A Joint Venture

Scripture Passage that caught my attention today: 2 Kings 4:1-7 Now the wife of a member of the company of prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead; and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but a creditor has come to take my two children as slaves.” 2 Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” She answered, “Your servant has nothing in the house, except a jar of oil.” 3 He said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not just a few. 4 Then go in, and shut the door behind you and your children, and start pouring into all these vessels; when each is full, set it aside.” 5 So she left him and shut the door behind her and her children; they kept bringing vessels to her, and she kept pouring. 6 When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” But he said to her, “There are no more.” Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your children can live on the rest.”

Observation: In a scene reminiscent of Elijah visiting the widow of Zarapheth (1 Kings 17:9ff), this woman’s oil did not run out until there were no more vessels within which to store it. And the oil had value, enough to pay off all of the woman’s debts with some left over upon which to live.

Application: Setting aside, for the moment, the seemingly miraculous nature of this story, a fundamental question remains; does God provide enough for our needs?

I think we all want to answer yes to that question, but doubts remain. One need not look very far to see examples of situations in which there does not seem to be enough. Otherwise there would be no need for the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and other such relief efforts.

On the other hand, as many have pointed out before, the way in which God provides is often through the miraculous inspiration of others to lend a helping hand. In the passage above it was the neighbors who provided the necessary vessels, even though God provided the oil. It was a joint venture, as is often the case.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for what you provide. Help us to see what you have enabled us to provide. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: 2 Kings 4-5, Psalm 83, and 1 Timothy 2)