Pentecost 2, 06/06/2010

Sermon on Luke 17:18-24, by Mark A. Hoffman

How hard it must be to be a widow! I really don't think things have changed much through the centuries. Women's equality in terms of social justice has come a long way, but it still has a long way to go. Have you ever noticed how, many times, a wife will call a customer service department about some issue and get nowhere; yet her husband will call the same department and receive totally different treatment, often getting the situation resolved quickly? What is a widow to do? Several years ago, official looking people in official looking trucks were targeting widow's homes and knocking on their doors, telling them that their roofs were in need of replacement. Most times there was nothing wrong with their roof. What is a widow to do? Or how about the simple act of walking alone at night? A gang of young teenagers runs by - a man doesn't even give them a second thought. How about a woman? What is a widow to do? The fact is, a woman by herself, no matter the circumstances, is always more vulnerable than a man by himself. Oh, some of you who are widows might dismiss my concern, "It's not that tough - it's only as tough as you make it." However I'd bet that was even the attitude of some widows even centuries ago - life goes on - you deal with it. Nevertheless, there was a reason that the church, from the very start, paid special attention to the widows in her midst. Throughout Holy Scripture we find a great care and concern for the widow. Dt. 10:18 - The Lord executes justice for the fatherless and widow. Job understands the Lord's care for the widow when he says: 31 - From my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother's womb I have guided the widow. Psalm 146:9 - The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless. The widow provides the example par excellence of the Lord's character, she in her helplessness has nowhere to turn but the Lord, she is the very type for whom the Lord has compassion and mercy. And if the Lord's care and concern was for the widow, then so was the church's. Today we have before us two very touching examples of widows and how our Lord provides for them. The first story is the famous story of the Widow of Zarephath. Recall that the widow had only enough oil and flour for one last meal, yet upon the Word of the Lord spoken by Elijah, that oil and flour lasted for many days. Then the widow's son became ill and died. Elijah took the boy, prayed to the Lord for the child's life, The Lord listened to Elijah's prayer and the child's life came back into him. Now here is the interesting part: I would say that enough oil and flour for one meal lasting instead for many days was a rather miraculous & convincing occurrence. Yet this multiplication of food convinced the widow of nothing. It was only her child's death which convicted her of her sin. You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son! And isn't that the way it is for us? Isn't it when tragedy happens that we begin to think about what we've done, isn't it when things go wrong that we begin to evaluate the way we've lived our life? And there is nothing more devastating to a widow, there is nothing more soul-piercing to a mother than the death of her child. So her son, her only son, was taken into the upper room - a place reserved for very special gatherings - and the man of God stretched himself over the son... three times... three times from Friday to Sunday, three times from death to life. Just as it was only her child's death which convicted the widow of her sin, it was only her child's life, it was only the words, "Behold, your Son lives," that convinced her that the Word of the Lord is truth. Now, nothing could stop her, nothing could stop any widow, any mother from the gratitude which just absolutely flowed from her heart.

Her Son lives, even though he was dead! He who once was dead is now alive! Some people make shrines out of their dead children's rooms, but nothing could stop the widow and her friends from returning to that Upper Room and making a memorial of great joy! Nothing could stop them from devoting themselves to the teaching of the Word of the Lord, to prayer, and to the breaking of bread; nothing could stop them from the service of the widows in their midst. Yes, Mary is the widow. But so also, we; we are called to be the widow. We as disciples of our Lord are called to take the widow's position, humble and vulnerable - unable and unwilling to stand up or provide for ourselves; dependant and trusting in the Lord. We are called to weep and mourn over our sin; we are called to greatly rejoice and dance over the Son who lives! We are called to devote ourselves to the teaching of the Word of the Lord, to prayer, and to the breaking of bread, to the service of other widows in our midst; we are called to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul and with all our mind, and to love our neighbor as He has first loved us!

Pr. Mark A. Hoffman
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church Millersburg, Pa

E-Mail: mahoffmansts@epix.net

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