Sermon for August 18th, 2013
One Fiery Ride
We baby-boomers know very well what a farewell tour is from watching
our favorite rock bands. The scenario has been oft repeated during our lifetimes. It starts with some group of young musicians who hit it big. Smash hit
follows smash hit. The money and fame roll in. They begin to live a wild and
crazy life. Promiscuity is rampant. So is drug abuse. The members of the band
begin to despise one another. They decide to call it quits. Then they announce
that their run is over. They’ll have one last, farewell tour to say goodbye to their
adoring fans. Then when the money runs out and their fame begins to wane, they
stage a re-union tour.
The text this morning details Elijah’s farewell tour. He is accompanied by
his adoring disciple Elisha. This is one of those texts that I have habitually breezed
past but this time I decided to slow down for a closer look. Why are all these
places along the way named and why are they significant? Each one has a rich
historical legacy of God’s dealings with Israel.
One of the things about our Judeo-Christian faith is its utter “down-toearth-ness”. Our spirituality has its feet on the ground. Our dealings with God
are rooted in the soil of our day to day lives. There are surely mystical visions and
revelations and miracles as well, but we are witnesses to and participants in God’s
acts in our world, in history.
To illustrate how this works, think of some of our historical sites from
nearby. Think of places like Gettysburg, Valley Forge, Washington’s Crossing, and
Philadelphia. These are places rich in historical significance and national
memories. Each have multiple layers of meaning for us all. The stops along the
way of Elijah’s farewell tour were like that, only more so. Each of them had
multiple layers of meaning as well. Each site was packed with spiritual
significance. That’s why at every stop along the way, there were schools of
prophets (one modern equivalent might be the seminary) where devotees would
gather for prayer and study and the seeking of God’s presence and God’s will.
So let’s walk step by step with Elijah and Elisha for a few moments and
reflect. They started from Gilgal, which means “circle of standing stones.” There
is some uncertainty as to which Gilgal is being indicated; there evidently was
more than one. You may remember that when Joshua brought the people out of
the wilderness to begin the conquest of the Promised Land, the waters of the
Jordan were parted and the people crossed over. He had twelve stones taken
from the river bed set up, one for each of the twelve tribes as a memorial to
God’s leading and provision of Israel. Most scholars don’t think this is the one
referred to here.
This Gilgal is believed by most to be a site not too far north and west of
Bethel which is the first stop on the tour. When you think of stone circles,
perhaps the most famous is Stonehenge. No one knows what to make of these
sights. When Jean and I arrived and spent a night in Holy Head in Wales to take
the ferry over to Dublin, there was a small version of a stone circle in a park just
above our bed and breakfast. Were these sites of pagan worship or were they
celestial calendars or places of sacrifice? No one knows for sure. Was the one in
Gilgal a pagan shrine taken over by Israel and consecrated to Yahweh? One faith
often will do this to another.
Recently my neighbor went through a rancorous divorce as has placed her
home on the market. The real estate agent noticed that she had two pallets of
stone lying in her driveway. She said they’d have to go. I saw my neighbor one
day and she asked if I had any use for them. I said, “Sure, I’d love to have them.”
I had no idea what I would do with them, but I love rocks and stones for some
reason. I figured I’d build a wall or a raised bed for planting things, or something.
I’d been looking at some pictures of art work by natural artist Andy Goldsworthy
who fashions works out of all kinds of things readily available in nature like leaves
and straw and wood and stone. He made some very cool stone cones and so I
thought I’d try something totally frivolous with my newly acquired two pallets of
stone. I loaded them in the back of the flaming Pentecostal preacher mobile and
dumped them next to my garage. Then I lifted them all again (telling myself I
wasn’t working smart, lifting twice what I could have lifted once), loaded them in
the wheel barrow and dumped them in the back yard. In due course, I had a fairly
impressive stone cone erected.
I confess I was worried a little that my neighbors would wonder what a
Presbyterian minister was doing erecting a pagan dolmen in his back yard. Had I
gone over to the dark side? But clarification was on the way. During my spring
yard cleanup this year, I noticed that a copper cross made by my late son Jon for
the grave of our golden retriever Jed, who died shortly before Jon did, was being
over grown by my holly bushes and my exuberant bamboo. “Perfect,” I thought.
I placed it on top of the cone, secured it with some egg shaped granite rocks that I
imported from the coast of Maine, and bought a solar powered spotlight to
illuminate it at night. Now when I get up at night, as old folks often do, I have this
shining reminder, of Jesus, of Jon, of Jed, of delightful art, of a beautiful spot in
Maine that I love, and of the creator God who gave them all. And I’m reminded to
pray for those who go through hard times too. A nice transformation, don’t you
think.
If you are young you probably don’t get this yet, but if you live long enough,
you find yourself in a reflective mood sometimes. It’s important spiritually to
remember where you started. When did you first realize that Jesus was Lord,
alive, risen, reigning, and seeking the affection of your heart and the commitment
of your will to follow him? “Do this in remembrance of me” are words addressed
to us who tend to be chronically forgetful.
From Gilgal they go to Bethel, which means “house of God.” It was at
Bethel that Jacob made a pillow of stones and lay down to sleep. During the night
he had his famous dream of the ladder stretching from heaven to earth with the
angels ascending and descending. When he awoke, he exclaimed “Surely God
was in this place and I didn’t know it! How awesome is this place! This is none
other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So he set up a stone
pillar there to mark God’s presence and promised to tithe a tenth of all that God
would give him from that point forward. Bethel marked the place of God’s
promise of Canaan and Jacob’s commitment to serve God. Elijah too walked in
God’s promises and in the disciplines of commitment to God. These are just as
important to us today: God’s promises and our commitment.
Elijah encouraged Elisha to stay there while he went on. This would be an
acceptable stopping place should Elisha choose it. He could have a good ministry
among the prophets at Bethel. But Elisha would not be deterred. He wanted
more. Do you want even more than promises and religious commitment?
From Bethel, they walked down to Jericho. When Joshua entered the land
of promise, Jericho was the first obstacle he met that stood between Israel and
the acquisition of the Promised Land. It was the place of victory, and as Leon is
fond of pointing out, God used trumpet players to carry the day. Elijah invited
Elisha to stay on here. Isn’t it tempting to want to pitch camp in the place of
victory? Aren’t we most like Peter at the transfiguration, just wanting to stay on
the mountaintop forever? It’s a tempting offer, but Elisha won’t bite. He wants
to go deeper still.
Next they come to the Jordan. Elijah tells Elisha to stay here, in the land of
promise. Stay within the safety and security of the spiritual life you know. Who
knows what lies outside the boundaries? So many people dwell safe and secure
in the religion they’ve always known. They’ve grown comfortable with the level
of interaction with God that has come their way. You can take it easy from here
on Elisha. You’ve earned early retirement. Walking with me has been going from
challenge to challenge. You surely need a rest. Do you recognize this voice?
Author John Eldredge tells a story of being in a place of fatigue and dryness
in his life and ministry to men. He describes how Satan began to whisper such
seductive comforts in his ear. And he almost bought it. But not quite. He
realized that his battle was nowhere near over. He still had work to do for the
Lord.
Elisha was determined to stick with Elijah until the very end. So Elijah, like
a latter day Moses, smote the waters with his mantle (a holy rattail) and they
crossed over on dry ground. Finally, Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted from him.
What did he want more than anything? And Elisha said, “I want a double portion
of your Spirit.” In other words, I want your prophetic mantle to fall to me. I want
to be the one to carry on ministry at your level of power once you have gone.
Elijah basically says that the answer is up to God. Only God can bestow what he
asks.
Elijah says, “If you see me leave, you’ll get what you ask for.” Suddenly the
fire falls and carries Elijah off into the heavens, and his mantle drops at Elisha’s
feet.
Has it struck you yet how similar this all is to the disciples following Jesus,
deeper and deeper into the life of discipleship. Have you seen the drama as it
played out in the Gospels and on into Acts where Jesus ascends from the
disciples’ sight and how the fire of the Holy Spirit descended upon them like
Elijah’s mantle descended upon Elisha?
Has it struck you yet how every one of us has numerous opportunities to
stop the journey at one level or another? In some ways it seems that each one of
us gets to choose how deep we want to go with Jesus. Some of us made a
beginning and just hung around our own Gilgal. Our conversion is the high point
and we don’t go much further. Some of us get as far as our own Bethel; God is
present and God makes promises. Some of us press on into the battle of our own
Jerichos, entreating our God to train our hands for war so that nothing will be
able to stand in the way of God’s promises. And some of us will never be satisfied
until we receive the divine anointing to participate in world changing service to
our God. Where would you say you are this morning? How deep do you really
want to go with Jesus? Why not tell him plainly how it is between him and you?