June 30 2013 Youth Sunday *II Kings 2.1-2,6-14; Galatians
5.1, 13-25 "Biblical Characters - Elisha - in the Footsteps of
Greatness" Rev. Jacqueline Hines
The story of Elisha and his mentor Elijah is one of the most
powerful in the bible. Elijah is the greatest prophet of all
the prophets. He is known as great within the traditions of the Muslim, the Jewish
and the Christian. He is mentioned in Muslim’s commentary to the Quran, and when
our Jewish neighbors celebrate their annual Seder meal, they set a cup on the
table for Elijah, because he is so great he could appear any day.
During Ahab’s reign as king in the 9th century BC,
Elijah would speak and the power of God would become evident. Fire came down from
heaven to show the prophets of Baal who’s in charge. A widow’s son was raised
to new life, the wicked Queen Jezebel was put in her place, he prayed for rain
and a drought came to an end. Sixteen miracles occur during Elijah’s ministry,
and there are many young prophets who want to be just like him. Wouldn’t you?
Have you ever been in the presence of someone great?
Of course, you have. God is great and God is good. We are made in the image of
the almighty, therefore, in some measure, we too are great and we are good. Our
lives are full of great moments, great ideas, great beauty, great love, great
wonders, great gifts, and great people. Greatness may be appreciated for a day
--- or a lifetime. Some great things and people are known throughout the entire
world and throughout the ages. Our greatness can lead to fame and fortune. It
can also cost more than we bargain for, but this one thing is certain, God has
called each of us to greatness.
As we walk where Jesus walked, as we follow in his
footsteps there are three things we things we need to remember about being
great. First of all, being great means
we eat the breakfast of champions. We have to do all we can to be strong in the
Lord and nurture our spirits because being great means doing the hard work of
fasting, praying, studying, and all sorts of laboring in love.
Elisha followed his mentor Elijah around and around in
circles, tirelessly from one place to another – from Bethel to Gilgal to the
Jordan and back again. Elijah was trying to get the young Elisha to go away and
go home, but he stuck right by him.
Elisha and Elijah lived in the 9th century BC, but
the two of them remind me of Saint Benedict in the 6th century AD. Benedict
had such great spiritual discipline and a powerful presence of God that a group
of monks begged him to let them hang out with him so they could learn everything
they could from him. They had spiritual
goals and they were willing to do extraordinary work. At first Benedict refused to be their mentor
because he believed his Rules would be too strict for them and they would grow
resentful. Sure enough, when they put themselves under his tutelage they became
frustrated and tried to poison him, but the Lord revealed their plans to
Benedict and saved his life.
Being great is not always easy. Not everyone can stay there.
Not everyone has a heart to sing in the choir week after week, teach Sunday
School, come to worship, tithe, spend a Saturday morning cleaning the church,
shopping for coffee hour, and spending hours in prayer and fasting. Being great
can often mean hard work.
Secondly, being great means we get a double portion. When
Elijah realized how persistent Elisha was, he asked him if there was one last
thing he could do for him. The young man Elisha asked for a double portion of
the great Elijah’s spirit. In those days, a double portion was a reference to
firstborn sons who legally received a double portion of their family’s inheritance.
[How many firstborns are here today?
Has it been a privilege]
Being a firstborn in the Old Testament was a place of honor.
Most of all it was a place of great responsibility. Firstborns were the legally
designated leaders of the family, responsible for the family’s material
possessions, and consecrated to God as a model of moral and spiritual behavior.
To whom much is given, much is required.
When Elisha asked for a double portion he had to mean that he
was willing to double the love he would give, whenever it was needed. Out of
our greatness, we too can manage life’s responsibilities by doubling our love.
When times are tough, things can work out great if we double our love – for
God, for each other, for someone in need. Are you ready for a double portion of
God’s Spirit? Are you ready to give double the love in barren places? Troubling
moments? Are you ready to double the
kind words, sacrificial gifts, positive attitudes, hours in worship, and acts
of gratitude? Greatness is all about a double portion. Are you ready to ask God
where and when you need to double the love this year?
Finally, being great can mean some drama. Suddenly, a chariot of fire came down from
heaven and separated Elisha from the great Elijah. If that wasn’t exciting enough,
Elijah was then sucked up into a whirlwind. You may have heard the story
of a man driving a pick-up truck when a tornado swept through. He said the wind
just picked the truck up off the ground and turned him around and around in
circles. He told about seeing debris spinning. He knew that he was smack in the
middle of the whirlwind. He told about the fear he felt until he landed
back on the ground – a few blocks away from where he started.
We can expect a bit of drama in greatness. Just like the day
of Pentecost, we never know when the Spirit will get a hold of us and do
something spectacular, take us to higher heights and deeper depths of love,
understanding, and care. God may heal our hearts, minds or bodies, challenge
us, enlighten us, deliver us, or delight us. You may not even know what will
happen next.
God is good and God is great. As children of God, we are too.
We can be sure that our greatness will lead us #1to persevere and dedicate ourselves with strength
for the long haul, #2 to have a
double portion so we can double our love when necessary, and #3 to experience some drama that we cannot
begin to imagine. Ready or not, God’s children will continue to be great! Amen.
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