Trinity 12 – Fed by Ravens
Bishop Ray Sutton

In the operating room of a large hospital, a young nurse was completing her first full day of responsibilities. “You've only removed 11 sponges, doctor," she said to the surgeon. "We used 12."   "I removed them all," the doctor declared. "We'll close the incision now."”No," the nurse objected. "We used 12 sponges." “I'll take full responsibility," the surgeon said grimly.  “Suture!” ”You can't do that!" blazed the nurse. "Think of the patient." The surgeon smiled, lifted his foot, and showed the nurse the 12th sponge. "You'll do just fine nurse, I’m proud of you" he encouraged.

Taking a stand when you’re the only one is not easy. It takes great courage to stand up for what is right when you’re the only one. Sadly, the only one often does not speak up and take a stand. There was a test conducted by a university where 10 students were placed in a room. Three lines of varying length were drawn on a card. The students were told to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the longest line. But nine of the students had been instructed beforehand to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the second longest line. One student was the stooge. The usual reaction of the stooge was to put his hand up, look around, and realizing he was all alone, pull it back down. This happened 75% of the time, with students from grade school through high school. The researchers concluded that many would rather be popular than be right. 

Our final stained glass window to consider captures a scene of an Old Testament figure name Elijah. He was willing to stand up for what he thought was right, even if he was reduced to a life alone in the desert. If you recall the story, he was called by God to be a prophet. It was a time in the land of Israel when a wicked leader named Ahab was on the throne. The evil king misled the whole nation. The entire culture began to collapse under his influence. Only one person was willing to stand up to him, Elijah.

It takes unusual courage to oppose a person of power. Many years ago, Nikita Khrushchev, a former premier of Soviet Russia, was said to have denounced many of the policies and atrocities of Joseph Stalin, his debauched predecessor. Once, as he denounced Stalin in a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a shout from a heckler in the audience. "You were one of Stalin's colleagues. Why didn't you stop him?"  "Who said that?" roared Khrushchev. An agonizing silence followed as nobody in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev replied quietly, "Now you know why."

Elijah the Old Testament prophet spoke up to an evil leader. The text of Scripture records his words: “Now Elijah the Tishbite, . . . said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Not only did Elijah tell the king he was wrong; he gave the monarch the bad news of a coming drought. He also added that the only way the rains would resume was “by my word.” In this instance, Elijah had to take a message to a man of power that he did not want to hear. He also had to tell this king that he was being judged for his wickedness. Lastly, the prophet had to tell him that he was God’s instrument in rendering judgment.

Elijah paid a high price for his courage, a lonely existence. He was temporarily not very popular for what he did. Elijah was driven into a lonely existence.  Shortly after his exchange with the king he fled into the desert. Yet, God never deserted him. While in the desert, the Lord provided for him. The Word of God tells how the Lord sent ravens to bring him “meat and bread in the morning and meat and bread in the evening” (1 Kings 17:6). Our beautiful window pictures the blood-red meat that was brought to the prophet. If you follow closely what happened, you’ll notice that God sent the prophet flesh and blood. The imagery is powerful. God provided a communion for the prophet. He was not alone, for he had God. And for Elijah that was enough.

C. S. Lewis once observed, “He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone.” Maude Royden put it the following: “When you have nothing left but God, then you become aware that God is enough.” Elijah was reduced to having nothing but God because of his stand. The passage, however, teaches us that with God and communion with Him, we have everything. In the final analysis, this is the last lesson of life. We bring nothing in and we take nothing out. All that is important is knowing God and having Him.

As Christians, we live in perilous times. We are called to speak up and stand up. If we do, we will find ourselves feeling alone much like Elijah. We must remember how God provided for him. The Lord takes care of those who stand for Him. And so He will for us. I like it that the Elijah window is one of the last windows we see before we walk into the world. When we leave, we should be reminded of Elijah’s courage and the price that he paid. At the same time, we must forget that God goes with us wherever we go. He offers Himself to us no matter the circumstance. We are never truly alone with Him at our side. And with His presence, we have the precious communion of His Son, who is offered to us in Holy Communion. The saying is true, therefore, “When you have nothing left but God, then you become aware that God is enough.” Amen.