Loving God, you are the source of all life and health and salvation.  As we gather together today, open our hearts to the new life that you are always ready to give through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

    The first reading that we heard today is one of those where you can’t just read it without any word of explanation.  The names are confusing to many people, and it’s difficult to grasp at first what is going on.  So... a few words of clarification: The two main characters are Elijah and Elisha.  In some translations, Elijah is referred to as Elias, which adds to the confusion.  Elijah is a great prophet, powerful in both word and deed.  He speaks God’s word to the people and performs great miracles.  He also meets God in the still, small voice on Mount Horeb.  The opening verses of the reading from 1 Kings (19:15-16) are the word that comes to Elijah after his time in the presence of God on the mountain.

    Elisha, on the other hand, is the one who will become Elijah’s successor.  When we meet him in today’s reading, he is not a prophet, but is a farmer out plowing in the field.  However, Elijah comes along, knowing that Elisha is the one whom God has chosen to succeed him, and takes off his mantle, and puts it on Elisha.  It helps, of course, to know what a mantle is.  A mantle is a large sleeveless outer garment – possibly made with something like camel’s hair, which is what John the Baptist wore later on.  It is something that a prophet would wear and shows that Elisha is being called to become a prophet.  In a sense, he is about to become Elijah’s apprentice.

    As we read this in translation, it is not clear at first if Elisha actually says good-bye to his parents or not.  However, Elijah actually says to Elisha something like this: “Go and say farewell to your parents, and then return to me, for I have done something very important to you.”  Elisha returns to Elijah, hosts a sacrificial feast on the spot, and then becomes Elijah’s apprentice (1 Ki. 19:20-21).

    Elisha understands the importance of God’s call to him.  He understands that this is more important than staying with his family and plowing in the fields.  He understands that there is life to be found in leaving everything behind and following Elijah and becoming God’s prophet.  Yet, not all those who meet Jesus have the same understanding of how important it is to welcome and to follow the one who is standing right there in front of them.

    I can’t help but think of later on when Jesus compares himself to the wisdom of Solomon and to Jonah.  Jesus basically says this: “The people of Nineveh repented and were saved at the preaching of Jonah, and they will be your judges in the end.  Look!  There is something greater than Jonah right in front of you!  And the Queen of Sheba – she, too, will condemn you – for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something so much greater than Solomon here!” (Cf. Mt. 12:41-42)

    It is so easy to become complacent, and to miss the life that is right in front of us.  Imagine, for just a moment, that the end of Psalm 16 (which we read today) is turned around.  It is written as a prayer from us to God, but imagine that God is the one speaking the words like this: “I will show you the path of life; in my presence there is fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11).

    Can you imagine God speaking these words to us, and us responding with a list of things that are more important?  I’m sorry, God.  That sounds good but I’ve got to go bury my father first.  I’m sorry, God.  You like those other people better than me, so you’ll have to go give your life to them.  I’m sorry, God.  I’ve got to go and make sure it’s okay with my family first.  God says to us, “I will show you the path of life; in my presence there is fullness of joy.  Come and follow me.”  Do we realize the fullness of life and peace and joy that are standing right in front of us in Jesus Christ?  Or are we distracted by everything else?

    In the Crossways materials that I’ve been using for confirmation, there are a couple of contrasting illustrations that help us to think about this.  Both include a circle that contains the many different things that take our time and energy.  There are work and family.  There is studying and there are sports and recreation.  There is eating and drinking.  There is making and managing money.  There is involvement as a citizen in community and government.  And then there is the church.

    In the first illustration, there is a person looking at all of these things in their life and asking how on earth they can fit in faith in Jesus Christ.  Where’s the time for it, right?  However, in the contrasting illustration, Jesus does not fit in wherever there happens to be time and space.  Instead, Jesus is at the centre of all of those things.

    And so, Jesus is the one who directs our work and our family time.  Jesus is the one who directs how we make and manage our money.  Jesus is the one who directs our studies and our community involvement and our politics.  Jesus directs our involvement in sports and recreation, Jesus directs our decisions about food and drink, and Jesus is at the centre of our church involvement and our worship.

    Jesus does not come to us and say, “Hey – can you give me that little part of your life on Sunday morning?”  Rather, Jesus asks us to follow him – not just now and then, but in everything we do and in every decision we make.  For us, following Jesus does not mean literally toddling off after him to follow him around from place to place.  Rather, for us, to follow Jesus means to glorify God in all that we do, even as we love and serve one another.

    As I mentioned earlier, not everybody knew who was standing right in front of them when they met Jesus.  They didn’t always recognize him as the source of abundant life and salvation.  However, we have the benefit of many years of believers.  We have the witness of the Scriptures.  We have the experiences of historical Christians, and we have the witness of present-day people who have seen the power of God at work and have experienced the healing and saving power of the name of Jesus.

    We are presented today, once again, with the Saviour – the one who gave his life for ours, that we might have life.  Today, he renews his call to us to come and follow him.  At the same time, we are reminded of some of the fruit that God’s Spirit will bring forth in our lives – fruit that grows as we live our lives as followers of Jesus.  Love, joy, and peace.  Patience, kindness and generosity.  Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  May such things grow in each of our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of God!

    God stands in our midst and says to us, “I will show you the path of life; in my presence there is fullness of joy.  Come and follow me.”  May we be granted the grace to so do.  Amen.

Lectionary 13(C)                            1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21
June 27, 2010                            Psalm 16
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church                    Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Pastor Lynne Hutchison                        Luke 9:51-62

 © 2010 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved