Common Denominator

Common Denominator

Q: What did the Shunemite’s son have in common with Lazarus and Eutychus?

• a. They were raised from the dead.
• b. They had no fathers.
• c. They lived in Jericho.

A rich and well-respected couple who worshiped God lived in Shunem. The woman often saw Elisha trudging down the road in front of her house. One day she invited him in for a meal. The couple then built a small room for Elisha on their roof and furnished it for him to stay in any time he was in the area.

Elisha wanted to do something for the kind couple, but they had everything they needed. They didn’t have children, however, and the husband was old. Elisha told the woman that God would send her a child.

The woman had wanted a child for many years, but it seemed impossible that she would have one now. She told Elisha not to get her hopes up.

The woman did give birth to a son and was overjoyed, but the child died a few years later. The woman was upset. “Did I ask you for a son, my lord? And didn’t I say, ‘Don’t deceive me and get my hopes up’?” She felt it was unfair that she’d finally had a child only to lose him so soon.

Elisha went to her house. He lay down on the child twice, and the child grew warm again. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. He was alive again.

God showed his power by allowing the woman to give birth to a son and by allowing Elisha to raise the child from the dead. God has power over both life and death.

For You

God is the creator of life. That’s why it’s important to respect life. When you make fun of how someone looks or a difference he or she has, it’s not showing respect for God’s creation. Seek to appreciate the unique way in which God made each of your family members and classmates.

Answer: a

When Elisha arrived, the child was indeed dead, lying there on the prophet’s bed. . . . The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes!   2 Kings 4:32, 35

(The Whole Story: 2 Kings 4:8-37; John 11:43-44; Acts 20:9-10)