A Man In A Meltdown

• Sermon: Agust 9, 2009
• Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-8
• 10th Sunday after Pentecost

INTRO

We’ve heard of nuclear plant meltdowns:

Homer Simpson
China syndrome
Chernobyl
3 Mile Island

Some of us may even recall a really bad meltdown near Idaho Falls back in 1961.

In a meltdown, a once tightly designed nuclear reactor just disintegrates and consumes itself.

In our Bible text from I Kings 19 there once was a man in Israel who could be compared to a mini nuclear plant. His name was Elijah. His zeal for the Lord was radioactive in intensity.

There seemed no way possible that Elijah, this specimen of strenth, this generator of energy, would ever experience a melt down. No, not Elijah, Not, this human nuclear power plant for the Lord.

However, sometimes even nuclear reactor type humans sizzle and fizzle into desapair and hopelessness.

The meltdown of Elijah in the wilderness is an encouragement for us because sometimes we might feel less than normal or inferior to others when we are on the verge of an emotional and physical implosion.

No even the great ones like Elijah collapsed and wanted nothing to do with God, with life, with himself and with others.

However, we don’t only receive encouragement in knowing that the heroes at times want to give it all up, but more importantly, we receive strength in knowing that God will be there for us when we feel like saying aloha, fare thee well, to the Lord and His mission for us here on this earth.

BACKGROUND

Here’s a little background on Elijah and I Kings 19 before we look at some of the lessons from today’s text.

Elijah lived about 1,000 years before Jesus was born.

He lived at a time when the Kingdom of Israel was split in two.

The history of Israel is sort of like the history of the U.S.

Just as the U.S. divided into North and South during the Civil War, so did Israel separate into North and South.

The big difference was that in the U.S. the North and South joined back together again. In Israel, the North and South never re-united. The North was completely wiped out, and so only the South continued on. There has never been an authentic formal treaty of unity between the North and the South in Israel even till today again because there is no North Israel to sign such a unity pact.

In any event Elijah is sent to the North to work for the Lord. The same territory which Elijah served would be Jesus’ territory a thousand years later. That’s why when Jesus came upon the scene, people were saying that he was Elijah sent back to earth from heaven.

We have very good Bible scholars in this congregation. Check me out on this.

Elijah and his disciple Elisha healed people and even raised persons from the dead.

Here’s the question. Between the time of Elijah and his disciple Elisha and the time when Jesus arrives, was there any prophet after who healed people or resurrected them from the dead?

Yes, there were many miracles that took place between Elijah/Elisha and Jesus. There was the miracle of Daniel in the Lions Den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but these were miracles done directly by God. Was there any prophet after Elijah/Elisha up until the time of Jesus whom God gave the power to heal diseases and bring people back to life?

I can’t think of any.

And this is why Elijah is so huge in the Jewish faith. This is why many Jewish people treat Elijah as the greatest man on earth next to healed people of diseases or resurrected people who have died.

And they are waiting for a messiah who will do what Elijah did.

For Christians that Messiah came 1,000 years later at Christmas.
For the Jewish people, it has been 3,000 years since Elijah went to heaven and there has been no messiah in their eyes to carry on Elijah’s work.


1. The danger wtih fatigue, overload,and overstress is that we don’t think straight when we are tired.


All kinds of yucky thoughts go through our minds.

(1 Kings 19: 3,4)

Michael Jackson, Billy Mays , known for their energy. Even people with nuclear reactor energy break down with fatigue and overload.


2. Sometimes it doesn’t take a nuclear physicist or a brain surgeon to solve a problem.

(1 Kings 19: 5)

“Arise and eat.”

And then what happens

(1 Kings 19: 6,7)

“Arise and eat.” Gospel lesson: John 6: 35-51

Communion? Seminary profs say no. There are other verses that refer to communion. These verses simply talk about faith in Jesus to be like eating bread.

3. God can put together nuclear reactors and people back together.

(1 Kings 19:8)

Chernobyl not in operation.
3 Mile Island?

God repairs and restores Elijah.

He can do the same for us.