No Power In Death

Thirteenth Sunday in Course 2023

Anyone who has even modest cultural understanding has heard of the prophet Elijah, who is associated with Israelite king Ahab and his pagan wife, Jezebel. Like us, Elijah lived in a culture that had turned its back on the true God, YHWH, and fallen into all kinds of idolatry and debauchery. And that was led by the king and queen. Who could ever forget the story of the ritual battle between Elijah and the false prophets of Baal and Astarte, where God caused fire to rain down from heaven and consume Elijah’s offering, thus showing that Elijah’s God was true and Baal was a phony?

What many have forgotten is that Elijah’s disciple, Elisha, was in his day even more famous than he, and that more of his miracles are recorded in Sacred Scripture. We hear of one today, when a woman of Shunem was hospitable to Elisha, even having a room prepared for his visits. It was like a hotel having a presidential suite only for the prophet. She had no son, and her husband was old. Those were the days before life insurance and women inheriting from their husbands, so when Elisha realized her predicament, he called on the Lord, and if you read on–and you should–in 2 Kings, you’ll see that in less than a year, God healed her sterility and gave her a son. Not only that, but when in several years the boy took ill and died, Elisha brought him back to life. God is not outdone ever in generosity. His faithfulness is as unchanging as the heavens.

Every year we are confronted by the reality of death. It may be an old school friend, or relative, or some famous entertainment star. Death might take a very old person, but young people also die. Nobody gets out of this life without passing through that last gate. But if we have died sacramentally already, by being baptized into our Lord Jesus Christ, if we have lived in the obedience of faith, then remember that Christ, having died and risen, cannot die again. If we are by His power incorporated into Christ, into His mystical Body, then death has no power over us either. So writes St. Paul. But in the end, we must live by obedience through our faith, that wonderful gift of God. We have to be dead to sin so that we can remain alive in Christ, and celebrate that life with each other as we weekly gather for the Eucharistic commemoration.

Jesus gives us a remarkable image of the obedience of faith. He tells us that we must every day pick up our own cross and follow Christ carrying His. If we want true life, we must be ready to give up this one. Now that might be dramatic, like the many martyrs who witnessed to Christ all the way to death. St. Paul himself on several occasions had to choose between this life and his witness. He was beaten, flogged, even stoned and left for dead. Each time the Lord brought him through, until after he wrote bishop Timothy his last testament, the Romans finally cut off his head. That didn’t end his witness, however; a great deal of the New Testament is either his story or his letters to the churches.

Let’s all learn lessons from our Scriptures today. Trust in God to take care of us, but go ahead and own life insurance, too. Reflect on death and give up your sinful habits, whether they have to do with alcohol or gambling or pornography or even video games. Be thankful each day for the call of Christ, and be ready every evening when you retire, repenting any sins you may have committed so you can confidently commit yourself to the arms of Christ when you pass from this mortal time.