The first time I really meditated on this passage, my immediate thought was, No wonder Elijah is at the end of his rope two chapters later. Not only is he being chased by an evil king and queen, he is living with the effects of idol punishment. Even though he’ s being used by God to do the miraculous, it is never enough. her blame and turns around to blame God with the same velocity. He doesn’ t correct her when she blames him or when she gives him glory at the end. And he doesn’ t seem to stop and honor the fact that God has already miraculously provided for them before demanding another miracle.
" What if the most effective way we can fight the fear of man is to remember who’ s God and who’ s not."
It isn’ t enough for the widow that Elijah shows up right as she is preparing to die and God saves her and her son through his presence. She continues to blame him when illness strikes, even though it’ s clearly not his fault. Darned if you do and darned if you don’ t, right? These are unhealthy expectations and unfair pressures to place on anyone— even a prophet of God. Right around the time I was feeling incredibly indignant for Elijah, I noticed how he receives
I’ m not judging Elijah. What I am saying is, I’ ve definitely sounded like him before.
I’ m also conjecturing that part of the reason Elijah is so exhausted two chapters later is that he has forgotten where he ends and God begins. Did he forget who actually makes the miracles happen? Did he forget whose power made all these things possible? It’ s clear that the widow had misplaced the source of the miracle, as her final words to Elijah communicated that now that the healing had come, she would believe Elijah was actually a man of God.
And now I’ m reminded of my own anxiety and our invitation to courageous leadership. What
10