After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; and his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. And she said to Elijah, "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!"
And he said to her, "Give me your son." And he took him from her bosom, and carried him up into the upper chamber, where he lodged, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, hast Thou brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?" Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, "O Lord my God, let this child's soul come into him again."
And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
And Elijah took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, "See, your child lives!"
And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth."
4 comments:
I just re-watched John Huston’s take on Flannery O’Connor’s, Wise Blood.
Everything in it – "What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to cause the death of my son!"
See this – And the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”
Okay. It’s difficult to believe in God under profound stress. Or to know what belief means at all. I count myself extraordinarily fortunate - my sense of Love has never failed across time. Since its inception. I have empathy for the questions of those who don’t feel this. Like the woman here. Words really are cheap if not accompanied by Life. Except that words without life can irritate and drive me to howl. A good thing. Alas.
Jim
Has this woman done something particularly sinful? (I gather from the previous story that times have not been lush in Sidon lately, either. Yet she's the one local resident who scores Elijah as a guest.) Or is a prophet around the house unnerving?
Or she's been worried about her son: If this guy were a real prophet, his God wouldn't be doing this to us?
Elijah the holy man is extra holy--kind of like having Francis of assissi as abunk mate in college. You notice your own lack worthiness, assume God is paying extra attention to your foibles as the Shining one is right next dor as an easy comparison--so when the kid gets the croup--zammo--it must be God smiting me.
Maybe a little like a high voltage generator? Not-properly-sanctified persons, beware of sparks?
Maybe there's such a thing as a 'non-sinful' kid, but there sure wasn't in my day...
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