Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Christ is Risen!
The Apostle Zaccheos of Caesarea
8th of the Paschal Vigil: 1 Kings 17:8-24 Apostle: Acts 4:1-10 Gospel: St. John 3:16-21
I Kings 17:8-24 RSV, especially vs. 24: "And the woman said to Elijah, 'Now I know
that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.'" When Orthodox Christians declare the
foundational commitment of their lives in the Nicene Creed, they say, successively, "I believe in one God, the Father....And
in one Lord Jesus Christ....And...in the Holy Spirit....And...in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." Only after those
avowals do we add, "I look for the Resurrection of the dead...." What we Orthodox expect concerning Resurrection
depends on our prior commitment to God the Holy Trinity and His Church. As with the widow of Zarephath, commitment
to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is tantamount to affirming that "the word of the Lord...is truth" (vs. 24).
In taking the words of the Nicene Creed in our mouth as a life-declaration, we cross over from believing "that" there is a
God to "believing in" the God Who made heaven and earth, Who became Incarnate for our sake, and Whose Spirit is active
in this world. The Church is no longer "interesting," but a way of life and worship from which we will not withdraw.
To believe "that" God exists may be engaging; but to say that we "believe in" God is quite another matter. To "believe in"
is commitment of "ourselves, each other, and all our life unto Christ our God." One makes this latter sort of statement only
when submitting himself wholly to Him in Whom he believes. He acts so only after careful consideration, having good
reasons, yes; but, above all, by trusting. In committing, we take the risk of being wrong as to our facts when we submit to
Him. In saying, I "believe in" we stake "our whole life."
After committing the fabric of our life "unto Christ our God," of course we "look for the Resurrection of the dead." That is
natural; it follows as a consequent. Look at the experience of the widow of Zarephath. She had gone outside the city gates
to gather a little firewood to cook a final meal. She would not need a great deal of wood, for her larder had dwindled down
to "only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a cruse" (vs. 12). After eating she anticipated the wasting of famine to
death. Nevertheless, she had not lost her sense of hospitality. Water she had, and to share with a thirsty stranger, and this
gift she set about to bring to Elijah (vs. 11).
The Prophet Elijah challenged her with a tiny gospel of life including an assurance that she need not fear (vs. 13).
Furthermore, he gave her reasons to risk even the tiny bit of food that remained for her and her son: "The jar of meal shall
not be spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth" (vs. 14). Observe the
first evidence of "belief in!" She "did as Elijah said" (vs. 15). His faith was a contagious gift to her.
God supplied abundant reasons to strengthen her faith in Him.. She and "her household ate for many days," and "the jar of
meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail" (vss. 15,16). Such is the way the Lord works. We trust a little, and He
supplies a great deal - an abundance of reasons to "believe in" Him. However, there came a shock. Her child died. What
had gone wrong? Notice that death awakened her guilt and her knowledge of her sin (vs. 18). To all this not even Elijah
had an answer. He took the child, retreated to his room, and "cried to the Lord" (vs. 20). Having committed his whole life
to God, he did what he could (vss. 20-22).
Behold! The mother received her child back alive (vs. 23). Then she affirmed her "belief in" God: "Now I know that you
are a man of God and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth" (vs. 24). God the life-Giver gives us abundant
reason to "look for the Resurrection!"
As Thou didst appear to Thy disciples, the doors being shut, O Life-Giver, so lift the locks from the doors of our
faithlessness that we may shout, "Thou art our Lord and our God!"
