Last Sunday after Epiphany B 2009
Theme: God is full of surprises
Let us pray.
Most holy, Lord God, you have done amazing and surprising things; keep us open to your continuing work in the world, remembering the biggest surprise of all, the resurrection of your son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have everlasting life and through whom we pray. Amen.
Fred Craddock tells a wonderful story about a young minister, newly graduated from seminary, serving his very first church. He gets a call telling him that a church member, an elderly woman who has just given her life to the church, is in the hospital. She’s so weak she can’t even get up out of bed, and the doctors don’t hold much hope for her recovery. Would he go up and visit? Well, of course he will and he does.
All the way to the hospital he’s thinking about what he will say to this Christian lady, what words of comfort he can give her to prepare her for her eminent death. He arrives at the hospital, goes up to her room for the visit. He sits and talks with her a few minutes, just small talk really, nothing earth shattering. When he makes ready to leave, he asks if she would like him to have prayer with her. She answers, “Yes, of course. That’s why I wanted you to come.”
He then asks politely, “And what exactly would you like me to pray for?”
“Why, I want you to pray that God will heal me,” she answers in a surprised tone of voice.
Haltingly, fumbling over the words, he prays just as she wanted that God will heal her, even though he’s not really sure that can happen. When he says the “Amen” at the end of the prayer, the woman says, “You know, I think it worked! I think I’m healed!” And she gets out of the bed and begins to run up and down the hallway of the hospital, shouting, “Praise God! I’m healed! Praise God! I’m healed!”
Meanwhile, the young minister, in a stupor, stumbles to the stairwell, walks down five flights of stairs, makes his way to the parking lot and somehow manages to find his car. As he fumbles to get his keys out of his pocket, he looks heavenward and says, “Don’t you ever do that to me again!”
It makes you wonder if he really meant it. Sure it must have been a surprise. It should have been humbling to have the gift of healing. But would he really want not to heal anyone ever again? I don’t know.
Elisha knew his mentor, Elijah, was going to God. But I bet he had no clue how that was to happen. Would Elisha look up to heaven and ask God to never see a flaming chariot ever again? Maybe, unless the chariot was for him. That way he could continue in Elijah’s footsteps.
Our Old Testament story is one of the great stories of the Bible. Elijah, after Moses, is the principle prophet of the Bible. It is time for Elijah to leave the earth. Earlier Elijah anointed Elisha as his successor. Elijah wants Elisha to stop following him and tells him to stay in Gilgal. Gilgal was the home of a company of prophets. Elisha was not going to be easily brushed off. He is determined to stay with Elijah.
Apparently Elijah’s trip to heaven was an open secret. Some prophets around Bethel ask Elisha if he knows that Elijah is leaving that day. Elisha responded that he did and they are to keep the information under their turban. Elijah tries to ditch Elisha again, but again Elisha refuses to leave Elijah’s side. Have you ever had a younger sibling who refused to stay behind and just bugged you wherever you went? That’s Elisha.
A group of prophets around Jericho ask Elisha if he knows that God is going take away Elijah that day. Elisha responds to them the same way he did to the Bethel prophets – that he knows and they are to keep their yaps shut about. These prophets seem to be followers of Elisha.
Again, Elijah tries to ditch Elisha. Again, Elisha refuses to stay behind. By now, fifty prophets are following the pair at a distance as they approached the Jordan River. I can just picture it. Someone giggles and several go “shhh!” Then a few more giggle. They watch in nervous anticipation.
At the river, Elijah rolls up his coat and smacks the river with it. A path appeared in the river and they walked across the river on dry land. Elijah is portrayed as someone like Moses.
Why did Elijah want Elisha to stay behind? Was he testing Elisha? Perhaps Elijah needed to know how persistent Elisha was. Or perhaps he knew of Elisha’s reputation as being persistent and wanted to see it for himself. These and more questions we ask of the Bible and we will not get answers. Perhaps the editors didn’t know the answer either, because they offer no explanation.
On the other side, Elijah informs Elisha that God is going to shortly take him away. Elijah then asks Elisha if there is anything he can do for Elisha. Elisha wants twice as much power so that he can replace Elijah as the leader of the prophets. Elijah says, “That’s a tough one. But if you watch me as I am being taken away, then your wish will be granted.”
Elisha will be tested one more time. If can stand to see a divine act, his wish will be granted. To be a prophet is to be completely vulnerable, absolutely dependent on God’s word and mercy. This is why getting a double portion is “hard thing.” To be a prophet is to love God’s people enough to tell them the truth about their condition.
The two continued to walk and talk when all of a sudden, a chariot pulled by horses all on fire appeared in the sky. The fiery ride swooped down, separating Elijah and Elisha, picking up Elijah and speeding up to heaven, all in a whirlwind. Elisha would be prevented by the fire from seeing everything, but he did not avert his eyes. Elisha passes the final test. Elisha shouted, “Father, father, the chariots and horses of Israel!” When he could no longer see Elijah, Elisha tore his robe in half, expressing his deep sorrow.
Elisha did a lot in this passage. Elijah chooses him as Elijah’s successor. Elisha was able to handle rejection. He resisted inappropriate statements and actions from the prophets. And he humbly stood his ground in the presence of God.
Because Elijah never died, Jews expect Elijah to return. Eventually this belief grew to say that Elijah would be the herald of the messiah. The New Testament writers associated John the Baptist with Elijah. Elijah appeared to Jesus, Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses represented the law. Elijah represented the prophets.
This story, like the transfiguration, is a story of a theophany. A Theophany is a divine appearance. Jesus, Elijah, and Elisha all display their vulnerability to God’s will. For Jesus, the cross awaits. In Jesus’ time, scriptures were referred as the Law and the Prophets. Moses and Elijah represent the total Word of God talking to the Word of God – kinda paradoxical. That is followed by God’s words seemingly telling the inner circle of apostles to listen to Jesus. This is also a message for all of us.
God has many surprises for all of us. Some of you may have already experienced some of God’s surprises. And maybe God already has and you just didn’t notice. If you have not, then be open to God doing something amazing.
We now pray: Gracious God and giver of all good gifts, give us the gift of a child-like openness and child-like wonder; your son said that we need to be like children to enter the kingdom of God; may we ever wonder at your persistent love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Text: 2 Kings 2:1-12 (NRSV)
2 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of prophetsa who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”
4 Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5 The company of prophetsb who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of prophetsc also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” 10 He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. 12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
[1]
----
a Heb sons of the prophets
b Heb sons of the prophets
c Heb sons of the prophets
[1] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. 1989. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.