We are entering the story, placing ourselves in dialogue with Jesus. What a thrill it is to be face to face with Jesus. What a joy to be in his presence, hearing his word, receiving his instruction. Come, let us worship God!
Scriptures: 1 Kings 19:1-13 and Luke 19 1-10
Message: “What are you doing here?”
1 Kings 19:1-13
Elijah Flees to Horeb
(1) Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. (2) So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”
(3) Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, (4) while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. 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.” (5) Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” (6) He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.
(7) The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” (8) So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
(9) There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
(10) He replied, “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.”
(11) The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord , for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. (12) After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (13) When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
(1) Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. (2) A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. (3) He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. (4) So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
(5) When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (6) So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
(7) All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ”
(8) But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
(9) Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. (10) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
This is the word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God.
What are you doing here? I’m serious. What are you doing here?
Have you ever been somewhere that you shouldn’t have been and then questioned for the reason you’re there? Or have you ever taken a chance to be somewhere to be part of a unique event knowing that there was danger in being there?
In our scriptures today we find two men of different times and different situations looking for God. Both in danger and being questioned of their reasoning to be where they are.
Let’s take some time today and look at these two men and their situations.
Times are tough in Israel. Not only is there a searing drought, but there’s this ongoing battle between the worshipers of Yahweh (God) and the worshipers of the BaaIs (the Canaanite or Phoenician fertility gods). The battle is worsened when Ahab, the wimpy king of Israel (and a Yahweh-worshiper), takes Jezebel as his queen. She’s a bad temper Canaanite woman and a Baal-worshiper).
Jezebel becomes the patron, a sort of the patron saint and protector of the Baal-worshipers. She works hard to promote Baal worship as the official religion.
In the midst of this conflict stands the great prophet Elijah, a faithful servant of Yahweh. Whenever people are tempted, particularly by the drought to be unfaithful and fickle, they turn to worshiping the Baal fertility gods. Then Elijah preaches and calls them back to faithfulness. He effectively calls them back, and he’s a thorn in the side of Jezebel.
We’re told in 1 Kings 18, it all comes to a head in a contest on Mount Carmel. Elijah squares off against 450 priests of Baal. It’s 450 to one . The difference being, of course, that it’s really 450 priests with impotent gods against one Elijah with Yahweh, the only true God, creator of the heavens and the earth.
An altar of firewood is set up on the mountaintop, and the contest is to see whose gods or God will make the altar catch fire. The 450 Baal priests go first. They dance around, throw themselves on the ground, beat and whip themselves in a religious frenzy. But nothing happens.
Next it’s EIijah’s turn. But he decides to make things even tougher. He soaks the firewood with water, pours water all over it until there are streams of water draining off the altar. He calls Yahweh to show these phonies up in a miraculous way, and after a couple of prayers, the thing ignites.
Elijah then, in his zeal, incites the crowd of bystanders, calling them back to faithfulness in Yahweh, and he and the crowd take the 450 priests to the Kidron Stream and cut their heads off.
Need I tell you how angry that makes Queen Jezebel? Need I tell you how much pressure Jezebel puts on her wimpy husband, King Ahab, to get Elijah? Although no all-points bulletin goes out, Jezebel does make a clear threat to Elijah, telling him she will soon see him laid out like her 450 priests.
So that’s where this scripture picks up the story — at the time of the threat.
Elijah, who has been on such a high, who has just come from such a victory, who has just come from feeling he is being faithful and doing God’s work, now feels depressed, alone and dejected. It seems to him that the whole country is after him, and he feels like he’s the only prophet left giving a faithful Yahweh pitch. He’s sick and tired of being sick and tired. And makes a decision to run and hide from Jezebel, despite the big victory for him and God against the 450. So he runs, not certain whether his life and ministry need to go on.
Jezebel seems to have accepted the Mount Carmel thing as a minor setback. So here she is, coming at him again. So Elijah tries to escape, to retreat. He heads for the mountains in his depressed, exhausted state.
And look what happens. He falls asleep under a broom tree, and miraculously he is fed, nourished, sustained. Food and drink are placed there somehow by God, and EIijah is able to continue on his journey.
Eventually he holes up in a cave on Mount Horeb. Next comes a whirlwind or a tornado of a sort. But Yahweh, Elijah’s God, isn’t in the whirlwind. Then comes an earthquake. But Yahweh isn’t in the earthquake. And then comes fire, but Yahweh isn’t in that either.
All those signs are common in Old Testament stories. They are signs of a manifestation of God’s presence. But those things, the whirlwind, the earthquake, the fire, are not God. They’re just forerunners. Yahweh, Elijah’s God, our God, is not to be in any way confused with the forces of nature, whirlwind, earthquake, fire, despite the fact that insurance policies commonly refer to such calamities as “acts of God.” Our God is not simply the impersonal forces of nature. Our God is a personal God, one who communicates, acts, loves, and comes to us.
And that’s what happens with Elijah in his depression. God comes to him and communicates with him. The text says, “after the fire came a gentle whisper”.
“When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here Elijah?“(1 Kings 19:13)
Now let’s just for a moment leave our story of Elijah there and take a look at Zacchaeus‘ situation.
It’s not often that you see a grown man up in a tree. It’s kind of a ridiculous position to be in. The most famous example of such is found in our lesson for today from Luke’s Gospel. It is, of course, the story of Zacchaeus.
The story is set in Jericho. Jesus is passing through the city when he spots Zacchaeus peering at him from the branches of a sycamore-fig tree. What makes this scene particularly fascinating is that Zacchaeus is the town’s chief tax collector.
This is the only time in scripture the title “chief” is used with the title “tax collector.” Its meaning is not known exactly. It probably refers to the head of the local tax office. If so, Zacchaeus was probably responsible to the Roman government for the management of the local tax-collectors and their monies. This means that Zacchaeus was without doubt a very wealthy man. We also know that tax collectors were considered traitors of the Jewish community. And most likely hindered by the crowd to see Jesus.
This is not to say that Zacchaeus was without blame. As we noted Zacchaeus was a tax collector the chief tax collector. As you know, tax collectors were bitterly hated by the Jewish people. Tax collectors served the Romans. Most tax collectors were Jews, but in the people’s eyes they had denied their Jewish heritage and betrayed their country. They were completely cut off from the Jewish society and excommunicated from Jewish religion and privileges.
In their eyes tax collectors were usually cheats, dishonest and unjust men. The Roman government compensated tax collectors by allowing them to collect more than the percentage required for taxes. Tax collectors greedily abused their right, adding whatever percent they felt could be extorted. They took bribes from the wealthy who wished to avoid taxes. They fleeced the average citizen. They even swindled the government when they could. This is how most tax collectors became extremely wealthy.
Zacchaeus’ wealth is important for two reasons. First of all, Zacchaeus had all the pleasures and comforts of life which money could buy.
However, Zacchaeus’ wealth did not satisfy his deepest needs. Despite his wealth and the pleasures and comfort he enjoyed, he was apparently empty and lonely within. Why else would he have faced the crowd, endangering his own well-being and climb up a tree to see an itinerant teacher and preacher named Jesus?
Luke tells us that Zacchaeus was a short man. That’s generally a disadvantage in our world. Studies show that even to this day, society rewards men according to their physical height. That’s absurd, of course, and there have been many great men who have been diminutive in stature, but regardless, it can sometimes be a disadvantage. It was certainly a disadvantage for Zacchaeus in his attempt to see Jesus over the crowd.
So it seemed to him that there was no other way for him to see Jesus. This man of position and wealth humbled himself and climbed a tree. He was determined to see the Lord, and nothing was going to stop him.
Can’t you almost hear the crowd jeering him. Asking! “What are you doing here?
More than likely, Zacchaeus was experiencing the beginning of faith stirring within his heart. Maybe he like Elijah was hiding from the dangers around him until he heard God’s “gentle whisper”.
Zacchaeus wanted to know more about this man who was causing such a stir in his society. He had perhaps heard reports about Jesus being the Messiah. Maybe he heard about Jesus calling Matthew, another tax collector, to be one of his disciples. Zacchaeus may have begun to believe these reports and to hope that they were true. His efforts to see Jesus and his resulting response to Jesus are evidence that there was some strong impulse driving him toward spiritual growth.
So, as Jesus is proceeding through the city he looks up and spots Zacchaeus in this tree. We shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus noticed Zacchaeus. Jesus sees every person, no matter where he or she may be. Know this there is one person in particular whom Jesus sees. He sees the person who is seeking him. Jesus knows our need and reaches out to meet that need.
Zacchaeus was desperate to see Jesus, so he struggled against the odds and found a place where his view would be unimpeded. The place he chose meant humiliating himself in front of his neighbors, but he was willing to do whatever it took to get a look at the Savior. And, because Zacchaeus sought so diligently to see Jesus, Jesus saw him.
Jesus knew and called him by name. “Zacchaeus,” Jesus called to him, “come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” This was bound to get Zacchaeus’ attention. When anyone, especially a stranger, calls us by name, our ears perk up and our senses become more alert. Jesus knows every person’s name. He wants to address every one of us like he addressed Zacchaeus in the fig tree or Elijah in the cave, but we must do as Zacchaeus and Elijah. Seek to find a place where we can see Jesus; then Jesus will see us and call us by name.
So I ask you again! “What are you doing here?”
Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired like Elijah or Zacchaeus? Many in our country today are struggling and seeking hope. With the elections looming and the daily struggles they face, physically, economically and socially the dangers of this life surround us. We are being bombarded by so many asking, “Where do you stand?” What are you going to do? What are you doing here?
Maybe, just maybe, before we make any decisions, draw any conclusions or go to our voting place we should find ourselves quietly waiting on that “gentle whisper”. Undistracted by the turmoil around us, it may not be in a fig tree or in a cave. It may be in a still quiet moment at home or even here today.
Maybe, just maybe you should ask yourself, “What am I doing here?”
Are you seeking Jesus? Are you confident that he knows you by name? Is God calling to you like he did to Elijah and Zacchaeus, calling them by name?
Our God is a personal God, one who communicates, acts, loves, and comes to us. God knows your name and what you need.
Today, right now, there is one person in particular whom Jesus sees. He sees the person who is seeking him. Jesus knows our need and reaches out to meet that need.
God knows why you are here. Do you?
It’s by the grace of God that we have an opportunity to know his son Jesus. He already knows us by name. He calls to us to trust in Him alone and seek His will for our lives.
Our God is a personal God, one who communicates, acts, loves, and comes to us. God knows your name and what you need.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Amen!
What are you doing here?
In His service,
Pastor Joe
Listen To Audio:Sermon 20221030
Listen to Audio: Service 10302022
Call to Worship:
L: With the pressing crowds, searching for healing and hope,
P: We wish to see Jesus.
L: With the pushed out and cast aside, with the lonely lost, stripped of pride,
P: We wish to see Jesus.
L: With those who seek mystery and meaning, wisdom and grace,
P: We wish to see Jesus.
Prayer of Confession: We are powerless and have taken our focus off your Word… that we have not allowed your Word to work in our lives, yet we continue to cry out to you in times of trouble and need. Grant understanding and wisdom that we may see your vision and apply it in our lives. Hear our prayer, O God, and Call us back to you. Through Christ we pray. Amen.
ANOUNCEMENTS
Pastor Joe will be available at the church on Thursday Morning from 11:00 to 1:00. If you need to speak to him, contact Pastor Joe at 570-267-4570 (cell) or Email: joe.s.travis@gmail.com
Loose change goes to Trehab Local Food Bank.
Feed a Friend Mission is still going on, monetary gifts only please.
Sunday School starts at 8:30am
Choir practice will be on Thursday at 1:00 P.M.
Soup & Bake Sale, Friday, November 4th 9am to 2pm and Saturday, November 5th 9am to 1pm
Social Hour following church on November 6th.
Election Day is November 8th.
Presbyterian Women will meet on Thursday, November 10th at 11 A.M.
The Great Bend United Methodists will be hosting a VETERAN’S DAY service on Friday Nov. 11 at 7:00 pm. All are welcome.
Men’s Breakfast, Wednesday November 16th at 8:00 A.M.
Session will meet on Saturday, November 19, 2022, at 9am in the community building.
Newsletter Deadline, Tuesday, November 29, 2022
The Worship Committee will be decorating the church and tree in blue, silver and white colors this year for the Christmas season. We thought it would be nice to include an ornament from each person or family on the tree in any of these colors. They can be store bought or crafted by hand. Anyone interested may give the ornament to Vickie, Gwenn, or Sandy before Nov. 20th.
St Paul’s Episcopal church in Montrose, is hosting speaker and book writer Barbara Crafton who will speak on the topic, “The Courage to Grow Old.” This is free and open to the public. Date: Saturday November 12 Time: 10:00 a.m. Lunch follows
