Let’s spend a little time reviewing where we left off with the prophet Elijah last week. We heard about Elijah making up his mind to come to grips with Israel and with all the prophets of Baal who were misleading the people, and with Jezebel and Ahab, who formed the government of the day. And when it became apparent that Elijah was winning in his efforts, Jezebel promised him death - soon.
Elijah was quite weary of all the effort it had taken him to get this far in his campaign against false gods. He fled the area for his life and found himself under a broom tree. He basically said, “It is over now, God. I can’t take this anymore. I cannot stand all these threats anymore. I can’t fight this battle anymore.”
Elijah looked for God first in wind, then in an earthquake, then in fire. But God was eventually heard in the silence. Elijah received the information that he was to anoint Jehu as king over Israel and Elisha as prophet in his place. We don’t hear a great deal about Elisha after that, but he comes to figure prominently in today’s lesson.
The story of Elisha and Elijah is a poignant one. It is a story of mentorship. It reminds me of Ruth and Naomi, of Timothy and Paul. I am guessing that if you thought for a moment, you would think of a person who has been a mentor to you: perhaps a teacher, a parent, a pastor, a neighbor, and aunt or uncle. Perhaps this person is no longer with us in body, and you can remember the time in your life that you knew your mentor would die. If you can recall these things, you can better identify with Elisha.
Three different times, Elijah will tell Elisha to stay put, to stay where he is. And three times Elisha will insist on accompanying Elijah on his journey. On three occasions in three different locations, Elijah and Elisha encounter three different companies of prophets. The first two times, the prophets tell Elisha that Yahweh will take Elijah away on that very day. Elisha silences them. In my mind, he does not want to hear this news in the same way that the disciples did not want to hear Jesus talk about dying in Jerusalem. But on the third occasion, Elijah rolls up his mantel, strikes the river, and parts the water.
This parting of the waters is reminiscent of Moses parting the Red Sea and the Jordan parting through Joshua. Moses, Joshua and Elijah each use their symbol of God-given authority (staff, ark and mantle) to accomplish their task.
Once they have crossed the water, Elijah turns to his protégé and asks him, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha asks for a double share or portion of his spirit. Elijah does not promise this, knowing that this can only be granted if it is God’s will, but requests Elisha to face his leaving head-on, eyes-open, to assist in the process. It is not hard to determine that Elisha is not asking for a material inheritance here. He is asking for a “double share of your spirit”—a spiritual inheritance.
It is interesting to note that chariots and horses of fire figure into the raising up of Elijah. Certainly he has been a warrior. Elijah has himself called down fire to consume a captain and fifty soldiers during his illustrious career. Elisha watches Elijah being taken up, and when it is over, he rends his clothing in his grief. He has lost his closest mentor and his closest friend. Now the responsibility for prophecy will fall on his shoulders.
I wonder if the feelings that envelope Elisha at this moment are also experienced by anyone stepping to the helm of an organization or nation. Elisha picks up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and goes back and stands on the bank of the Jordan. Can you feel the burden of this moment? Can you hear the thoughts you might be having in his stead? “What have I gotten myself into? Can I really do this without him? Is it too late to get out of this?”
Nonetheless, Elisha strikes the water and asks “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” The river opens up as if to say, “God is surely with us.” Elisha must come to grips with the spiritual powers he now possesses.
At this point during the message, I would like for us to enter into a moment of silent meditation. As you ponder the story of Elisha and his mentor Elijah, can you think of anyone you have known or known of in your lifetime, that you would desire to have God grant you a double portion of that person’s spirit? Let us ponder this as Joya plays music for meditation. (Ask for a few examples) (Shift gears back to the scripture)
I’d like to ask a question just now that may seem ludicrous, but it will tie into our conversation. How many of you have sung in Handel’s Messiah? I knew there would be a good number. And how many of you remember singing the words, “Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle”? It is from the Chorus known as “Lift up your heads, O ye gates.” Now venture a guess. Do you think Handel took these words from the Old Testament or the New Testament? Do you think you would find the phrase “the Lord mighty in battle” in the New Testament? I do not. Yet in today’s Gospel reading, we find the disciples, whose lack of faith is legendary, suddenly quite sure of their power to call down fire from heaven like Elijah did. They would like to smite a few Samaritans, it seems.
Jesus, however, rejected their violence-driven response. He was determined to stay with the Samaritans. He rejected the notions that divided people, like insider/outsider, Jew/Samaritan, clean/unclean. He rebuked them. A verse not found in all Bibles states, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy lives but to save them.”
This is a significantly different approach than the one taken by Elijah with his “Lord mighty in battle” way of addressing things. Jesus was not about status or power or warfare. He was born in a borrowed manger and was buried in a borrowed tomb; his last meal was in a borrowed house. He arrived there on a borrowed donkey. As he clearly stated, he had nowhere to lay his head. Several offered to follow him, perhaps as Elisha wished to follow Elijah, but Jesus knew the difference between words and willingness. He calls upon the “sturdy dreamers” to think again. He tells them they have to drop everything and follow now.
Why is Jesus demanding of those who follow him that they, too, take up a wanderer’s existence? Why does he model one who exists on the fringe of society, not belonging, rejected, censured, put to death? If the Christ was to be made incarnate in us, what excuses would we make? Or could we pick up his mantle or his cross and leave behind every normal or collective security for God’s domination-free order? All of these are questions to ponder as we gather at his table now to remember his words, to be refreshed with spiritual food for our journeys, and strengthen ourselves for the continuation of his ministry.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
