Wrestling with the text
30/06/13 05:26
This morning we conclude a four-week series of stories about the prophet Elijah. I enjoy doing sermon series from time to time. Being a lectionary preacher, however, means that I do series less often than many of my colleagues. For almost two decades I have not only allowed the texts of the lectionary lead me, but I have also preached on the text that has been selected by editors and denominational leaders as the focus text for the week. My choice is a reaction to what I have experienced as lazy preaching. Too many preachers have a preconceived notion of what they want to say and then go searching for a text to illustrate their idea or concept. I try to be led by the scripture – to start with the scriptures themselves and not with my ideas.
I suppose that means that some of my sermons are a bit of a stretch. Biblical texts come from specific times in the history of our people and not every historical moment has obvious contemporary parallels. For example, the Elijah stories that have been the focus of our worship for the past few weeks are, in part, stories of how power corrupts people. The unjust king Ahab and his scheming wife Jezebel are behind the corruption of the nation and the issues that Elijah seeks to address. It isn’t as if God hadn’t warned the people. When the begged for a king, God reminded them that human kings become power hungry, corrupt and take away freedom from their subjects. Everything that God warned about seems to have come true with an exaggeration in the reign of Ahab. Our contemporary political situation isn’t quite the same. Life in a democracy isn’t the same as life in a kingdom. Our relatively affluent community bears little connection to the poverty suffered by many in ancient Israel. We have freedom of religion in ways that were not imagined by people in those times. The separation of religion and government means that our government isn’t actively engaged in promoting religious ideas with which we intensely disagree.
But there is much more to the story of the prophet Elijah than the obvious facts of his political situation.
And there is much to be learned and taught from the ancient texts that have suffered from generations of being ignored by preachers and misinterpreted by those who haven’t taken the time to really understand the texts. Too many preachers and religious leaders don’t read the entire Bible. They focus their studies on the parts that agree with their theology and refuse to be challenged by the parts of the Bible that raise questions with their neat patterns of faith and religious structure.
As a result, prophets have often been interpreted as predictors of the future. In the minds of many Christians all prophecy is about what will happen at some point in the future. Biblical prophets, however, rarely predict the future. Their mission is to call the people back into relationship with God. They speak of the need for change in the future and rarely describe a distant future. When Isaiah or Jeremiah get going with their descriptions of the restoration of Israel they are speaking of an imminent future, not about the end times of all history. The Bible is far less focused on the end of time than many contemporary preachers. Outside of a few apocalyptic texts that come from times of intense persecution or of the fear of persecution, the Bible is remarkably silent about future judgment and reward. There is enough of God’s justice in the present moment for a lifetime of faith.
So today, when we wrestle with the story of the transition of power from Elijah to Elisha, there is plenty of dramatic imagery. There is a fiery chariot and fiery horses and a whirlwind that takes Elijah up into heaven. There are dramatic moments when the river Jordan is struck by a prophet and opens up a dry pathway for crossing. There are lots of symbols and signs.
But at the core of the message is a challenge that occurs for every generation of faithful people. There comes a time when it is appropriate for authority and responsibility to be passed from one generation to another. And this is not something that we humans do well. We are jealous of our power and often wait far too long before sharing it. Sometimes this is simply because the previous generation did the same things. Since we had to wait for authority, we speculate that the next generation should wait as well. And in the story, Elijah does wait until the last possible moment before passing on his mantle.
Elisha, on the other hand, seems a bit too eager for power. He asks for a double share of Elijah’s spirit – a request that seems impossible to grant. In effect he is saying he wants to be more powerful than his predecessor and teacher. A double share of the legacy seems hardly fair.
These are dynamics that are being played out around the world in a wide variety of different settings. As Nelson Mandela lies on what appears to be his deathbed, we wonder who will take his place and be not only a leader in the practical politics of the diverse culture of South Africa, but also a symbol for the aspirations of oppressed people around the globe. As our own president struggles with a congress that seems to be incapable of agreement or even compromise, we wonder where this generation will find the kind of statesmen that are required to forge new legislation and solve difficult problems. As we witness the difference in style between the current Secretary of State and his predecessor we wonder if it makes any difference at all who is seated at the negotiating table in the worlds most recalcitrant and entrenched conflicts.
And in the church, with a dramatic shortage of clergy and little to attract new candidates into the ordained ministry, we wonder where the church will find leadership for its next generation.
Like Elijah in the cave, the answer doesn’t come from then drama. It comes from the patience to listen to God’s call. The source of the solution is not our own strength or will or character but our willingness to turn to God.
The message for us today is not different than it was in the time of the Kings. True authority comes from God. God calls us to a future that is different than our present. The path ahead is not what we forge for ourselves, but what happens when we listen carefully to God’s call.
This blog is practically a sermon – and it isn’t the sermon I will preach this morning. It is clear that these texts provide us with more than one week’s material. A lifetime of study will be too short to discern all of the meaning of the sacred words.
I suppose that means that some of my sermons are a bit of a stretch. Biblical texts come from specific times in the history of our people and not every historical moment has obvious contemporary parallels. For example, the Elijah stories that have been the focus of our worship for the past few weeks are, in part, stories of how power corrupts people. The unjust king Ahab and his scheming wife Jezebel are behind the corruption of the nation and the issues that Elijah seeks to address. It isn’t as if God hadn’t warned the people. When the begged for a king, God reminded them that human kings become power hungry, corrupt and take away freedom from their subjects. Everything that God warned about seems to have come true with an exaggeration in the reign of Ahab. Our contemporary political situation isn’t quite the same. Life in a democracy isn’t the same as life in a kingdom. Our relatively affluent community bears little connection to the poverty suffered by many in ancient Israel. We have freedom of religion in ways that were not imagined by people in those times. The separation of religion and government means that our government isn’t actively engaged in promoting religious ideas with which we intensely disagree.
But there is much more to the story of the prophet Elijah than the obvious facts of his political situation.
And there is much to be learned and taught from the ancient texts that have suffered from generations of being ignored by preachers and misinterpreted by those who haven’t taken the time to really understand the texts. Too many preachers and religious leaders don’t read the entire Bible. They focus their studies on the parts that agree with their theology and refuse to be challenged by the parts of the Bible that raise questions with their neat patterns of faith and religious structure.
As a result, prophets have often been interpreted as predictors of the future. In the minds of many Christians all prophecy is about what will happen at some point in the future. Biblical prophets, however, rarely predict the future. Their mission is to call the people back into relationship with God. They speak of the need for change in the future and rarely describe a distant future. When Isaiah or Jeremiah get going with their descriptions of the restoration of Israel they are speaking of an imminent future, not about the end times of all history. The Bible is far less focused on the end of time than many contemporary preachers. Outside of a few apocalyptic texts that come from times of intense persecution or of the fear of persecution, the Bible is remarkably silent about future judgment and reward. There is enough of God’s justice in the present moment for a lifetime of faith.
So today, when we wrestle with the story of the transition of power from Elijah to Elisha, there is plenty of dramatic imagery. There is a fiery chariot and fiery horses and a whirlwind that takes Elijah up into heaven. There are dramatic moments when the river Jordan is struck by a prophet and opens up a dry pathway for crossing. There are lots of symbols and signs.
But at the core of the message is a challenge that occurs for every generation of faithful people. There comes a time when it is appropriate for authority and responsibility to be passed from one generation to another. And this is not something that we humans do well. We are jealous of our power and often wait far too long before sharing it. Sometimes this is simply because the previous generation did the same things. Since we had to wait for authority, we speculate that the next generation should wait as well. And in the story, Elijah does wait until the last possible moment before passing on his mantle.
Elisha, on the other hand, seems a bit too eager for power. He asks for a double share of Elijah’s spirit – a request that seems impossible to grant. In effect he is saying he wants to be more powerful than his predecessor and teacher. A double share of the legacy seems hardly fair.
These are dynamics that are being played out around the world in a wide variety of different settings. As Nelson Mandela lies on what appears to be his deathbed, we wonder who will take his place and be not only a leader in the practical politics of the diverse culture of South Africa, but also a symbol for the aspirations of oppressed people around the globe. As our own president struggles with a congress that seems to be incapable of agreement or even compromise, we wonder where this generation will find the kind of statesmen that are required to forge new legislation and solve difficult problems. As we witness the difference in style between the current Secretary of State and his predecessor we wonder if it makes any difference at all who is seated at the negotiating table in the worlds most recalcitrant and entrenched conflicts.
And in the church, with a dramatic shortage of clergy and little to attract new candidates into the ordained ministry, we wonder where the church will find leadership for its next generation.
Like Elijah in the cave, the answer doesn’t come from then drama. It comes from the patience to listen to God’s call. The source of the solution is not our own strength or will or character but our willingness to turn to God.
The message for us today is not different than it was in the time of the Kings. True authority comes from God. God calls us to a future that is different than our present. The path ahead is not what we forge for ourselves, but what happens when we listen carefully to God’s call.
This blog is practically a sermon – and it isn’t the sermon I will preach this morning. It is clear that these texts provide us with more than one week’s material. A lifetime of study will be too short to discern all of the meaning of the sacred words.