Sunday 22nd June 2025

I Kings 19: 1-4 (5-7), 8-15a

Psalms 42 & 43

Galatians 3: 23-29

St. Luke 8: 26-39

“Then the Lord said to (Elijah), ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus.’” I Kings 19: 15

To understand today’s first reading fully, I suggest it’s best if we go one chapter back, to First Kings 18. The events in chapter 19 are a response to the events in chapter 18…

The prophet Elijah lived in the northern kingdom, about 800 years before the birth of Jesus… In many respects, the people of Israel seemed to be very devoted to God. They worshiped; they offered sacrifices to the Lord God of their ancestors; they had active communities of faith…

But God saw something deeper – something very troubling; something very disobedient: Yes, God’s people were worshiping him… However, they were also worshipping other gods, like Baal, a local fertility god. But there is only room enough in our hearts for one God – for one Ultimate in our lives. If not, then we have a poor substitute…

The first of the Ten Commandments is this: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.” This warning, of course, is not just for 2800 years ago. It’s also a warning to you and to me, that whatever wonderful things there are around us, our ultimate priority is to the Lord God of heaven and of earth…

Elijah the prophet speaks to the Israelites who are gathered at Mount Carmel: “Elijah then came near to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him…’ ”

The people of Israel were trying “have their cake and to eat it too” – they were trying to worship the Living God as well as other gods. But we have to make a choice, whom we will serve…

Elijah proposes a contest: Elijah will make an offering to the Lord. 450 prophets of the local fertility god Baal will make an offering to Baal. They will prepare an altar, and lay wood on the altar they just made, and then they will sacrifice a bull on top of it. However, they won’t light a fire. They will each pray, and if the bull is consumed while the prophets of Baal are praying, then that is who they should worship… On the other hand, if the bull is consumed will Elijah is praying, that is the true God…

The 450 prophets of Baal go first: They cried out to Baal all morning – shouting or moaning, and cutting their own bodies so their own blood falls to the ground… But nothing happens…

Around noon, Elijah begins to mock the prophets of Baal – “Maybe your god is asleep! Maybe he’s turned aside to relieve his bladder! Or perhaps he’s gone on a trip!…”

Then a miracle happens… Elijah instructs some onlookers to pour water over the wood, and over the slaughtered animal (of course, that would make it harder to burn)… There is so much water, the water overflows the trench around the altar… Then Elijah offers a very simple prayer, and then suddenly, fire comes down from heaven, and consumes the offering, the wood, the stones, and even the pooled water!… The people shriek in astonishment and fear, “The Lord indeed is God! The Lord indeed is God!” All the 450 prophets of Baal come to a bad end…

God worked in a mighty way that day. Elijah the prophet is ready for God to work with great drama, and miracles…

Years ago, I know a woman who knew God can do miracles. She always wanted God to do miracles in front of her; for God always to work in big ways, so that the prophets of Baal in this generation would surrender before the living Lord God of Hosts… Often, God does indeed do miracles. Sometimes, we have eyes to see… But sometimes – God works much more subtly… Sometimes, we need to pay attention to the work of God in the corner of our vision, or on the edges of our hearts… Sometimes, we need to see God at work in the most unlikely places… even among those whom we wrongly believe to be the most unlikely people, to reveal the face of God…

St. Paul reminds the Corinthians, and us, “For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles…” We don’t insist on clever arguments to know God. We don’t demand great miraculous signs, as some might prefer… Instead, you and I are simply to present Christ crucified, for you and for me…

So, after this great triumph over the prophets of Baal, we might think that everyone was happy!… However, Queen Jezebel was a wicked queen, a daughter of the King of Tyre, married to weak King Ahab in a politically-arranged marriage. Jezebel did not worship the Lord God, and she is filled with fury! Jezebel sends a message to the prophet Elijah, to inform Elijah she will have him murdered within a day!…

Terrified, Elijah flees for his life!… Elijah gets a little food through the goodness of God. Elijah has been faithful to the Lord God – but Elijah is terrified; alone; away from his people; his life is in grave danger… all because he was faithful…

The Lord God reveals to Elijah that God has something to say to him!… Elijah remembers the great, dramatic triumph at Mount Carmel, so Elijah is ready for God to do something amazing, and dramatic!… Suddenly there is a strong wind – so strong, that rocks begin to smash around Elijah… but God is silent during the strong wind… Next, there is a huge earthquake, and Elijah is still ready for God to do something powerful and dramatic – but God is not speaking through the earthquake… After the earthquake there is a fire, but God does not speak to Elijah in the fire… Then… after the fire, when all is still – that is when God speaks into Elijah’s life. The N.R.S.V. translation we use here reads that God spoke into Elijah’s life in “a sound of sheer silence…” Some of us may be familiar with the older King James Version, which reads that God spoke “in a still, small voice…” We get the idea: Elijah needs to learn to listen for the voice of God, not during moments of drama, but when we have to listen oh-so-carefully, in the quiet periods of our life…

Sometimes we need to learn to be quiet… Some of us are very good at telling God what our problems are. We might have all kinds of ideas about how we think God should fix our lives – according to our standards… I suggest, however, that sometimes… we need to learn to be quiet… and to listen… Sometimes we need to keep our mouths shut, and to have open ears and hearts, to hear God’s direction for our lives…

Like the prophet Elijah from long ago, we might feel frustrated that God isn’t at work the way we think is best at the moment… When we are Christians, the Lord Jesus didn’t promise that it would always be easy. We should not be surprised, by persecution, or disaster… Sometimes, we need to learn to be strong, even in the face of the 450 prophets of Baal. Like Elijah, we also need to listen carefully, with open ears and hearts, when God’s voice seems so very soft within the clamour of this world…

Let’s notice one more thing: Once God had Elijah’s attention, what did God say to Elijah?… The Lord was instructing Elijah to carry on Elijah’s ministry among his successors. Elisha the prophet will replace Elijah. King Hazael will replace weak King Ahab and wicked Queen Jezebel… Elijah was to prepare the community for the time after his ministry…

Perhaps this is also a message for St. Brice’s at this time, as we now know my time here will grow short, and then will be no more. A new Elisha needs to be discerned and raised up… We are called to discern wisely, and to act faithfully – for the Church is not ours, but God’s. As Elijah was faithful in his generation, may we be faithful in ours; now and for ever…

Amen.