A Ministry Succession Plan—Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 3C/Proper 8 (2 Kings 2)

 

James Tissot, Elijah Ascends in a Chariot of Fire

2 Kings 2:1-2, (3-5), 6-14 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

2 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. ² Elijah said to Elisha, “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. ³ The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”

⁴ Elijah said to him, “Elisha, 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. ⁵ The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”

⁶ Then Elijah said to him, “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. ⁷ Fifty men of the company of prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. ⁸ Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and the two of them crossed on dry ground.

⁹ When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” ¹⁰ He responded, “You have asked a hard thing, yet if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” ¹¹ As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. ¹² Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

¹³ He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water. He said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? Where is he?” He struck the water again, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha crossed over.

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                It’s been four years since I officially “retired” after thirteen years from my pastorate. It took a while, but the congregation called a successor about a year and a half ago. Now, I am Pastor Emeritus. The succession plan has reached completion. When I retired, the church threw a nice party for me, but it was nothing like what Elijah experienced when it came time to pass the mantle to his successor. Such is the story told here in 2 Kings 2. This is a story that should speak to older clergy, whether before or after retirement, about the value of making way for younger clergy, even mentoring them. When it comes to being a mentor, one should never presume the right to take on that role. It needs to be organic. But the important point is to be there when requested.   

                In the previous reading from 1 Kings 19 (Proper 7), the prophet Elijah was on the run, fleeing from the wrath of Jezebel. Along the way, he met up with God, who gave him a new assignment that included anointing a few kings and adding an assistant and successor. That would be Elisha. In 1 Kings 19:19, which follows the previous reading, Elijah invited Elisha, son of Shaphat, who was in the fields plowing, to be his disciple. He did this symbolically by throwing his mantle (cloak) over Elisha. Then Elisha ran after Elijah, leaving behind his oxen and plow. He told Elijah that he needed to kiss his parents goodbye, and then he would join Elijah as his disciple. Eventually, Elisha joined up, serving as assistant and apprentice to Elijah (1 Kings 19:19-21). You can see parallels between this scene and the Gospel reading for the week from Luke 9:51-62.

This week, we jump forward a bit to the end of Elijah’s prophetic ministry. According to the narrator, Elijah and his assistant, Elisha, were heading to Gilgal while God was getting ready to take Elijah up in a whirlwind. There is a bit of a dance that takes place as they get to that place where the transfer of power will take place. Now that Elisha is firmly in place as Elijah’s disciple, he wants to go wherever Elijah is going. It’s a bit like Ruth and Naomi. Wherever Naomi goes, Ruth is going to go.

As the two men take this journey, Elijah stops and tells Elisha to stay at that place because Yahweh is sending Elijah to Bethel. Elisha replied that  “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So, they continued with the journey, heading to Bethel. When they reached Bethel, which was a religious center, a group of prophets came out to greet Elijah. These prophets turned to Elisha and asked him whether he knew and understood that Yahweh was going to take his master from him. In other words, the internship was about to end, and he would be heading out on his own. Elisha answered them by acknowledging that he understood, so they should remain silent. Elisha reveals that he had a much better grasp of Elijah’s ministry plans than Jesus’ disciples had of his plans as he made his way to Jerusalem.  

Having reached Bethel, Elijah tells Elisha that God is sending him as far as Jericho, but Elisha should stay at Bethel. Once again, Elisha tells his master that he’s not leaving him. So, they proceeded to Jericho, once again, a company of prophets met them, telling Elisha that his master would be taken from him. Once again, Elisha tells the prophets to be silent. While this is true, we’re beginning to see a pattern in which a message is being sent to Elisha.

Then, a third time, Elijah tells Elisha to stay put while he proceeds to the next stop. This time, Elijah tells his apprentice that Yahweh is sending him to the Jordan River. Again, Elisha refuses to stay behind. This time, a company of fifty prophets went with them, though they stood at a distance as Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan. While they were standing by the river, Elijah took his mantle/cloak, rolled it up, and struck the water. When Elijah did this, the river parted, and the two men crossed over the dry riverbed, much like Joshua had done generations earlier.

Now that they had reached their destination, Elijah asked Elisha what he could do for Elisha before being taken from him. Elisha answers rather boldly: “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” This is an interesting request, but understood in context, Elisha isn’t asking for double the power, but the full inheritance to be given to the firstborn son (Deut. 21:17). In other words, Elisha wants Elijah to recognize him as his rightful heir. Elijah answered his protégé by noting that it is not in his power to grant such a thing. However, if Elisha sees his master being taken from him, then it would be granted to him. If he looked away, it wouldn’t. There would be no turning back!

The narrator continues by recounting how the two men continued walking and talking until a chariot of fire appeared, separating the two men. At this point, Elijah ascended into heaven, carried by a whirlwind. True to his word, Elisha kept watch as Elijah ascended, leaving him behind. Elisha had followed him to this point but could go no further.  Elisha cried out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He kept watching until Elijah was out of sight, at which point he tore his clothes as a sign of grief at the loss. The question was, did he inherit Elijah’s ministry?

The answer to the question of whether he received this inheritance is found in what happened next. Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle, which had fallen to him. Elisha went up to the riverbank, struck the waters of the Jordan with the mantle, even as Elijah had done previously. Elisha cried out: “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he did this, striking the water while crying out to Yahweh, the water parted and Elisha walked across the dry riverbed, even as he and Elijah had done earlier. With this, Elisha had his answer. He had received Elijah’s inheritance. God confirmed the calling. Now this prophetic ministry belonged to Elisha. Elijah had done his job, instructing Elisha, preparing him to take on this role.  

As I noted above, this passage resonates with me, not because I am Elijah, but as a retired pastor, who retains membership in the church I served for thirteen years before retirement (I have largely stayed away from the congregation while it went through an interim period, called a settled pastor, giving him time to bond with the congregation, such that after four years I am comfortable re-engaging with the congregation in a new role as pastor emeritus. As I see it, my role is to be in support of my successor). In other words, both the congregation and I crossed the river, such that a new phase in the life of the church has begun. Elijah was taken away, leaving Elisha on his own. Many pastors, after they retire, leave town. Some of us stay. The point, though, is that as the retired ones, our job is not to try to stay in control, but to support as best we can (or we should stay clear of the congregation).

Having made that personal connection to the passage, I want to point out another dimension of this story. Elijah never dies. He’s simply taken from the earth. The only other example of such a departure in the Hebrew Bible is found in Genesis 5, where Enoch is taken up by God. In that story, we’re told: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, for God took him” (Gen. 5:24 Tanakh). Elijah also walked with God and was taken up by God. As Kathleen Farmer notes:

Elijah’s avoidance of an ordinary death sets the stage for the later traditional expectation that he would return to call Israel to repentance “ before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes” (Mal. 4:5; see Matthew 17:10-12; Mark 9:11-13; Luke 9:18-20) and helps explain why Elijah appears alongside Moses at the transfiguration of Jesus (Matt. 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke 9:30).  [Feasting on the Word, p. 177].

As for Elisha, he sought to be a faithful carrier of Elijah’s legacy. The mantle served as a symbol of the spirit that empowered Elisha as he carried on this ministry.

                May we all faithfully hear God’s call. For some of us, that means letting go of the reins of leadership so others can faithfully fulfill their ministry calling. I close with this word from Ron Allen and Clark Williamson: “Delightfully, at every Passover Seder the front door is opened, in case Elijah returns. This liturgical act reminds us that the world is not yet redeemed, that Elijah and Elisha still have work to do” [Preaching the Old Testament, p. 247]. That is true of all of us, even those of us who are “retired,” is it not?