SERMONS

Proper 8C
July 1, 2007

By The Rev. Sylvia Czarnetzky

I Kings 19:15-6, 19-21
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62

A few weeks ago, an Episcopal priest from Tupelo named Shannon Johnston was consecrated the Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Virginia.  For the next three years or so, Shannon will work with the Diocesan Bishop, Peter Lee, until he retires, at which time Shannon will succeed him as Bishop of Virginia.  You may remember that a similar process went on a few years ago in this diocese.  We elected Duncan Gray III our Bishop Coadjutor, and he served with Bishop Marble until Bishop Marble retired, then Duncan succeeded him as Bishop of Mississippi.

When you think about it, it’s kind of a smart way to do things, the transition in pastoral leadership in a diocese from one bishop to another bishop is a pretty big one.  It makes good sense for the two bishops work together, before the old bishop retires and the new bishop takes the helm.  It gives the new bishop time to grow into his new identity as a bishop.  (Apparently, you have to go to Bishop School!)  It gives the old bishop time to begin to let go of the reins, and to prepare to pass the mantle to his successor. It also makes practical sense because it gives the new bishop a firsthand look at how the diocesan office works, so when it’s his turn to run things, he’ll be ready.  Or, at least, that’s the idea.

It seems to me something similar is going on with Elijah and Elisha in our first reading this morning. The Lord has told Elijah to “anoint Elisha” as his successor as prophet to Israel. (1 Kg 19:16) Elijah immediately sets out to find Elisha, and he finds him plowing a field with twelve yoke of oxen. (19:19)  Elijah wasted no time in letting Elisha know he was to be his successor, chosen by God.  The text tells us: “Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him.  [Elisha] left the oxen, [and] ran after Elijah…” (19:19-20)  It sounds to me like Elijah didn’t even stop! It sounds like Elijah just threw the mantle over Elisha’s shoulders and kept on going! It must’ve looked like a game of “Drop the Handkerchief,” only instead of a handkerchief, Elijah dropped a mantle!

Now, if you were here on Ascension Sunday (and you were paying attention to the sermon) then you know that a mantle was a kind of outer cloak with no sleeves was worn in the ancient world.  (Dress 233)  A mantle has also come to be a symbol of a person’s authority,  as it is in this situation, so that the passing of the mantle from Elijah to Elisha meant that Elijah was passing his prophetic authority to Elisha, as God had asked him to.

And if you were paying close attention on Ascension Sunday, then you remember that the mantle wasn’t actually passed to Elisha for good, until the moment before Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.  (2 Kg 2:13-6) That is when the mantle actually passed from Elijah to Elisha.

So there was this interim period, when Elisha had been chosen to succeed Elijah as prophet to Israel, but the mantle was not yet his.  At that point, Elisha was a kind of Prophet Coadjutor.  He was chosen to succeed Elijah as prophet, and was given the mantle temporarily to signify that choice, but didn’t really get the mantle until the day they went to the Jordan River, and Elijah went up to heaven.

So what does Elisha’s life look like in that interim period, when he is serving as Prophet Coadjutor to Israel, and Elijah is still hanging around?  Well, it appears that Elisha’s role in the interim is to follow Elijah around; to serve him and assist him, and to observe how Elijah works, so that, when Elisha’s turn comes to carry the mantle by himself, he’ll have some idea of what he is to do!  Elisha tags along as Elijah completes his term as prophet. He follows him to Gilgal, and to Bethel; and to Jericho.  (2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6)

Eventually, Elisha follows Elijah all the way to the Jordan River, where the transfer of prophetic power is completed: Elijah passes the mantle to Elisha and with the passing of the mantle comes the passing of prophetic powers. For when Elisha picks up the mantle, he immediately begins to exercise some of the same prophetic powers that Elijah had exercised.  And the people immediately accept the prophetic authority of Elisha once the mantle is in his possession.  (2 Kg 2:13-5)

I suppose that what Elisha went through tagging along after Elijah, watching and learning, observing how things were done, is not so different from what Shannon is doing right now in Virginia, and what Duncan was doing in Mississippi before Chip retired: Trying to grow into that new identity as bishop before the job belongs to you alone.  Trying to get your bearings for a tough job that certainly won’t win you any popularity contests, at least not these days!

Walter Brueggemann, an Old Testament scholar, suggested that perhaps when Elisha had the mantle dropped on his shoulders the first time, he was just trying it on for size! Brueggemann writes: “Elisha wraps the mantle tight around his body…to see how it feels and how it fits, …”  (36)  It was a way for Elisha to test the call.  (36-7)

Brueggeman also suggests that the answer Elisha gave to Elijah, when Elijah first tossed the mantle onto him, “is quick and short and to the point.  [Elisha] says “I will follow you.’  I am ready.  I just need” to take care of two “quick things, and then I follow without reservation.”  (36) First, Elisha wants to go home and kiss his mother and his father “good-bye.” (Brueggemann 36-7, 1 Kg 19:20)  Maybe he wanted to do this because he “did not want to soar off” into this new role “without firm rootage.” (37)

And Elijah said Elisha was welcome to do that, to go back and tell his parents good-bye.

(Jesus, however, was not so accommodating to his potential followers.! Jesus would not let one guy who wanted to follow him go to his own father’s funeral!  And when another guy who wanted to follow Jesus wanted first to go home and tell his family good-bye,  Jesus said “no”! (Lk. 9:59-62)  I’m not sure why Jesus was in such a rush, although by this time in the gospel, time was starting to run short!)

But the second thing Elisha does before he sets out to follow Elijah is to throw a big party!  (Brueggemann 37)  Elisha took the very oxen he was plowing with, and turned them into supper, and invited his family, friends and neighbors to the feast!  (1 Kg 19:21)  And having thrown himself a bit of a going away party, Elisha “set out and followed Elijah and became his servant.”  (1 Kg 19:21)  But isn’t it interesting that, before Elisha heads out to do the Lord’s bidding, he celebrates lavishly with his friends and those closest to him?  (Brueggemann 37)

The picture that emerges from this story from Kings is of a person who is more than willing to accept the call that the Lord issues, but not before he touches in with his family and celebrates with his friends. 

But notice what Elisha was doing when God’s call came to him: he was working.  He was farming.  He was engaged     in normal, everyday activity.

Doesn’t that suggest to us that God’s summons may come to us under the most ordinary of circumstances, on the most ordinary of days?

But notice too that, once the call came to Elisha, he took the time to say “good-bye” to his family and to celebrate with his friends, before embarking on a journey that would take him away from what he knew (Brueggemann 38) –    that would lead him to dangerous and unfamiliar places – that would take him well outside his comfort zone.

And isn’t that just like God! To call us into new places, where new skills will be needed and new tasks will be taken on; to call us out of our comfort zones and our familiar routines into places that are uncomfortable and unfamiliar, and even dangerous.

Because that is what a call to ministry often looks like:

a call to act with boldness and energy on our Lord’s behalf;

a call to go deeper and to pray harder and give more freely;

a call to step out in faith, to places we’ve never been before,

simply because God calls us there.  And maybe, when the call comes to us,

we’ll be blessed like Elisha and have an Elijah to show us how things are done; or maybe we can be an Elijah for somebody else. Amen.

Works Cited:

Brueggemann, Walter. “The Stunning Outcome of a One-Person Search Committee.” Journal for Preachers (Advent 2001).  36-40.

“Dress and Ornamentation.” Anchor Bible Dictionary. II.  New York: Doubleday, 1991. 233. in ABD)

Gaudino, Rebecca J. Kruger.  New Proclamation.  Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007.