Jesus, Elijah, and the Widow

READ: 1 KINGS 17:8-24; LUKE 4:14-30; 7:11-17; JOHN 6:28-40

In a time of drought and famine, God sends the prophet Elijah to a non-Jewish area to look for a widow who would feed him. Surprisingly, when Elijah finds this widow, she tells him she cannot feed him because she has only enough for one last, meager meal before she and her son succumb to starvation. The woman is hopeless, resigned to a bleak future in which she cannot save herself or her child. But Elijah tells her that God is going to do something miraculous: He is going to make sure her flour and her oil won’t run out until the famine is over.

And that’s exactly what happens. The woman is able to feed her family and Elijah for some time with flour and oil, but her son eventually becomes sick and dies anyway. The widow says to Elijah, “Man of God, what do you have against me? Have you come to call attention to my iniquity so that my son is put to death?” (1 Kings 17:18). But when Elijah prays, God brings her son back to life, demonstrating His great mercy and power.

Generations later, when Jesus compares His ministry to this story of Elijah and a Gentile (non-Jewish) widow, His Jewish listeners are so enraged, they try to push Him off a cliff. Miraculously, Jesus is able to walk away from the mob unharmed, but this incident illustrates just how hard their hearts were to the idea of God loving and helping people unlike themselves—even though the Old Testament is full of stories of God reaching out to Gentiles.

Beyond being a message about God’s love for all people, this story of Elijah and the widow points forward to Christ in very profound ways. Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life, and He also raises a widow’s son from the dead. The raising of these widows’ sons anticipates how Jesus would rise from the grave too. Through His own death and resurrection, Jesus delivers us from hopelessness and from death. We don’t have to fear the future or try to save ourselves because He is our salvation, and His plan is to raise us to new life at His return. Then there will be no more famine, no more death, and we will live with Him forever. • Amber Vanderhoof

• Is there any area of your life that feels hopeless right now? Consider taking a moment to talk to Jesus about this and ask Him to help you see how He is bringing hope.

• Are there any people or groups in your life that you don’t expect God to reach with His good news about Jesus? Consider taking a moment to pray and ask God to open your eyes and your heart to His work among people who are different from you.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news…” Luke 4:18 (CSB)