Elijah, narcissism, and (especially) me

This text was converted from the original print edition for full-text searchability. Formatting may differ from the original. Consult the PDF for citation and presentation details.

Page 32

Elijah, Narcissism, and (Especially) Me

Brent A. Strawn

Candler School ٤٠Theology, Emory University

ه1ه

Testament Lesson: 1 Kgs 19:1-18 (l-4a, 8-18)

New Testament Lesson: Matt 17:1-13

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”

On Narcissism Let me begin this sermon by saying that 1 try. I do, I mean, I really try. I try not to be narcissistic. It’s just so hard. But I try. I (that’s me, by the way)— مtry! Narcissism, you might recall, gets its name from the Greek myth ٤٠Narcissus. Narcissus was so handsome that he fell in love with his own reflection in a ١٠٠٢and never looked back…or to the left ٢٠right for that matter. He spent the rest ٤٠his li؛e just staring at himsel .؛Now 1 don’t know ؛٤he tried, like I do, not to be a narcissist. It seems that it would have been very di؛ficult ٤٠٢ him: he was, after all, the Narcissus ! The very first narcissist! I think it’s sa؛e to say thatabit o؛Narcissus’ malady afflicts all of us to one degree ٢٠another, in smaller ٢٠larger quantities, whether we think ourselves to be handsome and beautiful ٢٠not. In fact, we might admit that it’s oftentimes our lack ٤٠fantastic qualities that leads to our own particular instances ٤٠self-obsession. Regardless, if it’s true that we all have a bit ٤٠narcissism, then we probably find it hard to not be narcissistic, even when we try. If we ever do.

Elijah and Narcissism In the text we just heard from 1 Kings 19, the great prophet Elijah is also trying hard not to be a narcissist—he’s just failing at it. Now don’t get me wrong: I don’t want to be too hard on Elijah. It’s very easy, in the pulpit, to take potshots at the people ٤٠God in Scripture, even and especially the saints. And let’s face it, Elijah is one of the heavies when it comes to Bible saints. He came on the scene in 1 Kings 17, and in the chapter previous to the one we just heard, he single-handedly confronted 850 prophets ٤٠the gods Baal andAsherah on Mount Carmel. Elijah remains active into 2 Kings, gets an honorable mention at the very end ٤٠the Old Testament in the book ofMalachi, and then makes a stunning comeback in a number ٤٠places in the New Testament, especially in the Transfiguration (Matt 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-10; Luke 9:28-36). So, no, I don’t want to poke fun at the great Elijah easily. He’s got a lot on his plate, after all. I mean, he just had a major head-to-head, ٢٠rather head-to-850 heads with tire false prophets. And now the queen who funded those prophets, the notorious Jezebel, wants his head! He’s terrified and he’s tired. Like I said, he’s got a lot on his plate. That granted, since I’ve already confessed that I’m a narcissist (but so are you), let me just go ahead and say that I think Elijah, despite all these caveats, is a bit ٤٠a narcissist as well, because, well let’s face it, I’m preaching, and if I want Elijah to be a narcissist, it’s a done deal! (My narcissism strikes again!)

Page 33

But even ifElijah is narcissistic in this passage, it doesn’t mean those other things aren’t true. According to verse 3, he really is terrified; and in verse 4 things are bad enough that he longs for death from God’s hand rather than Jezebel’s. But then he gets some rest and some miraculous food and drink, and off he goes, refreshed by all that, for forty days and forty nights until he gets to Mount Horeb. That’s God’s mountain, in case you didn’t know (1 Kgs 19:8). There he enters what the Hebrew text calls “the cave.” Why the cave, we might wonder. There’ve got to be a lot of caves in Mount Horeb! It’s hard to say for sure, but maybe, just maybe, because this cave is, in fact, the cave, the selfsame cave where Moses hid when he saw God’s glory pass by. So far then, things seem to be lining up to make this an event of significant, dare one say, biblical proportions: 40 days and 40 nights (hardly coincidental); God’s mountain, Horeb; the cave. This biblical trend continues in what follows: Elijah is suddenly confronted by “the wordof theLGRD.” That’s a g o o d prophetic speeeh formula—it’s what prophets say before they utter God’s message. It’s foe kind of thing Elijah himself says (see 1 Kgs 21:23; cf. 2 Kgs 9:36), but hem foe word of the Lord comes to him, addressing him} But despite foe biblical proportions, the specific question that is asked seems rather mundane: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (1 Kgs 19:9b; NRSV) $ ٠Elijah delivers his report— ﺀ’جreport, mind you: “I’ve been very passionate for the LGRD God of hosts because foe Israelites have abandoned your covenant. They have tom down your altars, and they have murdered your prophets with the sword. I’m foe only one left, and now they want to take my life too (1 Kgs 19:10; CEB*)!”2 Did you hear all that? “I’ve been very passionate; i ’m foe only one left; they want to take my life too.” That’s a lot of “I” language in there! Elijah sounds a bit narcissistic, doesn’t he? Further confirmation of that is found if we keep reading, because, right after he gives his report, he is told to witness a great revelation of God—once again, not unlike Moses. This is a famous passage, but what’s important for us right now is to note that after all foe special effects—the strong wind, foe earthquake, foe fire, and foe sound that was thin and quiet (CEB)—the same question comes to him: “Why are you here, Elijah (1 Kgs 19:13b; CEB)?” And Elijah’s response is foe same as before—ﻚﺻﺀﺀﻢﺛ(ا foe same—word-for-word. Well, he’^ t a lot o h ^ a t e , you might say. Ufe might say. have a lot on our plates, after all! It’s hard not to be concerned about all that, you know. Hard not to be worried about all that. Hard not to keep coming baek to all that—hard not to be obsessed with all that over and over again, no matter what else is going on. Exactly. It really is hard not to keep coming back to all that—hard for Elijah, too, despite all that has come in between and along foe way: you know, things like God’s provision of divine fire in foe showdown with foe false prophets (1 Kgs 18:38), ٢٠things like God’s provision of rain after foe terribly-long drought (1 Kgs 18:45), ٢٠things like God’s provision of food and drink, not once, but twice, on Elijah’s trek to Horeb (1 Kgs 19:5-8), ٢٠things like God’s stunning display of pyrotechnics from foe biggest of things to foe smallest of sounds. That’s a lot of things! And so, foe question comes a second time: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” “Well, I’ve been working really hard..·just me…all by my lonesome…and did /

Page 34

menti©n that everybody else— مmean everybody else—is against me.. .oh, and you too—you too, God!” No, I don’t want to be too hard on Elijah, but it’s hard not to see some narcissism here. But once again, he’s got a lot on his plate. Jezebel, if nothing else! So shouldn’t we cut this great prophet a break? Maybe so, but God doesn’t.

God and Elijah’s Narcissism God asks the question a second time and gets the same response, despite all that has come before and in-between, and so God moves on—quite literally. Elijah gets no comforting response—he already got that in foe showdown on Carmel. Elijah gets no sustaining power—he already got that in foe divine food and drink. Elijah gets no miraculous display of God’s presence—he already got that in foe theophany. What Elijah gets now, despite all that’s on his plate, despite his deep passion, his real fear, his deep tiredness—and yes, perhaps, also his touch of narcissism—from God, instead, is marching orders. There are three things specifically. First: “Go back through foe desert to Damascus and anoint Hazael as king of Aram”—it’s a long way from Horeb, way down south, to Damascus, way up north, and it’s directly through territory controlled by Queen Jezebel. Second: “Also anoint Jehu, as king of Israel”—that’s even more dangerous than foe Damascus bit: anointing a new king of Israel, instead ofAhab, foe present one, Jezebel’s husband. That’s revolt, that’s sedition, that’s treason. That could come to blows. AnditdoescometoblowsF Third: “And anoint Elisha…to succeed you as prophet.” In brief, what God says to Elijah is: “You’ve got work to do, son. What are you doing here? Do you think things are dangerous now? You’ve got to go to Damascus! You think Ahab and Jezebel are out to get you now? Wait until they’ve got a coup on their hands because of you! You think you’re alone—maybe even all washed up? Tired and afraid enough to die? Alright foen, go anoint Elisha. He’ll be happy to take over for you.”4 That’s not therapy, per ,ﺀﺀand thankfully God doesn’t charge by the hour, but Elijah’s narcissism has just met up with a serious dose of reality. God’s reality, mind you, not his own. And God has work that needs to get done. Yes, Elijah has been passionate. Yes, Elijah has been faithful. Yes, Elijah is now under threat; he’s tired, afraid, at the proverbial end of his rope. But not really. There’s still yet more rope, and Elijah has more work to do, including coming to grips with the realization that he is eminently and imminently replaceable. And as if all that wasn’t enough, God gives Elijah just a wee bit more reality. “Oh, by foe way,” God says,،“I have preserved…seven thousand in Israel…whose knees haven’t bowed down to Baal and whose mouths haven’t kissed him (1 Kgs 19:18).’ Seven thousand, Elijah, not just one—not just your one. Actually, make that 7000 and 1, if you count Elisha. ؟Did I mention he’s your replacement?” “Why yes. Yes, God, I believe you did.” The very next story finds faithful, reoriented Elijah calling Elisha to foe job.

Elijah, Narcissism, and Es Well, there’s a lot we could say about fois passage, but time is short. $ ,٠in classic narcissistic style, let me offer a few thoughts about how this passage concerning Elijah’s narcissism and God’s work in foe world strikes me.

Page 35

Among other things, the story suggests to me that it isn’t all just about me— aias!—even when I am truly tired and rightfully afraid. It just isn’t about just me. It’s about God’s work and other people—God’s work in other people. In faet, it’s so much about those other people that the part that is about me may boil down ultimately to being only about them—preparing them to do the jobs God has in mind for them, whether I like those jobs ٢٠not, whether I like those people or not. I’d like to think that Elijah liked Elisha just fine, and maybe Jehu okay, ؟but I wonder what he thought about Hazael,^ not to mention what he thought about the bloody methods those kings used to accomplish their tasks. Whatever the case, it just wasn’t about just Elijah; it just isn’t about just me. Narcissists take note! (Yes, that’s means youl) And, as if all that wasn’t hard enough to hear, there’s more: if I insist on sticking to my narcissism, even if it means well, mind you, even if it’s predicated on my faithfiilness, my faithfulness, mind you, and if I find out that, well, if you crunch the numbers, it turns out that there’re a lot of other folks just like me out there, working just as hard, if not harder, doing their things for God, being faithful, resisting the other gods, not kissing the Baals ٢٠bowing their knees to them. 7,000 ٢٠so, but who’s counting? Just God. And 7,000 is adecent number. A stereotypical,8 very respectable number of people who are ready, willing, and able to do God’s work whether I do it ٢٠not, whether I get up from the pool of my self-obsession ٢٠don’t, ?eople who are not only ready, willing, and able, but who are already doing God’s work—quite apart from me, ؟uite independently of me. I suspect and I believe and I hope that I’m looking at some of those people right this very minute. To realize that there are many others hard at work for God, not just me—and that I’m not that crucial after all—well, that’s a sobering thought, but ultimately quite a wonderful one, far more interesting and important than the pool of my self-reflection , the locus of my own narcissism. And let’s face it, my self-obsession can’t hold a candle in terms of significance to Elijah’s. He had real things to worry about. $ ,٠despite my proclivities to be a wee bit narcissistic, I readily acknowledge that I’m no Elijah—that’s for sure. But let’s just put ourselves in the story anyway for a moment—you and me—and play the parts. Even at 43 years of age, I know that my time, like Elijah’s, is winding down. But you? Consider yourselves anointed.

Notes 1 See also 1 Kgs 17:2,8; 21:17,28. 2 An asterisk (*) means ؛hat I have altered the translation sl§؛htly. 3 See 2 Kings ?-١٠. 4 It ؛s, in fact, precisely Elisha who appoints Hazael (2 Kgs 8:13) and Jehu (2 Kgs9:1-3). و Perhaps still m،)re, see 1 Kgs 17:24 and 18:3-4, unless these are subsumed in the 7000. 6 See 2 Kings 9-10 and note John Gray, I & II Kings: A Commentary (2nd rev. ed.; ه1ه Testament library; Philadelphia: Westminster, 1970), 412 on the meaning of Jehu’s name. 7 Cf. 2 Kgs 8:7-1. :؟Hazael ultimately does Israel harm. 8 Signifying in Hebrew “a lot!”