It’s
another day in the life and ministry of Elijah, the prophet of the Lord God
Almighty. Since we last
encountered Elijah, he has returned to Gilgal from his flight into the
wilderness and his journey to Mt. Horeb.
He has apprenticed Elisha to learn the prophetic tradition. Today God calls Elijah on a journey--a
journey that will end in his being taken up to heaven on whirlwind--says the
Biblical narrator. All Elijah knows at the beginning of this day, is
that God is leading him to Bethel.
He tells Elisha to stay behind.
Perhaps there is work to be done with the other prophets in Gilgal. Perhaps Elijah just wanted a day alone. Perhaps Elijah suspects the journey’s end, and he just isn’t ready to accept it; he
isn’t ready to say good-bye. Nevertheless,
Elisha refuses to leave the side of his master and teacher.
They
arrive at Bethel--the place where Abraham--a thousand years before--built an
altar to God who had brought him safely from his home in Ur to this new land in
Canaan. They arrive at Bethel, the
place where Jacob, fleeing from his brother Esau, built an altar to commemorate
God’s promise to him. There, in
fitful sleep, Jacob had seen angels ascending and descending a ladder
stretching from earth to heaven bringing him a message. God would give Abraham’s
inheritance--this very land--to Jacob’s descendents. They arrive at Bethel, the official place of worship in the
northern kingdom of Israel. Bethel was the Jerusalem of the northern
kingdom. They arrive at Bethel,
and a company of prophets runs out to tell Elisha, “Your master will be taken
from you today.” And Elisha, who
does not want to be separated from his mentor, tells them, “I don’t want to talk
about it.” They arrive at Bethel,
and Elijah tells Elisha to stay behind -while Elijah goes on to
Jericho. But Elisha refuses to
leave the side of his master and teacher.
So
they continue the journey. They
arrive at Jericho--the first city Joshua, Moses’ successor, had led the
wandering Hebrews to after they crossed over into God’s promised land. They arrive at Jericho, and a company
of prophets runs out to tell Elisha, “Your master will be taken from you
today.” And Elisha, who does not
want to be separated from his mentor; Elisha, who is not yet ready to be on his
own, tells them, “I don’t want to talk about it.” They arrive at Jericho, and Elijah tells Elisha to stay
behind--while Elijah goes on to the Jordan River. But Elisha refuses to leave the side of his master and
teacher.
So
they continue the journey. They
come to the banks of the Jordan River--the river that separated the wandering, redeemed
Hebrew slaves from the land promised by God through Moses. They come to the banks of the Jordan
River--the river that separates “the settled land governed by the king [from]
the wilderness,”[1] Reminding us of Moses parting the Red
Sea for the fleeing Hebrew slaves, reminding us of Joshua parting these very
waters so that the Hebrews could claim their land of milk and honey, the
narrator tells us that Elijah strikes the Jordan River with his coat and the
waters part for him. He and Elisha
cross on dry land into the wilderness, the inscrutable land of mystery. They cross into the wilderness, the
place where it is necessary to rely on the power of God.
Here,
their journey together ends. “Why
have you accompanied me on this journey?” asks Elijah. “What is it that you want from me?” Elisha does not want to
be separated from his mentor.
Elisha is not yet ready to be on his own. Elisha is afraid to lead Israel’s prophets. So, he asks for a double portion of
Elijah’s spirit. Elisha, whose
devotion to Elijah has been almost familial, asks for a double portion--the
son’s rightful inheritance from the father. But Elijah cannot promise what only God can give. Rely on the power of God, he says. Open your eyes. Don’t hide from the truth--whether it’s ugly or pretty, whether it’s
frightening or reassuring, whether it’s hard to understand or it makes sense. Open
your mind. Don’t deny what must happen.
Open your heart. Accept
God’s will. Open your hands. Take
part in God’s work. So, Elisha
watches as fiery horses pulling a fiery chariot separates him from his mentor,
and Elijah is taken up into heaven in a whirlwind.
Here,
the biblical narrator makes a change.
He is no longer telling a journey story that connects geographical place
with theologically grounded events.
Here, the narrator combines apocalyptic imagery with natural forces to
create the setting for God’s awesome power--a power that transcends time and
place and overcomes all forces of evil.
Elisha sees and names the power of God. "Oh,
my father, my father! Israel's chariots and its riders!"[2] Elisha sees, names and experiences God’s power that will ultimately overcome
the immanent--the here and now--forces of evil: poverty, injustice, cruelty, and lies.
Elisha
sees a vision of God’s power. To
claim that power, he must act on what he sees. So he picks up Elijah’s coat, walks back to the Jordan
River, taps it with the coat, and the waters part for him. While his work with Elijah had helped
prepare him to be Israel’s next great prophet, it is in participating in the
events of this day that Elisha confirms God’s will for his life. It is in accompanying Elijah on his
final journey, in watching the fiery chariot and whirlwind, in picking up
Elijah’s mantle, and in attempting to use it that Elisha confirms God’s call
for him to lead the prophetic tradition in Israel.
God
provides leadership even in times of transition. Elijah and Elisha worked together in the last months of
Elijah’s tenure just as we are working together in the last months of my tenure. Their relationship was loving and
strong just as our relationships have been tender, compassionate, and have
grown strong.
Elisha
was not yet ready to be separated from his mentor, so he told the various
groups of prophets, “I don’t want to talk about it.” Some of us are finding it hard to talk about our upcoming
separation.
In
today’s story, at the end of Elijah’s tenure as prophet in Israel, Elijah and
Elisha travel together to places theologically significant in the Jewish faith
story. We might do well to travel
to places theologically significant in our shared faith story. We might do well to remember, to
record, and to celebrate our experiences together.
It
seems like every month, something new appears on the church timeline in the
hall. I clapped my hands with joy
when I saw that the Heartland day camp staff had added their presence here on that
timeline. Our recent successful community outreach through day camp should be a
stop on our reminiscing journey together.
Celebrating new, engaging, successful outreach should be a stop on our
reminiscing journey together.
Another
stop we might make is the celebration of our sharing full-time mission and
ministry together in 2012 and ending 2012 financially “in the black” with an
actual surplus. Not having had to dip into our reserves--at all--while we have
engaged in full-time, shared ministry these past 22 months is a significant
theologically-grounded milestone. While we have devoted ourselves to doing
God’s work, God has provided! Celebrating the reality of God’s abundance should be a stop
on our reminiscing journey together.
Another
stop we might make is recognizing our children and our youth’s deepened faith.
We could celebrate their and the adults in both our mid-week Bible study and
our adult Sunday School class’ burning desire to learn more about the Bible.
Celebrating growth in faith should be a stop on our reminiscing journey together. We could remember private times
of shared sorrow as well as shared joy.
Celebrating relationship and community should be a stop on our
reminiscing journey together.
God
provides leadership in times of transition. You are that leadership--all of you, each and every one of
you. Just as Elisha was commanded to
keep his open for the upcoming unknown, we must keep our eyes open. We must see what is happening. Like Elisha, we must open our mouths
and name what we see. We must open our minds and our hearts to God’s will--that
this congregation play a part in God’s good work in this community and in our
world. Like Elisha, we will
realize God’s call on our lives as we participate in the events God lays before
us while we journey together over the next two months and when we journey
separately thereafter.
Elisha
witnessed God’s awesome power, a power that transcends the difficulties in the
here and the now, a power that ultimately overcomes all evil, a power that will
protect and will provide for God’s people. May we also witness, experience, and take part in God’s
awesome power. All we need is a double portion of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus says, “Ask and you will
receive.”[3]
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