THOUGHTS OF A MONK

“Life-Giving”

1 Kings 17:17-24; 2Cor 8:1-9; Lk 7:11-17
November 12, 2006

Jesus Christ is the Lord of Life and the Lord of Death. The Gospel story about the widow of Nain is telling us that God is the ultimate authority around life and death. The story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings affirms the same thing.  And yet how easy it is to think otherwise. Seeing human beings actively involved in work that extends and improves the conditions of life, encourages us to see human power matching or surpassing that of God. Whether we are talking about medical advances in finding cures for diseases or research that helps us learn how to better take care of ourselves and thus live longer, fuller lives, we can interpret this as proof that science and human knowledge are the most important factors in life and death. However, no matter how great the medical advances that make life better and allow people to live longer, and these are wonderful, they do not mean that we humans have suddenly become the creators of life. To extend life is not to create life.

So it is on the other side of the ledger too. We may in a somewhat twisted way think that we humans have become the arbiters of death when we notice how often human action becomes the cause of death: abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, war, terrorism and thoughtlessness or carelessness that lead to accidental death. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the sight of human action leading to pre-mature death that we can readily conclude that humans are indeed the arbiters of life and death.  In St John’s Gospel, Pilate asks Jesus: “Don’t you realize that I have the authority to let you go and the authority to crucify you.” In other words he is claiming to have the power of life and death over Jesus. And Christ’s reply is to simply state that whatever power Pilate has over him is given to him from above.

In today’s Gospel the miracle performed by Jesus symbolizes the truth that the ultimate authority behind life and death is God.  Yet Jesus is also showing us, within our time bound reality, how we are to live. The people’s response to his action is to declare, “God has visited his people.” And to what end? Jesus Christ answers that when he acts with compassion toward the widow in this story. His action is life giving. For us to learn how to be life giving we need to notice the sequence of Jesus Christ’s actions in this passage.  His first concern is for the widow who has lost her only son. And the action he takes is linked directly to his compassion for her, for the Gospel points out that when the son’s life is restored, Jesus “gives him back to his mother.” He completes the action that is the direct result of his compassion for her. The lesson for us is not about claiming to be life creators replacing God, but rather life givers, co-actors with God.

The task set before us by this Gospel passage, to live lives of compassion, is amplified by St. Paul who tells to the Corinthians, to be generous to those in need. St. Paul was engaged in his campaign to help the Church of Jerusalem that was in need.  He cites as the example for the people of Corinth, and for us, the Macedonian Church, which was far from well off, but which gave generously to this cause. So Jesus and St Paul are both telling us the same thing:  Live your life for others and you gain your life.  Or said another way, those who lose their lives actually gain them, because in that action, we are gaining the greatest support and gift of all, God with us, visiting us, accompanying us on this great journey back to him.

And so that is why the life giving actions that we noted in the beginning need not be interpreted as a confirmation of our taking over from God but rather that we are doing what we have been commissioned by God through Christ to do: to show compassion and take action that makes life better for all people.  Give life back to those from who it may have been taken, by disease, epidemic, fire, storm, pestilence, war, crime, and an endless host of other causes. Offer a life-giving word of consolation to someone suffering sorrow.  Give encouragement to someone battling depression. Give a helping hand to someone who is overburdened.  Give to the poor who are in need of food and clothing. And on this Veteran’s Day weekend, notice the sacrifice of so many service men and women who have given the ultimate gift of their lives for others.  If we had read a couple of verses further in the passage from St. Paul to the Corinthians we would have noticed him exhorting them to go beyond the moment of feeling compassion and noticing the urge to be generous, and to take the next step and actually put those urgings into action. This is Christ’s message; this is his example. This is why we sing “O Giver of Life, Christ our God: Glory to you!”

Glory be to Jesus Christ!  Glory forever!