1 Kings 19:19-21 (NRSV)

So he Elijah set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was ploughing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, 'Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.' Then Elijah said to him, 'Go back again; for what have I done to you?' He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

There was no quiet enquiry such as, 'Would you like to consider a career change?' Subtlety was never Elijah's style. This was a challenge, direct and demanding. God had picked Elisha out (v. 16). Now Elijah was calling him into service and there was no thought at all of Elisha saying 'No'.

Suddenly Elijah's cloak rested on Elisha's shoulders. This was the cloak Elijah had wrapped around his face when he stood at the mouth of the cave and listened to the voice of God (v. 13). Was there still a smell in its folds of dust and smoke from the earthquake, wind and fire? Responsibility, duty and burden were part of the fabric.

What do you look for when you start to trust God's work to a successor? Commitment is essential. Elisha's ox roast, fuelled by the wood of his plough, left him without a safety net. There would be no easy going back. Character is important, too. Sharing the feast with family and friends let them know what Elisha was about. He was not afraid to be seen in a new role, but he was still his parents' son. He said farewell properly.

'What have I done to you?' said Elijah. Perhaps the words meant, 'This is your moment of calling. You work out how to follow it. Be committed, but be yourself, too.' The barbecue was Elisha's way of accepting a new calling and thanking the people who had shaped his life so far.


Reflection and prayer
Thank God for the people whose love has shaped your life. Ask God for courage to be ready when new calling comes.


John Proctor


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