This weekend we hear about the prophet Elisha in 2 Kings. Elisha is the successor to the more well-known prophet of Elijah. Elisha watched as Elijah was whisked away to heaven in a whirlwind of fire. He received Elijah’s mantle and a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. With this double portion, Elisha performed 28 miracles to Elijah’s 14.
Today, we have a fun little story where a wealthy woman gives Elisha a little room in her home where he can stay when he visits. Let’s take a closer look at this great little scene.
Elisha goes to Shunem. Where in the world is that? Shunem is located in the northern part of the Holy Land, a few miles south of Nazareth. Shunem was located on a hill that was close to Nain, which is the village where Jesus interrupted a funeral to raise a widow’s son from the dead (Lk 7:11-17). Interestingly, the son promised by Elisha, whom we hear about at the end of our verses today will eventually die unexpectedly and Elisha will raise him from the dead. The prophet Elisha anticipates Christ.
Elisha does quite a bit of traveling and periodically stops to see this woman to share a meal. Let me add that there is something beautiful about those who have the gift of hospitality. It really is a great gift to make people feel welcome and provide for their needs. We see a beautiful relationship here – the woman provides for the physical needs of Elisha, while Elisha nourishes her with the things of the Lord.
The woman recognizes that there is something special about Elisha. In her words, he is a “man of God.” Again, there is something refreshing about being around those who make God present – through their personalities, their gifts, and their generosity. I am very blessed to be around many people who make God present.
The woman decides to set up a little room for Elisha where he can stay when passing through. Unfortunately, at this point our lectionary cuts out some verses that are actually quite helpful. Elisha calls the woman and asks what he can do for her. She responds by basically saying, “I am fine. I don’t need anything.”
Here, we can see an important point. Things are not always what they seem on the surface. This woman is well to do. She has friends. On the surface, everything seems great. In our day, not everyone has their act together. In fact, no one really does. That’s why Jesus came for us.
Digging a little deeper, we discover that this poor woman carries a deep wound. She has no son and her husband is old. Infertility is a heavy cross today for many couples. In biblical times it was a heavy burden in that children were a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham. The woman has lost hope in having a family. A helpful reminder that everyone carries something – we have wounds, i.e., wounds from parents, siblings, a spouse, from friends, or from our own choices.
Wounds affect us deeply. And like this woman, many times we put on a persona that everything is fine. Thankfully, though, Jesus always sees our wounds and with great tenderness, wants to heal them. And it can be scary to allow Him to do so! There is a line in the spiritual life that when the Lord comes into our homes – in those places of pain – He never comes in with muddy boots. In other words, our Lord is always gentle in the way He heals our wounds because He knows that healing can be painful.
Elisha then addresses the pain. Next year, she will have a son. Again, our lectionary cuts off a couple of verses that help fill out the story. The woman essentially says, “Don’t tease me. This is difficult for me.” Elisha reminds her that God has something special in store for her. We do not worship and serve a God who settles, but a God of surprises!
Our first reading provides several wonderful little gold nuggets for us. First, hospitality is a great gift and those who practice it bring blessings to others. Second, things aren’t always what they seem on the surface. You never quite know what people are carrying. That said, be gentle and give people the benefit of the doubt! Third, never settle by falling into quiet desperation. Hopelessness is not from Christ. Our Lord always wants to do far more for you than you can imagine!
While our first reading from 2 Kings is quite short, it certainly provides several great little spiritual truths to help you live a meaningful life!
~St. Thérèse, pray for us!