Discipleship

February 8, 2021

Scripture Reading:
2 Kings 2:1-1

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.’ But Elisha said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he said, ‘Yes, I know; keep silent.’

Elijah said to him, ‘Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, ‘Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?’ And he answered, ‘Yes, I know; be silent.’

Then Elijah said to him, ‘Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.’ But he said, ‘As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.’ So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. –2 Kings1-8

Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us as Christ-followers to run with perseverance the race that is set before us. Elisha modeled that practice as he followed his mentor. We must be cautious about who we choose to be our mentors. The world is full of want-to-be mentors, even those who claim allegiance to Jesus Christ that entice followers by pulling them into false promises that lead nowhere. We are seeing that in the cultic alliances that arise around us. I track all the way back to Jim Jones, who led 909 people to commit “revolutionary” suicide in the name of Jesus. He, too, killed himself. Most cult leaders love power more than they love the people they enchant. David Koresh, a Branch Davidian leader, inspired the Oklahoma City Federal building bomber, Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh also had ties to the Michigan Militia Group that recently threaten the life of the Michigan Governor. Some of the participants at the January 6 insurrection at our nation’s capital were related to such groups. People can be led astray to assuage someone else’s need for power.

There is only one God who is Love if any action is done in God’s name that is not loving in nature, that action is targeted at one or more idols, not offered in worship to the One God.

Prayer: Lord, help us incorporate into our very being the ways of your Love so that your Love drives any decision we make and act that we take. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.