Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Sometimes it’s hard for me to see how I should be living out my faith on a daily basis. The readings for today speak to the need for Christians to demonstrate our faith but they also show us that God is there to provide what we need in order to do this.
The first reading tells the story of the prophet Elijah. Just before this in the book of 1 Kings, Elijah had told King Ahab that the Lord was displeased with him because of his actions. Among other things, King Ahab was guilty of idolatry. God tells Ahab through Elijah that he is going to send a drought as a response to Ahab’s sins. God instructs Elijah to go into hiding in the desert after delivering this message to Ahab. At first Elijah is able to live in the desert, but when Elijah begins to run out of water, God instructs him to go to Zarephath. At Zarephath Elijah meets a widow, who lives with her son.
It turns out that the widow has only a small amount of flour and oil left, and she is concerned that she will not be able to feed herself and her son, let alone Elijah. Then a miracle occurs. The woman is able to continue baking bread, and the flour and oil do not run out. It seems that this miracle is a symbol of God’s love and provision for those who rely on him. God takes care of his servant Elijah and those who are helping him even in the face of extreme drought and the threat of starvation. The miracle of the bread and the oil that do not run out is a kind of miraculous multiplication of a small amount of resources. There are a couple of other Biblical accounts that come to mind here—namely the feeding of the five thousand and also the parable of the leaven and the bread. By trusting in God and the hospitality of the widow, Elijah has his needs provided for.
One thing the story seems to be teaching us is that God provides people with what they need. Is this always a material benefit? No. It seems to me that God’s provision goes much deeper than a material benefit. As in the feeding of the five thousand, in the story of Elijah and the widow, God is committed to meeting the spiritual needs of those who are willing to rely on him.
In the gospel reading, Jesus teaches that if we have faith then we will demonstrate this faith by what we do. He compares Christian faith to a lamp. Our lamp of faith should be set on a lamp stand, not hidden under a bushel basket. We need to allow our lamp of faith to shine in the darkness. In so doing, we become witnesses to God’s love and to God’s presence in our lives.
The scriptures for today bring me to consider the ways that God is leading me to demonstrate and live out my faith. As I reflect on their message, I find myself thanking God for the ways that God has provided for my material and spiritual growth and well being. I also trust that God will continue to provide for me. I find that the support of family and friends is vital to my walk of faith and my daily life journey, and I thank God for them. I pray that I will continue to trust that God will provide for me and that over time I will find new ways to demonstrate my faith in God.
-Joel Schickel