1 Kings 19:4-8 Commentary

Sermon Illustration:

During the recent Paris Olympics, I was reminded again of the acronym: G.O.A.T., which stands for Greatest of All Time.  While many athletes have claimed the title and a few of them have even earned it, I think the GOAT-iest GOAT in sports is American gymnast, Simone Biles.  Her gold medals in Paris back me up.

But perhaps you remember back to the Tokyo Olympics, when Biles was diagnosed with a case of what’s known, in the sport of gymnastics, as “the twisties” which means that, somewhere in mid-air, you lose all sense of direction, your body can’t find itself in relation to the ground. With two feet planted on earth, this sounds disturbing, but for a gymnast who regularly reaches the height of over 12 feet, usually upside-down and usually going very, very fast – this is terrifying. In a sport, like a culture, that valorizes those who soldier on (who among us remember Kerri Strug’s second vault at the 1996 Olympics) Simone Biles stepped back, withdrawing from competition to get her head right.

Commentary:

This week’s Hebrew Scripture lectionary text picks up the story of another G.O.A.T. with a case of “the twisties.”

Elijah, the G.O.A.T.

In terms of the claim to the title G.O.A.T., here’s a run down of his life and ministry:

• He called fire down from heaven
• He raised the dead only son of a widow woman
• We are told he did not die but ascended into heaven (that fact sort of seals the deal for me.)

The New Testament confirms the Hebrew Scripture’s estimation by placing an appearance of Elijah alongside Moses with Jesus at the Transfiguration.

The greatest compliment that could be paid to John the Baptist was that he was like Elijah.

In the lead up to this morning’s text, Elijah has declared a drought on the people of Israel because they have been worshipping the gods of the Canaanites.  In a dramatic challenge at the end of chapter 18, Elijah goes mano-a-mano with the prophets of Baal, taunting them to call down fire on their altar.  When they can’t do it with shouts, tears, self-flagellation, Elijah has his altar doused with water and, with a simple prayer, his offering is consumed by fire on high.  The prophets of baal are put in their place and God delivers rain to the people in response to Elijah’s prayer.

The G.O.A.T is at the top of his game. But, in response, the corrupt King and Queen deliver a message to Elijah.  Essentially (draw a line across throat and mouth the words tomorrow.)

The text tells us “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life…he came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’”

Elijah, with “the Twisties”

In the turn around of about 3 verses, the G.O.A.T. has fallen apart.  All that swagger has turned into stagger.  So God find Elijah in the cave and asks, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And Elijah responds:

“I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

Keep in mind, it’s not exactly true.  That there are other prophets doing the work. But it’s hard to think straight with a case of the spiritual twisties taking over.

One commentator on this morning’s text (from Feasting on the Word) observes that Elijah stands at the mouth of the cave, “Elijah in this story is the kind of person to whom we might say ‘stop complaining and get over it; there are other people worse off than you.’ (BUT) the narrator tells us that God does not respond to Elijah this way, and God’s action is our focus.”

Looking ahead a bit in the text, God does *not* respond to Elijah or to us in this way and God’s action is our focus.  Elijah stands at the mouth of the cave with a massive case of the spiritual twisties and God says, “come here. I want to show you something. I want to show you something that is good and true and beautiful.  I want to show you a bit of my presence.

Elijah sees a powerful wind.

God does sometimes show up in this way. But not this time.

He feels an earthquake.

God does sometimes show up in this way. But not this time.

He feels the heat of a fire.

God does sometimes show up in this way. But not this time.

“And after the fire came a gentle whisper”

When Elijah confesses, “I’m done!” God announces, “I’m here!”

The Spiritual Twisties

When God arrives, God shows up on God’s own terms. What God longs to give us — first and above all things and especially in the midst of a case of spiritual twisties — is God’s own presence.  Only then, after Elijah receives God’s presence in a gentle whisper, God instructs Elijah how to get back in the game. Only in coming to know God can we begin to know how God would have us act and live and behave and speak and show up in the world.

Especially when the spiritual twisties show up in your life, you can always rest and recover in the presence of God. It would overstate the text to say, first we do the knowing and then we do the living.  The reality is a bit more jumbledy than that.

What it is safe to say from the text is this: the grace is always there when you need it.  Step back. Breath. Listen for the gentle whisper. Anchor yourself in who God is and what God does. When you get to that place where you need to confess, in fact when you are brave enough to confess: “I’m done!”  God is ready to meet you in that moment. “I’m here.”