1 Kings 18:41-46 / Matthew 5:20-26
The present weather in Singapore can be rather uncomfortable. It can be so hot and humid, and the little rain that comes along does not cool things down much.
Yet, no matter what we say about the weather, we in Singapore have not experienced drought, as far as I can remember.
We have not gone for months, or even years without any rain at all.
So it might be difficult to imagine what it is to have a drought for three and a half years.
That was the situation in the 1st reading. The land of Israel was experiencing drought for three and a half years already and there was also the consequent famine.
Yet king Ahab was not bothered by it. All he did was to think that the rain will come, the famine will go and he could just continue eating and drinking. Hence we can understand now why Elijah told Ahab to go back and eat and drink.
King Ahab is a figure of a hardness of heart and he had grown insensitive from constantly rejecting the Lord.
He had seen the fire from heaven which consumed Elijah's sacrifice; he had seen 450 prophets of the idol Baal slain by Elijah; his kingdom was suffering from drought and famine, and yet he couldn't care less.
He still didn't even bother to turn to the Lord for help; instead it was Elijah who did the praying.
We may not have the hardness of heart like king Ahab but Jesus warns His disciples in the gospel that if their virtues go no deeper than the scribes and Pharisees, they will never get into the kingdom of heaven.
Similarly if our virtues go no deeper than those who are not Christians, then it may also mean that the teachings of Jesus have not softened our hearts.
May the teachings of Jesus soften our hearts and make us humble and trust in His providence, and may we grow in love for the Lord and our neighbour.