Serving God's Servants (Reflection - 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time)

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The days of Elisha were a bad time to be a prophet of God. Wicked kings such as Ahab were in the habit of killing prophets who spoke out against their wickedness and idolatry. Many priests and prophets resorted to appeasing the rulers by simply telling them what they wanted to hear. Elisha, however, was committed to telling the truth, so he could expect no aid from the powers that be. In order to survive, he needed the help of faithful Israelites who knew that he was a man of God and were willing to support his mission.

Thus we come to our Scripture passage. In the little town of Shunem, he found a faithful woman who was willing to lodge him and give him provisions. She must have been aware that doing so would put her on the wrong side of the law with the ruling establishment, but she didn’t care. She only wanted to do what was right. Because of her charity, Elisha promised her that she would bear a son, which she would eventually give birth to a year later (v. 17). Thus, her faithfulness and willingness to side with the men of God over the men of the world became a source of blessing for her.

Just like the days of Elisha, our current era is a difficult time for faithful men, especially clergy, who are looked at askance by the world and often have to go against political or even ecclesiastical authority in order to remain faithful to God. When we encounter such men, we should be like the Shunammite woman, and be willing to provide whatever support we can to them, whether it be our wealth, our voice, or our prayers. In doing so, we will be doing the work of God, and as Jesus teaches us in today’s Gospel, those who receive His servants in His name receive Him (Matthew 10:40).