Choosing Whom to Serve: Lessons from Elijah's Challenge
June 12, 2024 - Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
1 Kings 18:20-39
In today's first reading, we return to the stories of Elijah, with one of the best-known narratives. It presents a showdown between two liturgies: one dedicated to Baal and the other to the LORD. On one side, there are 450 prophets of Baal; on the other side, there is only one prophet of the LORD, Elijah. Jezebel, the Sidonian queen and wife of Ahab, succeeded in killing nearly all the other prophets of the LORD.
The story begins with Elijah asking the Israelites to decide whom they wanted to follow, the LORD or Baal, and it ends with a proclamation: the LORD is God. Elijah's challenge brings to mind Jesus' words that no one can serve two masters. Incidentally, the meaning of the word "baal" is owner, lord, or master. Jesus said that we cannot serve both "God and money" (see Matt. 6:24). Just as the people of Israel during the time of Elijah and the time of Jesus had to choose, we too must decide whom we want to follow: Jesus or mammon.
It is worth highlighting that when Elijah challenged the people to decide whom they wanted to follow, they did not answer a word. To Jesus' challenge that we cannot serve both God and money, a voice from a Chinese tradition might respond that the one who has money can make the devil dance for him. On the other hand, others might point out how, with the help of money, we can do many things: build churches, help the poor, and so on.
There were 450 prophets of Baal and just one prophet of the LORD. As you walk through any city, you will notice "marvelous temples" dedicated to "mammon." Whenever I look at those beautifully designed skyscrapers of banking corporations, I think of the Tower of Babel. At the same time, the number of churches is dwindling across the Western world. The number of atheists is also growing, but I have yet to find someone who has lost their "faith" in the power of money. Yet, in one of his speeches, Pope Francis warns us that materialism robs us of our humanity. But do we listen to this warning, or do we, like the Pharisees of Jesus' time, who loved money, laugh at it (see Luke 16:14)?
As I re-read the story of Elijah, I wonder what the Church should do to make the world realize that the LORD is God. Elijah began to construct an altar of twelve stones at the hour of the afternoon sacrifice. The biblical author refers to the time of the Temple sacrifice in Jerusalem. But it would also be the time when Jesus would offer himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Elijah's miracle featured water and fire, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross brought out water and blood from the pierced side of the Saviour.
So perhaps, to make the world realize that the LORD is God, the Church has to lead the people to the Eucharist through the sacrament of baptism. The way Elijah poured water three times on the sacrifice brings to mind a priest pouring water three times on the forehead of a baptized person in the Name of the Holy Trinity. What happens is invisible to the eyes, but the Holy Spirit falls from heaven, burns up sin, and purifies the heart. Then, a newly baptized person is ready to follow Christ and come to the altar of the Eucharist and with the whole Church proclaim: This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; blessed are those invited to the banquet of the Lamb.