2 Kings 4:1-7 NIV
The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." 3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." 5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
“Jars of Oil”
She Has Nothing
ILLUS-
A young college co-ed came running in tears to her father. "Dad, you gave me some terrible financial advice!"
"I did? What did I tell you?" said the dad.
"You told me to put my money in that big bank, and now that big bank is in trouble."
"What are you talking about? That's one of the largest banks in the state," he said. "there must be some mistake."
"I don't think so," she sniffed. "They just returned one of my checks with a note saying, 'Insufficient Funds'."
It just so happens, in our scripture text today… we find another woman crying. Our story begins with a widow weeping. It’s not just because her husband was dead… even though that would be enough... but she is also buried in debt. It really wasn’t even their fault! They did the best they could on a prophet’s salary… which wasn’t much. They were good and kind people who just got a little behind. No matter what they did it seemed like they never had enough. They were never able to get ahead. Once they were in that hole, it seemed like they would never be able to crawl out of it.
And now… now that her husband was dead, the creditors wanted to settle the account. Now, this was a time before they even had coins or money for trade. Instead… it was a barter economy where your land, your property… even YOU were the only things worth anything. This widow didn’t have land and she didn’t have any property. It didn’t matter… they’d find a way to settle the account. The most obvious solution: her two sons. Her two sons could make themselves indentured servants, and work for years… and years to pay off the debt. The creditor would become their master, and they would become his property. Setting their mother free… they would become slaves. The two boys would not be free until the debt was reconciled.
Desperate, the widow turned to Elisha, a friend of her husbands. “Help me! Help me please! My boys cannot become slaves, yet I don’t know any other way out! I’m desperate here. Please, PLEASE… their must be something that you can do?” I’m not sure what she expected. Perhaps there was a charity that could help. Perhaps Elisha could talk to the man and convince him to forgive the debt! Maybe Elisha could walk in with his staff and bring the fire of God down upon their heads! Who wouldn’t like that! God sending fireballs down upon your credit card company… wiping them clean off the face of the Earth. In fact… I want to be the next in line to talk to Elisha.
But Elisha doesn’t get out his checkbook. Elisha doesn’t go to plead with the man. Elisha does not bring fire and brimstone down upon her creditors. He asks a simple question: “How can I help you? Tell me what do you have in your house?”
She replied, “Your servant has nothing there at all, except… except for this little bit of oil.” Now remember, in a cashless society… oil is as good as money. Oil could buy her freedom. But this little bit of oil… it wasn’t worth much. Really… it wasn’t worth anything. She says this is all I have, and I know it is nothing. I know… I’m nothing. Your servant… has nothing… nothing at all.
I Have Nothing
You know… I think I’ve heard that somewhere before. Perhaps I’ve said it. At the very least… I’ve thought it! Maybe you’ve said it. At the very least… maybe you’ve thought it! I have nothing… nothing at all. It seems that way for more and more people today as it becomes harder and harder to make ends meet. I would guess this about goes for everybody. In today’s economy, it is getting harder and harder to get ahead. In fact, it is becoming easier and easier to fall behind. So, even though we may be separated from this widow by thousands of years… we may find we have something in common with her today.
We find in our widow… a woman overwhelmed by the role of finances in her life. Is that so strange to us? We find in our widow… someone defeated by life… so that when the prophet asks… “What do you have for me to work with,” I imagine she had to fight back a laugh when she responded “What do I have to work with? I have nothing!”
Perhaps that is how you feel when God asks you… “What do you have for me to work with?” And we ponder… what DO I have? Perhaps it would be ok if God only needed very LITTLE from us. But no… instead he asks so very much from us! He wants our time, when we have so little time left at the end of the week. He wants our talents, when… really… what does he think I can do? He wants our finances… ONLY 10%... when everybody else (and their dog) already has their hands in our pockets. So today… when we come to the pivotal point of our stewardship series, and God is asking you… “What do you have for me to work with,” perhaps you are trying to hold back a chuckle… as you say “What do I have for you to work with? I have nothing! Nothing at all!”
Only This Little Jar of Oil
Only this little jar of oil. [Hold up the half empty bottle of oil.] That’s it. This is what I have! And it’s almost empty. It’s nothing really. But hey… if you want it, it’s yours! Elisha responds, “Well why didn’t you say so. Here… go to your neighbors and have them give you every single empty jar they can spare. Don’t ask for just a couple… don’t ask for just a few… ask them to give you every jar, every pot, every cup, every empty container they can spare… and take it back to your home. Close the door, and begin filling them with your oil.
And she began to pour. [Take out a few jars.] And she poured. [Take out a few more jars.] And she poured. [Take out a few more jars.] And she poured. [Take out the rest of the jars.]
When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then (and only then) the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told Elisha, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
What God Can Do With an Empty Vessel
This is it. This is all I have. This… empty jar of oil. It’s so small… it’s nothing… really. God wouldn’t want this. The one thing the widow forgot… the one thing that you and I sometimes forget… is what God can do with an empty vessel. The widow didn’t fill one jar. She didn’t fill two jars. She filled jar… after jar… after jar… after jar. It was enough to pay down her debt AND… there was enough left over for her and her boys to live on! THAT is what God’s love is like! THAT is what God’s abundance is like. Once again, we are reminded in this scripture reading that God doesn’t just give what is needed, he gives more than enough!
That is how God works… time and time again. We may think that what we have is small… but we forget how much God can do! I’ve only got a few fish and a few loaves… “Great, I’ll take it, and we’ll feed these 5,000 people.” I’ve only got this one small mite to give… it’s all I have, “Holy smokes… hey disciples, come check this out, this woman given more than anyone else today!”
We may think our time is limited, but we forget how much God makes every single second count. We may think that what we offer won’t make that big of a difference… but we forget how much God blesses our ministries. We need to remember who God is and what God can do.
Today, as we gather downstairs and fill out our pledge cards, we need to remember that God will do some great and amazing things with every little bit that we choose to give God. We must ask ourselves… how much do we trust in God… how much do we believe that God will do amazing things with our gifts… how much faith we have that God can take our offering… no matter what size it is… and turn it into something so much more!
Maybe you think all you have to offer today is a small empty vessel… maybe today YOU are feeling like an empty vessel… like you have nothing to share… nothing to give. Our scripture text speaks… it says trust God. Allow God to work… and watch the amazing things God can do. Because he has experience with taking empty vessels… and making them overflow with abundance.
Just look at the ways that God has already blessed our church, and God will continue to bless our church. As we look ahead to the coming year, we have made bold plans as a church. We have asked for an increase to our budget so that we can do more ministry and reach even more people because we trust that God can and will work through us all. We need your help… and God’s help to fulfill these plans. So please… as we complete this years stewardship drive… we ask you to lift your jars up to God and to trust him with their care.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
