Bible Tuesday for Pentecost 10, 2017

1 Kings 19:9-18

At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.

Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 10He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’

11 He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.13When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ 14He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’ 15Then the Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. 17Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’

While we usually hear this text during Lent, due to Elijah being in the wilderness, it is prescribed for this Sunday because of the natural forces at work in it. Elijah executed more than 100 priests of Baal who served Queen Jezebel. In retaliation, Jezebel put a price on Elijah’s head. To avoid execution himself, Elijah flees south, out of Judah, into the wilderness. While Bible Tuesdays has covered this text many times, a new angle to consider is this. Baal is a pagan god of fertility who is frequently portrayed with a lightning bolt in his hand. Elijah dismisses Baal as childish and calls Israel to worship not creation but the Creator. In this story wind, earthquake, and fire assail the mountain where Elijah hides, yet the text tells us “the Lord was not in” the wind, earthquake, or fire. Out of the sheer silence God calls to Elijah. God created wind, plate tectonics, and fire, but they neither represent nor speak for God.

Psalm 85:8-13

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.*
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.

This psalm is about the exiles returning to Israel. There is debate regarding whether the psalm was written as the exiles were returning or after they arrived in Israel and found it in a shamble. The psalmist is invoking God’s covenant with the patriarchs to bind God to aid the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the entire nation. In familiar Hebrew Scriptures style, the psalmist invokes the covenant and then praises God for faithfulness to that covenant and what God will bring about.

Romans 10:5-15

Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ 6But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).8But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because* if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.11The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’

Here St. Paul writes of the immediacy, the intimacy of God with humanity as a whole, and with each individual. Through Jesus, God is not the “Deist” clockmaker who created all that is, set it in motion, and then walked away to let it do its thing. No, Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is on our lips and in our hearts, fanning the flames within our hearts of relationship with God.

Once our eyes are opened to the wonders God works on, in, and around us, then we are to have the beautiful feet of those who are fleet footed in sharing the good news of God’s love for every other person.

Matthew 14:22-33

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,* for the wind was against them.25And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake.26But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’

28 Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ 29He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. 30But when he noticed the strong wind,* he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ 32When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

The first paragraphs of Matthew 14 tells how John the Baptist was beheaded. When Jesus hears this news, he craves quiet, private, prayer time and goes off in a boat to find it. However, the crowds are waiting for him when the boat lands. Though Jesus needs time away to pray and grieve, he ministers to the crowds and teaches the disciples a lesson in faith and ministry by feeding all 5,000 men, and several thousand women and children.

Here the above pericope picks up the story. Jesus’s need for private time is now critical. He launches the disciples into the Sea of Galilee and sends the crowds home himself. Then he find a quiet hill top spot to pray, ponder the ramifications of John’s death, and grieve. The disciples can’t sail near the shore, but are being driven out to sea by a hard wind and high waves. “Early in the morning” is an English translation of “during the fourth watch” which was from 3am-6am. The disciples are terrified to see someone walking on top of the Sea toward them. Who wouldn’t be?! Jesus’ call to them, “It is I” is and English translation of the Greek translation of Jesus’ Aramaic, which may well have been “I am.” When Moses gets marching orders from God in the burning bush, Moses asks God, “Whom shall I say sent me?” God answers, “I am that I am” or “I will be that I will be”. Here comes Jesus, demonstrating that he is God, creator and master of wind and water.

Peter tests Jesus, and his own faith by jumping onto the water at Jesus’ invitation. He makes it for a step or two but the facts of the situation belie the words and actions of Jesus, and suck him into the water. As Jesus grabs Peter and they climb into the boat, the wind quiets. The disciples see that Jesus is even God of water and weather and they proclaim him as Son of God. Jesus is not son of Neptune, god of the sea, or son of Baal, god of thunder, lightning, and rain, but Son of Yahweh, creator and ruler of all.