The first book of Kings

ELIJAH AND THE DROUGHT

A prophet named Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to King Ahab, “In the name of the Lord, the Living God of Israel, whom I serve, I tell you that, there will be no dew or rain for the next 2 or 3 years until I say so.”

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Leave this place and go east and hide yourself near the brook of Cherith, east of the Jordan.  The brook will supply you with water to drink and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.”

Elijah obeyed the Lord’s command and went and stayed by the brook of Cherith.  He drank water from the brook, and ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening.  After a while the brook dried up because of lack of rain. 

ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW IN ZAREPHATH

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Now go to the town of Zarephath, near Sidon and stay there.  I have commanded a widow who lives there to feed you.”  So Elijah went to Zarephath and as he came to the gate of the town, he saw a widow gathering firewood.  “Please bring me a drink of water” he said to her.  And as she was going to get it, he called out, “Please bring me some bread, too.”

She answered, “By the Living Lord your God, I swear I haven’t got any bread.  All I have is a handful of flour in a bowl and a drop of olive oil in a jar.  I came here to gather some firewood to take back home and prepare what little I have for my son and me.  That will be our last meal, and then we will starve to death.”

“Don’t worry,” Elijah said to her, “Go ahead and prepare your meal.  But first make a small loaf from what you have and bring it to me, and then prepare the rest for you and your son.  For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, “The bowl will not run out of flour or the jar run out of oil before the day that I, the Lord, send rain.”

The widow went and did as Elijah had told her and all of them had enough food for many days.  As the Lord had promised through Elijah, the bowl did not run out of flour nor did the jar run out of oil.

Sometime later, the widow’s son fell ill; he got worse and worse and finally he died.  She said to Elijah, “Man of God, why did you do this to me?  Did you come here to remind God of my sins and so cause my son’s death?”

“Give the boy to me,” Elijah said.  He took the boy from her arms, carried him upstairs to the room where he was staying and laid him on the bed.  Then he prayed aloud. “O My God, why have you done such a terrible thing to this widow?  She has been kind enough to take care of me and now you kill her son!”Then Elijah stretched himself out on the boy three times and prayed. “O Lord my God, restore this child to life!” 

The Lord answered Elijah’s prayer.  The child started breathing again and revived. 

Elijah took the boy back downstairs to his mother and said to her “Look your son is alive!”   She answered, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the Lord really speaks through you.”

(1 Kings 17)

This is the Word of God

Thanks be to the Lord

THE PARABLE OF PHARISEE AND THE TAX-COLLECTOR

The Holy Bible says, “I have not come to call respectable people, but outcasts.” (Matthew 9:13)

Jesus also told this parable to the people who were sure of their own goodness and despised everybody else. “Once there were two men who went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a tax-collector. 

“The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, ‘I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer like everybody else.  I thank you that I am not like that tax-collector over there. I fast two days a week, and I give you a tenth of all my income.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, ‘God, have pity on me, a sinner!’  I tell you,” said Jesus, “the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home.  For everyone who makes himself great will be humbled, and everyone who humbles himself will be made great.”

(Luke 18:9-14)

This parable considers the different characters and attitude of mankind who go to the Temple to reconcile with God.  The Gospel of St. Luke include many parables which make a comparison between two kinds of people, for e.g. Rich man and Lazarus,  Martha & Mary, The Two House builders, the parable of two sons etc.   

The Pharisee elucidates his good deeds to God in a manner to justifying himself. Usually the Jewish people fasted only twice or thrice in a year. With an intention of scorning his listeners, the Pharisee began to add up all his good actions saying, “I fast and pray twice a week.”   He elaborates his generosity as he proudly boasts to God, “…I give you a tenth of all my income.”

On the other hand, the tax collector stood afar, lowly, bowed down his head confessing his weakness and asking forgiveness seeking shelter in the merits of God’s mercy.  The tax collector was conscious about his wrong doings and he knew God is full of mercy and he will be forgiven.  As per their custom he beat his breast symbolizing his repentance.

The Holy Bible says, “A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart, a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things.” 

It is clearly evident that the Pharisee, who was justifying himself by trusting in his deeds only, never had refuge in God; nor reverence to God, he believed it was all because of his ability. 

Whereas the tax collector was totally submissive to God’s grace. 

Sacrifice and generosity are commendable and since the Pharisee was exercising his good deeds at the high level he might have thought, “What is wrong in publishing my good deeds?”

Lord Jesus too fasted for forty days, and also appreciated the widow who gave all that she had.  

He explained that all sacrificial deeds without love and done with the intention of gaining public approval is futile and does not have any value in the eyes of God, the Father. 

In his small prayer the Pharisee used four times the word ‘I’ which showcases his boastfulness and nature of under estimating others publicly. 

Our Lord said that these things will not have any reward from the Father in Heaven.  He will see what you do in private like the tax collector, will impartially reward you.

They both entered the Temple to get deliverance from their sins.  But Lord Jesus specifically concluded the parable by saying, “the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home.”   The Pharisee believed that because of his good deeds he was made right with God.  He trusts in himself for his forgiveness. Christianity teaches us that it is not with our good deeds but that only through the merits of the sacrificial death of Lord Jesus we get forgiveness of our sins and salvation of mankind.

“For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith.  It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s gift, so that no one can boast about it.”  (Eph. 2:8-9)

THE PARABLE OF THE WIDOW AND THE JUDGE

The Holy Bible says, “But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when He comes?” (Luke 18:8)

As Jesus was teaching and explaining certain truth to his disciples, the Pharisees came inquiring about the Kingdom of God.  Jesus continued his teachings by citing few parables.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged.  “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in the same town who kept coming to him and pleading for her rights, saying, ‘Help me against my opponent!’ For a long time the judge refused to act, but at last he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or respect man, yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me, I will see to it that she gets her rights. If I don’t, she will keep on coming and finally wear me out!’ “

And the Lord continued, “Listen to what the corrupt judge said. Now, will God not judge in favor of His Own people who cry to Him day and night for help? Will He be slow to help them? I tell you, he will judge in their favor and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when He comes?” (Luke 18:1-8)

Through this parable of the widow and the judge, Jesus educates us on the importance of a constant prayer. Let us delve deeper into the personality of the central characters of these parable.

A judge is always expected to do his duty wisely and with a sense of responsibility, but the judge mentioned in this story is a man who feared neither God nor man and was irresponsible towards his duty.

Those days’ widows were considered as a victim of God’s punishment and were treated as outcasts in a society. They were subjected to humiliation and disgrace and held no respect in society. May be due to their oppressed plight, Jesus might have chosen her as a protagonist in His parable.

Here the widow is seen continuously and tirelessly intervening to remind the judge her petition because she is quite sure of her rights. After a long time, the judge decides to look into her matter, not because of his sense of duty, but because he sees her approach as a nuisance. He has no other way than to favor her petition.

Heavenly God, unlike the judge in the parable- judges, accepts and pleases the righteous needs of a person.  We are the chosen generation of a Righteous God. “You descendants of Abraham, His servant; you descendants of Jacob, the man who chose …..remember…that the Lord is our God.” (Psalms 105:6)

Although the judge does not consider her petition initially, her continuous act of reminder is a lesson and aspiration for those who pray for their petitions unceasingly.

St. Paul reminds us, “Be joyful always, pray at all times.” (1 Thess. 5: 16)

At times there may be a delay in revealing an answer to your prayer, but cease not to pray and file your complaint to God.

Let us take the example of the two sisters who prayed fervently for the healing of their only brother Lazarus, but he died.  They got discouraged and stopped their prayer but unexpectedly Jesus appears and raises Lazarus back to life.

Dear ones, never lose heart or put an end to your good deeds. You need to have patience to be with God always, so that He can reveal His divine plan to you.  

Let us refer to Luke 2: 36-38, which mentions about a 84 year old prophetess Anna, who never left the temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying which helped her to see the Savior. Her patience and faith in prayer ought to be an inspiration.

The Apostles spent all their time in the Temple giving thanks to God.  (Kindly Refer to Luke 24) 

God approved it and descended the Holy Spirit upon them. 

Being thankful in all circumstances in union with Christ keeps one safe in His Shadow.  The Lord who changed plain water to wine will surely change all our miseries of our life to blessings.  Initially you may feel discomfort, but by acknowledging His grace and proclaiming His glory, your faith will automatically draw you to God’s Love which is the most powerful medicine for everything.

St. Paul was given a painful ailment to keep Him from being puffed up with pride. He prayed many times and asked the Lord to take it away, but the Lord knew it is essential for him to be humble at the sight of God. He answered to Paul, “Pray for my grace, which is sufficient for you.”

Similarly God may act in our life also. Lord Jesus concludes the parable with a heart piercing sigh. “But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when He comes?”

The overact of the devil trying to wash out from the world the True Faith in Christ-who conquered him. The need of your unceasing prayer gives the power to overcome the continual flow of the competition, perishable pleasures of the world.

Lord says, “Whoever holds out to the end will be saved.” (Matt. 10: 22)

The above verse silently instructs us to hold onto Him by continual worship.  Let us learn to whisper a word of Thank You to the Lord in anticipation because His plan for our life and fortune is already engraved in His Hands.

As how Moses was sent repeatedly to Pharaoh, a stone-hearted King who disobeyed the Will of God. A repeated action as such may shake stubbornness, pride and evil -some.  Only constant prayer can bring repentance to self as well as others.

Similarly, St. Francis was also continuously troubled by St. Ignatius Loyola. “Will a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life?” (Matt. 16:26)

Thus the parable insists in instilling these ideas to disturb someone who is badly in need of repentance. The healthy way of the widow troubling the judge can be taken into account.

God trains His loved ones, by allowing hardships, sickness and loneliness at times to humble and turn us to God closer. God answers all our righteous needs.  

Seeking the Will of God in your petitions is the perfect way of a prayer. If we pray for some injustice or to harm self and others, He will not answer but will surely inspire us to change the intentions.

The Holy Bible says, “When you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; You ask for things to use for your own pleasures.” (James 4: 3)

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, after a while He changed the pattern not because it was selfish or His desire, but because it was against the Will of God.

Similarly Paul too changed his pattern to praying for God’s grace than for his ailment healing. 

May Lord Jesus give us the grace to be joyful always and to pray in all circumstances with a thanksgiving in anticipation!