Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church Reverend James Douthwaite

40 days and 40 nights Elijah walked, until he reached Horeb, the mount of God. The mount where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Now where God would speak to Elijah. A 40 day and 40 night trek for Elijah, from death to life. Elijah's story is important for us. He had just finished one of the greatest prophetic victories of all time, defeating the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. But rather than being filled with boldness and confidence, Elijah fled. For faith, we need the word and promises -- and food -- of God.

Has anyone ever broken a promise made to you? Have you ever broken a promise you made? I don't know of anyone who would say no to either of those questions. So maybe in our day and age, we should have a new saying to reflect the times. Promises, like the date on a gallon of milk, are meant to expire. But today we heard of our God who both makes and keeps His promises. A God we can rely on and count on and believe in. A God who will lay down His life for us. To save us.

40 days and 40 nights. That's how long Nineveh had. Forty days, Jonah cried out, and Nineveh will be overthrown. What would you have done? If you are given 40 days, what would you do? I think we would try to save our lives. That's what the people of Nineveh did. At the preaching of the Word of the Lord, Nineveh was transformed from a den of iniquity into a chapel of fasting, prayer, and repentance. They did not know, but they hoped, that God would relent -- that they would not perish.

The people of Israel were in trouble. Deep trouble. They were dying. So God had mercy on them and sent fiery serpents among them. Wait! What? The people were dying not because of the serpents, they were dying because of their unbelief. They were dead and dying in their trespasses and sins. Their unbelief was the problem. The serpents were the solution. And they did the trick! The people returned to the Lord. They repented. And once again, God was merciful and gracious.

40 days and 40 nights. Actually, that sounds pretty good if you're Israel in the wilderness. They would have taken that in a heartbeat! What they got instead was 40 years. That's not how God planned it, of course. Of the twelve spies they sent into Canaan, to spy it out, to see how they might go in, ten of the twelve told them not to go. So the people, filled with fear and trebling, rebelled. They forgot the mighty deeds God had done to bring them out of Egypt. So, God decided, 40 years.

What if I were to burst into a house and start tearing it apart as Jesus did? Well, it depends on whose house it is! Unless... it's MY house! Then I can do whatever I want to it. So when Jesus goes into the Temple that day, and begins overturning tables and driving out the animals, some thought He had not right to do so. But they were wrong. The Temple was God's house and so Jesus' house! The key to this reading is not what Jesus DID, but who Jesus IS.