Sermon: Passing the Mantle
June 30th, 2019 Rev. Betsy Perkins
First Baptist Church, Delavan WI
Scripture passages: 2 Kings 2:1-14
A couple weeks ago an amazing piece of the history of this church came back to us. Nancy Jackson, the same person who brought us the 1873 tea set, discovered in one of the last boxes she was sorting, a notebook that belonged to her great-grandfather, Rev. Charles Hobbs. He was the twelfth and longest serving pastor of this church. (The mantle of pastoral leadership has been passed on a few times since then; I’m the 26th pastor). In this notebook, Pastor Hobbs made notes of all the sermons he preached, the scripture text, the title, along with the funerals and weddings, and meeting notes. He numbered his sermons, starting with #1 on March 29th 1884, titled “Unconscious Sanctification”. The titles get more down-to-earth as he goes along. The last sermon entered in this notebook is in January of 1892, #847. Rev. Hobbs continued as pastor of this church till 1909 (16 more years) so there must have been more notebooks. Unfortunately, that history has been lost or just not rediscovered yet.
Going back into the Old Testament is a little like going back into the history of our church. We can trace the line of the story of God’s relationship with his children, the messages God gave them, and trace how it leads right down to those of us who sit here this morning. Last week we reached back in history to learn from the story of Elijah’s life as a prophet, working and speaking as a servant of the LORD God Almighty. We recalled the peak of his career, and then considered the dark valley that he descended into, experiencing burnout and depression. After God intervened and cared for Elijah, we heard God recommission Elijah and assure him that he was not alone. Elijah was directed to appoint a man named Elisha as his successor and begin to mentor Elisha. Here is how that story in 1 Kings 19 ends:
Elijah went straight out and found Elisha son of Shaphat in a field where there were twelve pairs of yoked oxen at work plowing; Elisha was in charge of the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his mantle (cloak) over him. (1Ki.19:19)
Did you know that this story of Elijah and Elisha is where we get one of the definitions for the word ‘mantle.’ A mantle is not just the top of a fireplace, or Mickey Mantle, or even a cloak. It can represent a set of responsibilities or a position. We talk about passing the mantle. We might say, she took up the mantle of leadership; or, he assumed his father’s mantle.
After Elijah threw his mantle over Elisha’s shoulders, we read that: Elisha deserted the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please! Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye – then I’ll follow you.” … So Elisha took his oxen and butchered them. He made a fire with the wood from the plow and cooked the meat for a farewell meal with his family. Then he left and followed Elijah, becoming his assistant.
That reminds me of others who abruptly left their work and livelihood to follow a Man of God. A couple fishermen named Simon and Andrew were casting their nets into the Sea of Galilee one day, when Jesus walked by and said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people.” The gospel of Mark tells us that immediately they dropped their nets and followed him. A little further down the shoreline, Jesus ran into James and John, cleaning and folding fishing nets. Jesus said, “Come, follow me,” and immediately they left their father’s fishing business and followed Jesus to be his disciples, his students and assistants.
As I noticed this parallel between the story of Elijah and the story of Jesus, I began to notice other parallels, other similarities. Maybe you did as well. There is part of this story that seemed rather odd to me when I read it earlier this week: Elijah telling Elisha he was going on to another place and Elisha could stay behind – not once, but three times. And three times, Elisha refuses and insists on sticking with his mentor. Then in the bible study on Wednesday morning, we read from John 6 where many of Jesus’ followers abandon him because his teachings were too hard. Jesus turns to the Twelve and says, “How about you? Do you want to leave too?” (Jn.6:67) Simon Peter responds, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We’ve committed ourselves to you.” Suddenly I could hear the Elijah and Elisha story in a new light. Elijah knows that taking up the mantle from him is going to be hard. He is giving Elisha the chance to change his mind. But Elisha is fully committed, just as the disciples are fully committed to Jesus.
There are other parallels between Elijah and Jesus. Both performed miracles – Elijah fed a widow and her family by multiplying the flour and oil in her jars. Jesus fed a large crowd by multiplying the bread and fish in one boy’s lunch. Elijah brought the widow’s only son back to life after he died. Jesus brought a widow’s only son back to life in the town of Nain, when he and his disciples happened upon a funeral procession and Jesus’ heart goes out to the grieving woman. The people who saw it made the connection with Elijah, too, for Luke tells us that they were all filled with awe and praised God and said, “A great prophet has appeared among us. God has come to help his people.” (Lk.7:16)
Both Elijah and Jesus spend 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness: Jesus in a time of testing; Elijah in a time of depression. Elijah’s wilderness time led him to Mount Sinai where he had a personal encounter with God. God came to him in the sound of sheer silence, in the still small whisper. Jesus, too, had a personal encounter with God on a mountain. Peter, James, and John were there to experience God’s presence as God spoke, saying “This is my son, whom I love.” (Mk.9:7) Actually, Elijah showed up on that mountain with Jesus, too!
Elijah had threats made against his life; so did Jesus. Elijah used his mantle to part the waters of the Jordan River; Jesus used his life to push death aside and open the way for us to cross from life to life. As Jesus breathed his last on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom as Jesus opened the divide between heaven and earth. Elijah had no grave; he was carried directly to God’s presence in the whirlwind of a heavenly chariot. Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home… Jesus left an empty grave, when God raised him to life again.
In our tendency to think linearly, chronologically, we might look at these parallels and conclude that Jesus took after Elijah, followed Elijah’s example. But I believe it was actually the other way around. Rather than the straight line of history marching forward, I wonder if a better image is like a still lake. Somewhere in the middle of history, a stone/pebble was dropped and the ripples from that stone spread out in all directions. Jesus is the stone that dropped into the middle of history and the ripples of His life are felt not just in in the lives of those who came after Him but also in the lives of those who lived before Him.
With that image in mind, we see the story about Elijah passing the prophet mantle to Elisha as being another ripple/echo of the story of Jesus, of God entrusting his work to his people, his disciples. As Jesus left his disciples, 40 days after his resurrection, he said to them, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”(Mt.28:19) That act of empowering the next generation and the next generation to serve God and carry out the work of Kingdom-come, rippled on into the future to empower Rev. Charles Hobbs to take up the mantle of leadership for this congregation, the body of Christ in his time/place. The silver teapot set represents the passing mantle of Sunday School Superintendent. It was a gift of gratitude for one man’s service in Christian education, as another took up the work.
The ripples continue to spread outward. Which leads to the question: How is God calling you today? Is there someone you are being called to mentor? Is there a mantle that you are being invited to take up? I’m quite sure none of us are done till we die, and who knows, there may be work to be done on the other side too! While you are here on this earth, you will always have opportunities to serve God. These may change over the course of your life; a series of passing on one mantle, taking up another. You may have several mantles on your shoulders – mantles at home, at work, at church, a wider discipleship call to a particular issue or need – like human trafficking, or prisoners, or poverty, or creation care, or care of refugees and immigrants. So let’s look back once more at the story of Elijah/Elisha to see what lessons in the ripples of their discipleship transition might help us.
From Elijah, we learn the importance of mentoring the next generation. Formal apprenticeships aren’t as common today as they used to be, but in farming a son still learns from his father and grandfather. Kara calls me to seek advice on being a mom and caring for her children. An experienced teacher mentors a student teacher. Our newest church members, Aubrey and Brianna, had mentors as they prepared for baptism. But they will continue to need encouragement and guidance on their discipleship journey. Are you being called to mentor someone on a part of their Christian walk, to model, to teach? Elijah asked Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” What are the ways you can use your experience, your wisdom, to guide and empower someone else? Pray about the ways God in inviting you to be an Elijah.
From Elisha we see the example of his total commitment to the task God has called him to. He uses his oxen to feed everyone at this farewell party. He is all in; there is no going back. Elisha’s focus is to be fully prepared to carry out his work. He asks to be given a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. That was not an arrogant request to be twice as good. The phrase ‘a double portion’ is how the Old Testament describes the inheritance of an eldest son, the primary heir. Elisha is simply asking to be the legitimate, fully empowered successor – to hear from God as Elijah did, to perform miracles when necessary as Elijah did, whatever is needed to get the job done and done well. Is there a task God has called you to? Have you made an unwavering commitment? What do you need to do to be all in and to follow God’s will for your life? What resources do you need to be fully equipped and empowered?
Finally, did you notice the role of the faith community in the story? They come alongside Elisha – at Bethel, at Jericho, and at the Jordan. At each place the faith community lets Elisha know that they are aware that this is a difficult time of loss for him. At the Jordan, the company of prophets stand at a distance to watch and to receive Elisha when he comes back across the river alone. As they receive him, they speak words of affirmation to him. “The spirit of Elijah lives in Elisha!” they say, welcoming him back and honoring him. Are there people working on behalf of God’s kingdom, our missionaries, others who speak out or serve in place of great need, that need to be affirmed and encouraged? Our ABW group does that by sending cards and a small gift at Easter to some of our ABC missionaries. Lisa may have an opportunity to do that for ABC missionary Dilia who lives and serves in Honduras.
In the moment of transition, Elisha asked, “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” We might ask the same thing. Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah and of Elisha? Where is the God of Jesus’ disciples Peter and Mary Magdelene? Where is the Lord, the God of the Phoenix brothers who gave the land this church stands on, the God of Pastor Hobbs? Where is the Lord?
Where is the Lord? Right here! Right now! Calling, leading, empowering, loving – in and through you! Amen.
Closing Song: “Soon and Very Soon” # 677
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