Feb 11, 2024 |
Sunday Sermon
| The Rev. Jeanne LeinbachSunday Sermon
We have two great passages from Scripture for this Last Sunday after the Epiphany. In 2 Kings, we hear about the prophet Elijah passing the mantel, passing his prophetic authority on to Elisha. In the Gospel of Mark, we hear the story of the Transfiguration, when Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up a high mountain and Jesus was transfigured before them. I’m going to focus today on 2 Kings, but I will bring the Transfiguration into our discussion.
2 Kings inspires renewal in our everyday lives. Let’s take a look at the journey that Elijah and Elisha took together. They traveled to Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and then the Jordan River. These locations weren’t just convenient stops along the way. These places are named because they are theologically significant. The first stop was Gilgal. The Israelites had wandered for forty years in the wilderness, then Joshua led them across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. That night they camped in Gilgal. Joshua directed twelve men, one from each tribe, to take a stone from the Jordan River and bring it into the camp as a memorial. Joshua told the people that the stones will be a reminder for all people that the Lord our God dried up the waters of the Jordan so the Israelites could cross over. Our God is a living God.
The second stop on the journey was Bethel. Do you remember the story about Jacob’s Ladder in the Book of Genesis? “Jacob came to a certain place and stayed there for the night. … He dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. … Know that I am with you.’ … Jacob called that place Bethel” (28:10-19). Our God is a living God.
The third stop on the journey was Jericho where the Israelites entered into battle for the first time after they crossed over into the Promised Land. God told Joshua exactly how to enter into the battle and he did as he was told. He led the people in marching around the walls of the city for six days with trumpets blaring. On the seventh day, they marched around the walls seven times. At the prescribed moment, Jacob told the people to shout out and they did. Indeed, the walls came tumbling down and the Israelites captured the city. God told Joshua exactly how to make it happen. Our God is a living God.
The fourth stop on the journey was the River Jordan. Again, it is through the Jordan that the Israelites crossed over from the wilderness into the Promised Land. Truly, is there a better, more fitting spot for Elijah to be taken up into the heavens, into new life? Actually, there is. Elijah struck the water of the River Jordan, the water parted, and Elijah and Elisha crossed over. They crossed over into an unnamed location – not a famous, historical site - a non-descript, everyday location. From this place, “Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.” Our God is a living God…in our everyday.
Next, let’s take a look at the theme of silence. To start, let’s go back to 1 Kings to remember a powerful story about silence. “God tells Elijah, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave” (19:11-13). Elijah heard God in the silence. Elisha learned well from his mentor. In today’s passage from 2 Kings, a group of prophets in Bethel and a group of prophets in Jericho warn Elisha that the Lord is going to take Elijah away. Both times, Elisha tells them to keep silent. It was not a time to jump to conclusions, to make premature decisions. It was a time to simply be present, to listen in the silence, to let God lead.
Here we should take a moment to consider Peter’s reaction to the Transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, James and John and they go up a high mountain. Jesus is transfigured before them, “his facing shining like the sun, his clothes dazzling white.” Then, Moses and Elijah appear. Moses lived 1200 years prior. Elijah lived 800 years prior. Yet, there they stood. That would be a lot to take in. Peter makes a rather nonsensical statement: “Lord, if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” On the one hand, what I love about Peter’s response, is that he is showing us the fruits of his faith…he knows that these two are Elijah and Moses. Think about that. They lived centuries prior. There were no photos available. He just knew it was them. Yet, his response was nonsensical. When we set his response against Elisha’s response requesting silence, we see how Peter was missing out on the significance of the moment: Jesus is being revealed as the Messiah.
The story of Elijah passing his prophetic authority onto Elisha encourages us to find time for silence in our every day. In the silence, in setting aside all the details of the day, we make room to hear our living God, the still small voice inside of us that leads us into all truth, gives us the peace to endure all challenges, inspires new beginnings; imbues hope. Don’t forget Elisha’s persistence. In Gilgal and Bethel and Jericho, Elijah told Elisha to stay there. But, Elisha kept insisting he would not leave Elijah and continued to follow him; he continued until he got what he believed he needed to carry out his ministry. We can persist in making time for prayer, for sitting in the silence, desiring to hear that still small voice that will inspire our life. Amen.