Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Tuesday, February 12, 2013 Read – 1 Kings 19:1-18 Today, we turn to the other character who met with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration – Elijah. Elijah has played a prominent role in Luke’s gospel up to this point. It is only Luke who reminds his readers of Elijah who was sent to the widow of Zarephath (Luke 4:26). It is only Luke who tells the story of the raising of the widow of Nain’s son which is a story reminiscent of the story of Elijah raising the widow of Zarephath’s son to life (Luke 7:11). Perhaps the best known story of Elijah is his battle with the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. Our story today comes right after that more famous story. We might expect the Elijah would have been riding high after the great conquest of the priests of Baal when God sent fire to burn up not only the offering but the whole altar Elijah had constructed. But what we hear in the story is Elijah fleeing from Jezebel – the Baal worshiper who was insulted with Elijah. It is significant that Elijah flees into the wilderness back to Mount Sinai (called Mount Horeb in this story but it is the same mountain). On the mountain Elijah is confronted by God. And in the confrontation Elijah is commissioned once again to serve as God’s prophet. Elijah gets his instruction from God and is sent down the mountain to confront Ahab once again and to anoint his successor, Elisha. The story of Elijah on Mount Horeb receiving instruction from God through the still small voice shapes and informs the story of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration receiving instruction from God through Moses and Elijah about his “exodus” to be accomplished at Jerusalem. All of these stories inform one another and it is good for us to hear them together.