I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God Almighty.
1 Kings 19:1-18
What are you doing here?
This was the question that God raised to Elijah more than three thousand years ago.
The same question has been echoing along the centuries in very different contexts of time and situation.
Let us think of the period of the Protestant Reformation when a still unknown German monk, whose name was Martin Luther, strongly protested against the teaching and the practice of indulgences and by doing this he ignited one of the greatest Revolutions that history has ever known: a revolution that represented an element of progress, of emancipation, of freedom. What are you doing here , Martin Luther? How dare you imperil the unity of the Christian church that has lasted without interruption for so many centuries? How dare you jeopardize the role of the roman pope, one of the holiest and most prestigious authorities that the world has ever had?
The same question was raised in Italy to a few Protestants or Waldensians claiming the right to openly profess their faith in Jesus Christ. What are you doing here Waldensians? Don’t you know that this is a roman catholic country? How dare you break with the religious tradition of the majority of Italian people?
The same question can be raised to you, dear Sisters and dear Brothers in Christ.
What are you doing here?What is the meaning of your presence today inside this magnificent building that no more than 30 years ago was full of people? You are so few. Aren’t you? What are you doing here? Wandering through this beautiful sanctuary don’t you have at times the feeling of being like survivors in a world that has dramatically changed in these last years?
How often, dear friends, have you had the temptation to drop everything and to adapt yourselves to the schemes of this difficult time? How often have you wondered whether it was worth continuing to be Christians in a secularized world that pretends to have nothing to do with God? How many times have you wondered whether it was worth continuing to devote your energies to a church whose existence is at stake ?
A dear friend of this church wrote me a thoughtful letter by wondering: Why bother? Why waste one’s time. Life, especially in a church, is surely better elsewhere.
What are you doing here?
In the text we have read this question resounds twice and twice we hear the same answer: I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God Almighty. I have been very zealous.
What a strange word one, that today is very difficult to understand. What is the sense of this word? How is it possible to be zealous for God?
Before answering this question, I think that in order to avoid any form of misunderstanding, it would be better to replace this word zealous with three other words, whose meaning is well known: enthusiasm, eagerness and fervour. So to be zealous for God means simply to have an attitude of enthusiasm, eagerness and fervour in terms of love, dedication and devotion to the Lord, the God Almighty.But let us take a further step by asking what it means in concrete terms to be zealous for God? In the history of Israel and of the Christian church there are many examples of what this enthusiasm and fervour have meant. This was the enthusiasm and fervour that Moses felt when, while descending from the Horeb, became angry to find that his people had replaced the God of Israel with other gods. In fact Moses didn’t tolerate that the God of Israel could be blasphemed ignored or confused with idols.This was the enthusiasm and fervour that prompted Joshua to raise to the people of Israel the question: choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the Lord , or the gods of the people, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
This was the enthusiasm and fervour that motivated the apostle Paul who refused to compromise with those people who preached another Gospel.
This was the enthusiasm and fervour that the German Reformer Martin Luther felt, when, summoned to appear before Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in April 1521 and to told to recant, refused firmly saying: Unless I’m convinced by Scripture and clear reason, I cannot recant since it is not safe for anyone to go against conscience.
This was the enthusiasm and fervour that inspired the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer to become engaged in the movement of resistance against Nazism and to sacrifice his life in the gallows.
All these people had enthusiasm and fervour for God.
Are we capable, dear Sisters and dear Brothers in Christ, to have such an enthusiasm and fervour towards God or are we unable to go beyond a vague and moderate interest in God?
Our generation has other kinds of enthusiasm. An enthusiasm for politics, an enthusiasm for questions of the environment, for social justice, for careers, for sport activities and for many other things, but not for God.Enthusiasm and fervour for God? No thank you, someone might reply, smiling. It is outdated.
In fact, our entire way of being, of reasoning prevents us from having such an enthusiasm and fervour for God.On the other hand, many might wonder, what would be the sense of having such enthusiasm and fervour for God? Is it not true that all religions are equivalent? There are other things that deserve our enthusiasm.
Dear Sisters and dear Brothers in Christ, herein lies the crux of the real problem of our churches. As the author of the book of Revelation pointed out in his letter to the church of Laodicea, we are neither cold nor warm. We are simply lukewarm.With the passing of time we have been losing this enthusiastic devotion, this love for God. We are no longer capable of loving God with all our heart, with all our mind and with all our soul. For us other issues, other things come before God.
We have become incapable of preaching the Gospel and convincing people to be Christians since we ourselves are not truly convinced that only Christ is the way, the resurrection and the life.
Let me say that this is the reason why our churches are declining, why the pews are so empty, why we are so discouraged, why we don’t have serious perspectives and clear visions, why we are so terrified of the future to the point of wondering, as our moderator did in her book, will our church disappear?
In just such a predicament, in which the churches live without ideals and try to get along and survive somehow, we encounter someone like Elijah who tells us: I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God Almighty, that is to say I had enthusiasm and fervour for God. And behind Elijah stand many generations of believers, including the apostle Paul, Joshua, the Reformers, the Waldensians and all those who have witnessed for Christ in spite of persecution, even those who more than one century ago built this church for the exclusive purpose to glorify God.These people, in the most different contexts of time and situation, have been very zealous for the LORD, the God Almighty. They gave priority to God and this was for them the most important and essential thing in their lives.They could have chosen the values of paganism, but this was not what Elijah did. They could have chosen the teaching of indulgences, but this was not what Luther did.
They could have chosen the philosophy of Nazism, but this was not what Dietrich Bonhoeffer did.
These people decided to put their trust only in the God of Abraham and of Jesus Christ, the God who cannot be confused with other gods, since he is the only God.
To be zealous for God, that is to say, to have a fervent ardor for God, to be capable of loving Him with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, this is the task that is before us, that is before you, dear members of Erskine and American Church and of Italian Church of the Redeemer.
To have enthusiasm, to have love for God, this is what we have to discover today. Every great and commanding moment in history has been the triumph of some enthusiasm. In every person’s and every church’s life there come moments when we need enthusiasm.We need no other solution than this: to be zealous for God, to have enthusiasm, eagerness, fervour. And so to the question what are you doing here, members of the Erskine and American Church and of the Italian Church of the Redeemer ?, we must only respond :we are here since we have been very zealous for the Lord, God Almighty.
Let us pray.
Ever gracious God, who has called men and women from near and far into the fellowship of Your church, watch over these congregations. Increase their members’ zeal for Your kingdom. Distribute among them the varied interests and abilities needed for effective witness and unite them all in faith, hope and love. You awake us to delight in Your praise; for You made us for Yourself, and our heart is restless, until it reposes in You.
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