Ordinary Time, Proper 5, Year C, Old Testament Lesson
Scripture: 1 Kings 17:8-16
The widow in today’s Old Testament lesson was certainly walking through an “ordinary” day when Elijah called upon her. Our lesson from this morning is a great reminder that ordinary days quickly become extraordinary when they are spent with faith in the Lord.
Sometimes it is hard to trust that there will be enough for everyone. It is easy for many of us to identify with the widow’s plight – even if not personally. She works tirelessly to provide for her family, yet, at the end of the day it feels like she will never have enough. We are conditioned in our society to always desire more and to feel like what we have will not sustain us. The widow’s plight is different as she is in real danger of starvation. Oftentimes it takes seeing a situation like this to remind us where we stand in the world. When Elijah comes to the widow and delivers his request from God, he is asking something that sounds impossible. But as we know from the miracle of the loaves and fishes, God has the power to make abundance from scarcity for those with faith. That abundance can come from simply a shift in perception or even, as with the widow, from a physical transformation of resources.
Download the lesson plans for Proper 5
LPTW Proper 5, Year C, Younger Children, Old Testament
LPTW Proper 5, Year C, Older Children, Old Testament