Domes - Our Monthly Newsletter
Dunbar UCC
June 24, 2007
I Kings 19:1-3
Enough
- We’ve studied the Gospel of Mark since last September and we saw a pattern there: first John the Baptist preached “repentance for the forgiveness of sins” until he was arrested and executed. Then Jesus preached the same thing: repentance -- turning back to the Kingdom of God. Until he was arrested and executed. Finally the disciples did the same thing until they were arrested and executed. According to the Mark, that’s what happens when we follow Jesus.
- No wonder the longer Jesus preached, the more followers he lost. People said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can listen to it?” And yet most of our parents baptized us into this faith -- and we do it to our children. Why? Maybe Elijah can help us answer this.
- Last week we saw how the leaders of Israel, Ahab and Jezebel, murdered Naboth and stole his land. God sent Elijah to tell them that God would punish them. Powerful people -- and countries -- don’t like it when others criticize them because they think they can do anything. We know this because we live in a powerful country that does whatever it wants. How far would Elijah or John the Baptist or Jesus get if they went to the White House and criticized the president? Look what happened to Cindy Sheehan when she confronted the president -- even the media turned against her. Now she’s saying “Enough! I quit!”
- Elijah told Ahab and Jezebel that they did wrong -- and God saw what they did, and they’d be punished. Jezebel laughed at Elijah and said, “You funny little man! I’m not afraid of you. You don’t scare me because I don’t believe in your God. In fact, I’ll do to you what I did to Naboth -- I’ll kill you.”
- As strong as Elijah was, finally, even he said, “Enough!” He told God, “I quit! I’m tired and afraid -- I can’t fight a king and queen and a whole country! I’m finished with this whole life -- so just take me now. Just take me now!”
- God didn’t accept Elijah’s resignation. God said, “Finish the work I gave you. Go speak my word to Ahab and Jezebel. And don’t worry about your life -- just do my will.” When the crowd following Jesus quit following him, Jesus said to the disciples, “Are you leaving too?” Peter said, “Where will we go? You have the words of eternal life.” And that’s why we’re here. That’s why our parents baptized us, and why we baptize our children. It’s a hard road Jesus asks us to follow -- standing up for the poor and the weak. And speaking out to those people and governments who abuse their power. It’s a hard road, but it’s the only road that leads to life.