s true that people will get sick
and die. Accidents will happen and people will die. However, the consequences
of illness and death should not be made worse by the way people are treated by
those around them.
… Of course, death is not the
only thing that is unfair in life. There are many situations where one group
treats another unfairly. Sometimes, the unfairness of a situation leads to
something better. For example:
At Luther Seminary in St Paul,
MN, Jadivan Elzughbi is a Master of Arts student in the Children, Youth and
Family program. He is a young Palestinian man whose father lives in Bethlehem
and whose mother lives in Jerusalem. As a child, he shuttled back and forth
between parents, crossing the border between Jewish Jerusalem and Palestinian
Bethlehem each time. For the last ten years, this meant crossing through a gate
in the 26-foot tall wall that separates the peoples.
A few years ago his travel
documents were taken from him, for no apparent reason. Without travel documents,
he was forced to remain in Bethlehem. He no longer had access to the fine
universities in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel. His only choice was Bethlehem
University.
He chose to study occupational
therapy and became interested in the needs of children in wheelchairs. Although
he hates sports, he grew to love sports for children in wheelchairs. He created
the first Palestinian wheelchair basketball team for teenagers. It was called
the Peace Team, and traveled to Belgium to compete in an international
tournament.
Elzughbi discovered, because of
the unfairness of the loss of his travel documents, that he had a calling to
serve special needs children. His study at Luther will enhance his ability to
serve children and their families.
… It is important to notice how
both scripture stories end. The Elijah story ends with the widow acknowledging
that he is a man of God and he speaks God’s truth. She needed the power of the
divine, and Elijah brought it to her.
The Jesus story ends with
people acknowledging that Jesus is indeed a great prophet. Word of his power
spread quickly in the local area and far beyond.
The death of a loved one is
tragic at any age. Sometimes it’s simply sad, sometimes it’s unfair. Lots of
situations in life are unfair. It’s so helpful to know that Jesus cares about
the sadness and the unfairness. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to be present with
us whenever we need God’s presence.
For those who die, we know that
because God has the power to raise these widows’ sons from death, God has the
power to raise us all from death after we die.
For those who seek new life in
the midst of unfairness, it is empowering to know God knows and cares about us,
and always calls us to something new.
And it is a blessing to know
God never leaves us alone, especially when life seems unfair.
You challenge this week is to
pay attention to the ways in which life is unfair and seek to bring new life
into the situation, whether it’s for yourself or for someone else, or for our
community. How can you bring new life where it is needed?
Please pray with me. God of
mercy, there are times when life seems so unfair. Help us to be aware of your
presence in those times. And help us to find and create new life. In Jesus’
holy name, Amen
