November 11, 2024

Today's Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16

Daily Lectionary: Jeremiah 23:21-40; Matthew 25:31-46

Then the word of the Lord came to [Elijah], “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” (1 Kings 17:8-14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

This Zarephath widow expected death. The famine was severe. The prophet Elijah had announced the cause of the deadly drought: Israel had been unfaithful to her Lord. Elijah gave the warning, calling Israel to repentance. Still, Israel continued to go to the gods of the Canaanites— gods that were supposed to guarantee favorable seasons, steady rains, and bountiful harvests.

The woman knew what was happening. She’s from Zarephath, a town in the unclean region. But the Lord’s Word travels. God won’t be mocked. His people, to whom He had given this good land, had turned from Him to man-made gods. Zarephath, home of the Canaanite gods, would suffer, too. The Zarephath widow spoke truthfully in saying, "We will eat, and then we will die!"

But now she will know God not for His retribution but for His grace. Elijah brings the word of promise. By this Word, the Lord not only honors the widow by appointing her as His servant to feed His prophet, but He also brings her into the life of faith. She, too, is now an Israelite. She, too, now belongs to the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. (Take a look at the widow’s statement of faith at 1 Kings 17:24)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Bless our pastors, Lord, with your Word. Let them rejoice in preaching your cross to sinners whom you love. Let them rightly accuse the old Adam with the Law and raise up the new Adam with your Gospel so that your people may be cleansed, strengthened, and comforted with your Word. Amen.

-Rev. Warren Graff, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, NM

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

Spend time reading and meditating on God’s Word throughout the Church Year with the Enduring Grace Journal. Includes scripture readings, prayers, prompts, and space for journaling. The Church Year Journal, Enduring Grace, now available from Concordia Publishing House.