A Sermon by Deacon Terry Hurlbut

​So, if Fr. Harvey, Fr. Dominic or Fr. Scott go running to the Bishop, I could get fired after this sermon, because we are not talking a lot about the Gospel. And, in case you didn’t remember, two weeks ago, Fr. Harvey mentioned that I would talk on the Transfiguration, again, getting himself off the hook when it comes to tough topics.
 I thought we’d do something different and look at the Old Testament reading, which we never really do and I thought was a really cool reading. A reading of choices.
But – to keep myself safe on a technicality – I would like to point out that in our old testament reading Elijah gets caught up in a whirlwind and then in the Gospel many years later he appears during Jesus’ transfiguration along with Moses. So there is a connection between the two readings.
In the Gospel, Jesus plainly told His disciples that He would suffer, be killed, and be raised to life, he took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. While praying, His personal appearance was changed into a glorified form, and His clothing became dazzling white.
 Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus about His death that would soon take place. Peter, not knowing what he was saying and being very fearful, offered to put up three shelters for them.
These three shelters seem to reference the booths that were used to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles that the Israelites celebrated.
When a cloud surrounded them, a voice said, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen, whom I love; listen to Him!” The cloud lifted, Moses and Elijah had disappeared, and Jesus was alone with His disciples who were still very much afraid.
It seems to me, the purpose of the transfiguration is to show Jesus’ heavenly glory so his “inner circle” disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus was.
Christ underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could see Him in His glory. The disciples, who had only known Him in His human body, now had a greater realization of the deity of Christ, though they could not fully comprehend it.
Symbolically, the appearance of Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets. But God’s voice from heaven – “Listen to Him!” - Clearly showed that the Law and the Prophets, the old way of doing business must give way to Jesus.

Our old testament reading it is the well-known story of Elijah and Elisha and how God took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind and Elisha was left behind on his own.
This morning, let’s take a look at Elisha, and see how he dealt with the loss of his friend and mentor.
Let’s also note that we have two guys here.
Elisha and Elijah.
The names sound very similar and with my hearing issues – it’s easy to get confused. But we have two guys here. Elisha and Elijah.
God had called Elisha to be a prophet. He had trained for a long time with Elijah who was a prophet and now God was taking Elijah away.
Just fun fact – Elijah was assumed into heaven – there is no recording of his physical death.
The challenge to us this morning is:
Given the opportunity, what choice would I make?
What do we know about Elisha?
He was a businessman - in fact a farmer. Judging by the fact that he had "twelve yoke of oxen" he was pretty successful.
I’d also like to remind us of our reading several weeks ago on the second Sunday of Epiphany, when we talked about hearing the voice of God – what would we do?
Here we have God calling Elisha who left all to become Elijah’s pupil, much like the sons of Zebedee did when Jesus called them.
By the time of this morning’s reading, Elisha had spent a lot of time with Elijah.
The master-pupil relationship had probably developed into a father-son relationship.
Elisha had developed his own relationship with God and his prophetic gifts had been growing.
But Elijah was always there to lean on.
As long as Elijah was around, Elisha could not fully develop into the prophet God had called him to be.
The day had to come when God would release Elisha to be on his own. He would now have to depend on God more directly than ever before.
And so I wonder what was going on through Elisha’s mind as he walked on the road from Gilgal to Bethel and from Bethel to Jericho.
1. He was about to lose a very close friend and mentor
2. He would have no option if he wanted to take over for Elijah as the prophet in Israel.
3. Was he tempted to look back and ask himself if he had made a mistake in leaving the farm to follow Elijah?
If we had been Elisha, how would we have reacted? Would we have blamed God for taking our friend away? Or would we have been able to see that the time of apprenticeship was over and God was now releasing us to fulfill the call that he had for our lives?
Story:
I remember the day that my father died. I was 54, I had two grown kids, and at the time one Grandchild.
When my father died I felt a deep sense of loss. Dad was gone.
I was now I was the oldest in our family and I was not my father.
I am sure many of you know what this feels like.
There comes a time when God takes away someone close on whom we depend and we ask: What’s your plan Lord? We understand it is part of life, but we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t ask, what’s your plan Lord?
I wonder if similar thoughts were going through Elisha’s mind.
I did when Dad died.
Yet it is in these very circumstances that God releases us into our own ministry. Painful as it may feel.
That was the case for me when Dad died.
He was such a wonderful human being, full of love, unconditional to me, my sister and our family.
But the truth was, I could not step out into my calling as long as he was alive – though I was actually fine with that.
Back to the story:
Elisha and Elijah arrive in Jericho and then move on from there down to the Jordan River.
As Elijah comes to the Jordan, he strikes the river and the water divides to allow them to pass.
They cross and when they get to the other side, Elijah asks: What can I do for you before I am taken up from you?
I wonder how I would have answered the question.
I take this time to pose the question – what is your most important request?
Elisha knew what God had called him to do, to become a prophet.
So Elisha asked for what was necessary to fulfil the tasks that God had called him to.
So he asked Elijah for "a double portion of his Spirit".
Elijah replies: "If you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours - otherwise not"
Elisha realized that the key to Elijah’s ministry was the Spirit in Elijah and he knew that he needed that.
So he asked for a double portion of Elijah’s Spirit"
He didn’t ask for money or fame.
He asked for a double portion of Spirit – how cool is that!
At first, Elijah’s reply seems hard.
Elisha had to keep his focus on Elijah all the time. He could not afford to look away, for fear of missing Elijah’s departure.
I believe that this was a part of God’s training.
For us – keeping our eyes focused on God.
If Elisha was to take over as God’s prophet - he had to be a man totally dedicated to God.
It ended up that Elisha did see Elijah taken up to heaven and he went on to have a wonderful ministry, due to his commitment to God.
And I would like to ask the question again
How would we have answered Elijah?
Or more currently, how do you answer God’s call?
It is never too late to be used by God.
Moses was eighty when God called him, he had been retired 25 years when God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.
I wonder what God might be calling each of us to do?
Sit under the tree. Pray & listen for God. Listen for what he wants you to do.
We have all lost someone or something in our lives which has made us feel vulnerable, unworthy, anxious or unfit, just like Elisha felt.
Elisha asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit.
Next week our Bishop will be here and we will be given the opportunity to renew our Baptismal promise, that maybe a good time to ask God for  “a double” portion of his Spirit, so that we can carry out what God is calling each of us to do.
AMEN.