Hope is More than Surviving

Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

~~1 Kings 17:17-24~~Psalm 30~~Galatians 1:11-19 ~~Luke 7:11-17~~

 

Both stories we have today are of widows

 who are facing the reality of the death of another loved one.

Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.”
Taking him from her lap, he carried the son to the upper room
where he was staying, and put him on his bed.

 

He took the son from the lap of the grieving mother.

A woman who has already faced the death of her spouse.

He took the son away to the upper room.

The upper room which can be associated with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Elijah prayed over the child three times...he prayed

to the Trinity without having knowledge of it.

 

Elijah asked for the breath of life to return to the child.

He prayed in God's name.

“O LORD, my God,
let the life breath return to the body of this child.”

 

Paul acknowledges that it is God who prepared his heart.

It is God who works through him.

 

'...the gospel preached by me is not of human origin.
For I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it,
but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.'

Paul too was given new life even though no one interceded on his behalf,

but rather God sought him out from his own.

New life can be quite surprising and shocking

when it comes to someone like Paul.

Paul was confident and comfortable in his old life.

Until God came to him, Paul thought

 he was doing the right thing with his life.

 

'...The word of the LORD comes truly from your mouth.'  

 

Elijah and Paul can make this claim humbly.

It is God who works his miracles through their earthly person. 

 

 

The returning of life is a vivid example of never

losing hope in the power of the Lord God. 

Hope is held dear by all believers.

 

We praise God;

You changed my mourning into dancing... 

 

 Jesus comes to the coffin of the widow's son.

Moved with pity he tells her to stop crying.

 He brought her hope that God is here for his people.

Jesus touched the coffin and the breath of life returned to his body.

Jesus placed the child in his mother's arms.

Later, the lifeless body of Jesus would be placed

 into the arms of his mother.  

 

Jesus is the hope of the world.

 “God has visited his people.” 

God continues to place hope into our hearts.

Hope that can only come from his promise of ever lasting life in him.

 

Hope of the World, be with us.