Elisha- Pt 3

Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please 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. And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.” Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please 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. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.” Then Elijah said to him, “Please 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. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground. (2 Kings 2:1-8 ESV). I have pastored several churches in the forty-five years of vocational ministry I have had thus far. My last church, Santa Fe Baptist, was one of the most difficult to leave. There were many reasons for that. We had many friends in that fellowship; we felt a part of the fabric of the community. While we still have those friends the separation of geography makes it more difficult to stay in touch. One of the things that has made it easier is the warm welcome we have received from family and friends in Texas. One of the first weeks we were back I was able to spend time with several folks who had been friends here just as those in Middle Tennessee were. It has made me reconsider the transitions of life much more than ever before. Transitions are never easy. Elijah takes his job as God’s prophet with ferocious seriousness; he doesn’t want the mantle dropped. Elisha, likewise, is serious about becoming a prophet but doesn’t know what it is like to bear the title: “Man of God.” Ultimately it is God who ensures the successful succession of the prophetic ministry in Israel. After Elijah’s dazzling departure, Elisha picked up his mantle. He didn’t sulk, he wasn’t paralyzed by anxiety; he simply took up where his mentor left off and headed back to the Jordan. It was now his responsibility to lead God’s people “further up and further in” to God’s preferred future. But the mantle didn’t only fall from Elijah. Eventually it would fall from Elisha too and be taken up by another prophet. These transitions have been a part of our lives for centuries, and through Christ we all must accept our role in taking up the next part of our journey in a way that will point people to Christ.