A COMPLETELY NEW LIFE!

1 Kings 19:19-21

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat.  He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair.  Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.  Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah.  “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied.  “What have I done to you?”
So Elisha left him and went back.  He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them.  He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.  Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

When Elijah was still up in the cave on the mountain the Lord commanded him to find Elisha and anoint him as his successor as prophet.  Elijah’s time of ministry was complete.  So Elijah did as the Lord commanded him and found Elisha.  We have no idea what God had been doing in Elisha’s heart in preparation for this event.  From what we read it seems like Elijah simply appeared, threw his cloak around Elisha’s shoulders and began to move on.  But God may have been speaking to Elisha before this so it may not have been completely unexpected.

Whatever may have gone before, God called Elisha to ministry.  This is no small thing.  When God calls someone to do something he cannot be ignored without serious consequences.  Elisha was ready.  He did not want Elijah to leave.  He wanted to go with him so he ran after Elijah and begged him to wait a moment while he put an end to his old life.  He went back and said good-bye to his parents.  Then he proceeded to destroy his old way of life by burning his plow, slaughtering his oxen, and giving a feast for his workers.  There would be no going back.

Doesn’t this remind you of another event that took place hundreds of years later beside the Sea of Galilee.  Jesus walked along the shore and found fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James, and John.  They were fishing and working on their nets.  Jesus said to them, “Follow me.  I will make you fishers of men.”  And the Bible says the men left their nets and followed Jesus.

The first thing that jumps out at me is the finality of the commitment to obey God.  Elisha and the disciples left everything in their old lives to follow the Lord.  It’s almost as if Elisha wanted to make sure there would be nothing to go back to.  Many of us struggle with the draw of our old lives.  I wonder if we really understand the kind of life of commitment to which God calls us.  Doesn’t it seem like the gospel is offered to people as something they can merely add to their old lives?  Like they don’t really have to leave their old lives to follow Christ?  The gospel, the good news, is not that we can add Jesus and have happier lives.  It is a call to new life!  A completely different life!  The apostle Paul puts it very strongly when he says our old man was crucified with Christ.  There should be nothing to go back to.  Is that how we understood the gospel when we began to follow Jesus?  If not, then that is what we need to stop and think about.

The second thought that comes to me is the nature of God’s call to service.  We know he has given each one of us gifts and abilities that are to be used to serve him and the church.  I’ve known so many people who are hesitant to step out in faith and serve.  There are so many reasons given.  “I’ve never done anything like this before.  I don’t know if I can do it.  What if I fail?  I’m so busy with other things right now.”  I’m sure Elisha must have struggled with some of these thoughts too.  But the call of God is not just an invitation.  It is God’s calling and we have to put everything behind us in order to answer that call to service.