Print this page June 27,2010 A sermon by Pastor Mary Harris-Koth Elisha looks at Elijah's mantle lying on the ground and remembers the life of his mentor, his friend and the one who anointed him as his successor. If he picks it up he will be the lone prophetic voice in Israel. He remembers the sad life of Elijah and asks "do I want to follow in his foot steps?" He remembers how Elijah begged God to just let him die and God told him to anoint his successor which gave Elijah a partner until today. He remembered that Elijah spent his life hiding and put his life at risk every time he came out of hiding to speak the truth to power. Does Elisha want to pick up the mantle of Elijah? Imagine yourself living in 900B.C.as a subject of Israel with King Ahab as your ruler. The King has invited you to join him in the worship of his wife's gods especially Baal. You rather enjoy being able to see the image of your god. Baal is specific to rain and is the god to help your crops grow. Baal is specific to your everyday life and not so far away as the invisible Yahweh of your ancestors. Before Jezebel came to town you worshiped Yahweh, a God one could not see and only the prophets heard this God speak. You are commanded to listen to the prophet speak the words of God for in your sacred book of Deuteronomy 18:18, God speaks these words "I will rise up a prophet and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto the people all that I shall command him." Only the prophet could said; "Thus says the Lord!" Even the king had to call the prophet of God into his chambers if he was to hear the word of God and the king was to follow the words of God spoken by the mouth of the prophet. Only the prophet received the Spirit of God and was in communication with God for the salvation and help of the people. The prophet Elijah hears that God is angry that the king has led the people to turn to the worship of the water god Baal. Therefore, God will now show his anger and his power as the one true God when Elijah says to the king; "There will be no rain for years because of your worship of a god of rain who can not make it rain. By this you will know that I am the true God. The king and the people did not turn to the God of their forefathers but remained with the god of rain that brought no rain so Elijah after three and one-half years gathered the people to observe a first hand demonstration i.e. a contest between 450 prophets of Baal and himself the one prophet of Yahweh. Jezebel had hundreds of Yahweh's' prophets killed. Two alters are built one for Baal and one for Yahweh. A sacrifice is dressed for each alter and the Baal prophets first pray for fire and the fire does not appear. Elijah prays and Yahweh immediately sends a mighty fire that consumes the sacrifice and the altar. When Elijah wins the contest he has the people gather up the false prophets of Baal and the false prophets of Asherah, totally 850 prophets and Elijah kills every prophet. Lesson: The Spirit of God is known to us in fire. At Pentecost the Spirit of God descended on the disciples in tongues of fire. This story is in sharp contrast with the formation of the new community of Galatians 5. Now the Spirit of the Living God is available to every person. Now the pagan worshipers witness the people of 'the way' who hold their allegiance to Jesus live in a Spirit of "love, joy; peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. The people of 'the way' will tell you that the Holy Spirit is now available to all who ask. It began with a work of fire at a Pentecost celebration years ago. Great balls of fire came upon disciples who had been in prayer together that the Spirit of the living God would descend upon the believers of Jesus. Now they will tell you we live in the Spirit, and we also walk in the Spirit. Every believer is as an Elijah who lived and walked in the Spirit of God. It came to be termed the priesthood of the believers. My goodness how the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians differ from the work of the Spirit found in the stories of Elijah. When one studies the life of Jesus the characteristics of God change dramatically. Inclusion of all replaces exclusion of select persons. Mercy replaces vengeance and tolerance replaces war. Forgiveness is offered and who is allowed at the table of our God changes. Lepers, women, children, mentally ill, set beside the righteous. It is helpful to know the Old Testament stories and to understand how people's understanding of God's nature evolved with the coming of Jesus. The Spirit's work of fire in the Elijah story was to destroy the worship of idols. But the work of fire at the birthday of the church ignited a new era of God's reign on earth. Elijah's God brought vengeance, death, draught, and fear. God was to be feared. However, the Spirit of God in Galatians will bring live not death, abundance not draught, and a un-condition love that will cast out all fears. Love not vengeance will guide the new faith. Elijah's God killed the false prophets, and the non-believing kings and the king's subjects. Elijah's God was a God of war. I hear the words of Jesus "You have heard it said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say to you love your enemy and do good to those who seek to hurt you." The Spirit of God is doing a new thing. The God that once tore down will now build up and the God that once divided the tongues of the people at the tower of Babel now unit the language of the people. The exclusive God for Israel alone is now a God for all nations. I hear the voice of Jesus saying; "Go and teach all nations, baptizing them…" This is the God we worship and proclaim with our morning phrase; "Whoever you are and wherever you are on your faith journey". Lesson: The Spirit of God is the one true God and is known to us in fire. At Pentecost the Spirit of God descended on the disciples in tongues of fire. Elijah did not die and the popular belief was that Elijah would return and when people saw that the Spirit of God was in the life and works of Jesus they speculated that Elijah had returned. Remember Seder Jews to this day await the return of Elijah. He is the prophet who left in a ball of fire with the anointed prophet Elisha as witness. Elisha picks up Elijah's mantle and knows that the Spirit of God has been passed onto him when Elijah's mantle parts the waters of the Jordan. He walked with Elijah through the Jordan but he will return without Elijah but with Elijah's mantle and the spirit of Elijah now rest in Elisha. Read the life of Elisha and every work of Elijah are repeated in Elisha so that we might know that the Spirit of God did come to Elisha. Jesus, however, gives his power to be in the Spirit of the living God to each of his disciples and promises that the power of God is available to each of us for the asking. Jesus' Spirit is for us to receive and if we but receive we will know a peace that passes all understanding. If we but receive the Spirit of God we will find our attitude to reflect gratitude. It is in gratitude that one can love the unlovable, and offer a kind word in response to evil words. I am grateful to God for giving to me a double portion of the living Spirit of God. Elisha in verse 13 took us the mantle of Elijah and it is stated the second time in verse 14 and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and smote the waters and said; "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" And the waters parted. Message he received his request. If you but ask for the Spirit of God to descend on you, will you be denied? Hear me correctly, if you ask for the Spirit of God to descend on you, will you be denied? You who was anointed by baptism waters and forgiven by the broken body of Jesus: Will God deny you? Will you pick up your mantle from your God? The Spirit of the living God seeks to dwell in humans that the Reign of God might indeed come to earth as it is already enjoyed in heaven. Pray with me: Come Holy Spirit Come. Where once there was division of language may this church find one language in you. Where once there was fear may this church enjoy the courage like unto the prophet Elijah that held a contest of the gods? May we come to know that we indeed worship and serve the one true God? Where once there was in our lives a god that sought vengeance may we enjoy God's presence of forgiveness and renewal. Where we once understood our God to be exclusive for my group only may we come to know the God that includes all and welcomes all at the table. May the Spirit of Fire purify our thoughts and hearts that we might love our God with all our mind and heart and in that love know how to love our neighbor as God loves our neighbor and our enemy and our stranger in our midst? God leap tongues of fire upon this congregation that they might speak and live the life of prophets in an age that does not recognize prophets or understand the possibilities of the life of a prophet in their midst. Creator Spirit, come I pray, and visit every mind here this day may hearts be made to be your alone and O Spirit fill us with heavenly grace. Light a fire in your people. If we have not your Spirit we are a broken people and need to be made whole. Heal us, mold us made us new. Come Holy Spirit to these people. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me; Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me melt me, mold me, fill me use me /