Sermon for Pentecost 3, June 29, 2025
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God his Father—to him be the glory and the power forever. Amen.
1 Kings 19:19-21 19So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. Elisha was doing the plowing with twelve teams of oxen in front of him, and he himself was driving the twelfth team. Elijah crossed over to him and threw his cloak over him. 20Then Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah. He said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye! Then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said, “Go back! For what have I done to you?” 21So Elisha turned back from following him. Then he took the team of oxen and slaughtered them. Using the equipment from the oxen as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, followed Elijah, and served him. (EHV)
Heed God’s gracious call.
Dear fellow redeemed,
What do you do when the troubles of life overwhelm you? Notice, I didn’t ask “What should you do?” Even when we know what we should do, we often find ourselves falling far short of the ideal. When the whole world seemed to be against him, even after a great victory over the prophets of the idol, Baal, Elijah, God’s great prophet, chose to run away in despair. Elijah let his mortal flesh get the best of him in that moment when his physical life was threatened, yet again, by the wicked queen, Jezebel.
Now, some would expect that God would be greatly disappointed in Elijah’s sudden weakness. Yet, God sent angels to strengthen His prophet, and then God proceeded to give Elijah the assignment of anointing new leaders to carry out God’s plan for Israel, including his own replacement. In our sermon text, we view Elijah calling a rich farmer to take his place as the prophet of God. Therefore, through this interchange, you and I should learn to Heed God’s gracious call.
Immediately before our sermon text, we saw how when God lifted Elijah out of his despair, He also instructed the prophet to anoint this Elisha as his replacement. Elijah immediately proceeded as instructed in calling Elisha as the next prophet. Notice, however, in this case, the anointing was not with oil. Rather, Elijah threw his cloak over Elisha to signify that he was God’s choice to replace Elijah. We don’t know anything especially significant about that piece of clothing, but apparently, Elisha immediately recognized the meaning of Elijah’s action. In addition, this cloak was handed down to Elisha when Elijah was taken to heaven by the fiery horses and chariot of the Lord.
Elisha immediately responded to Elijah’s symbolic gesture with his intention to do as asked. Since there might be some confusion about his reaction, we note his words: He said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother good-bye! Then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said, “Go back! For what have I done to you?” What this little interchange tells us is that God’s call to serve is not a law demand. Rather, God wants us to take up His call willingly, not begrudgingly as if trying to avoid God’s anger.
God’s call to serve is not another commandment to be obeyed as a slave, but instead, a gracious invitation to serve the Lord with a willing heart. To serve God only out of fear of being punished is not faith, and we are reminded again that faith is what brings us salvation along with God’s forgiveness and all the benefits He has planned for us. St. Peter later wrote, “Though you do not see him now, yet by believing in him, you are filled with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Now, this is probably a good time for us to consider how we have responded to God’s call. No, God doesn’t call us to be prophets in the likeness of Elijah or Elisha, but he does call us to faithfulness to Him and to His Word. Much of Israel in their day failed horribly in this call. The northern tribes had almost completely given themselves over to Baal worship. That became the downfall of the southern tribes not much later in time. Still, when Elijah was feeling the depths of despair, God assured him, “I have preserved in Israel seven thousand whose knees have not bent to Baal and whose lips have not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)
Sometimes, it is easy for believers in Jesus to feel alone in the world and under attack, and for sure, Christians have been assaulted in many ways ever since Jesus walked this earth. At the same time, we are in greater danger if we are not faithful to our call to faith. You see, none of us became believers of our own accord. Like the Israelites, God chose to make us His people. The Father “chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)
It is in God’s gracious choice to save us from sin and condemnation that we receive the call to believe in Jesus as our Savior. It is in that given faith that we are called to walk always with the Lord. Furthermore, while God does indeed command us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” (Matthew 22:37-39) it is only by His grace and good gift that we are able even to try to do this. Alone, we can do nothing, but Jesus doesn’t leave us to follow His call without help.
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus promised His disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.” (John 14:18) Jesus also promised them, “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I told you.” (John 14:26) It is through God’s call to those chosen apostles that you and I can hear and know God’s precious invitation, forgiveness, and salvation. By remaining faithful to the Word of God given through the hands of those prophets, apostles, and evangelists, you and I are received and kept in the kingdom of God. Therefore, for our everlasting good, we must Heed God’s gracious call.
When Elisha received the call to be God’s next prophet, he showed his faithfulness to God’s call. With Elijah’s encouragement, “Elisha turned back from following him. Then he took the team of oxen and slaughtered them. Using the equipment from the oxen as fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he got up, followed Elijah, and served him.” In our Gospel lesson this morning, we heard Jesus tell a reluctant follower, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Elisha did not look back. Instead, he showed his commitment to the Lord and appreciation for the call by sacrificing his oxen and burning his farming equipment to cook the meat. For Elisha, there would be no going back to his old life, as good and rewarding as it had been.
Here also is a message for us. Many in this world may heed God’s call for a moment or even longer, but when the temptations of our old way of life come along, they are easily swayed into going back to sinful ways, or perhaps into trusting what the heart imagines is good.
Of course, most of us are not called to be prophets, evangelists, apostles, or even preachers or teachers. At the same time, our actions in life preach to the world our trust in what Jesus has done for us. How we spend our time tells the world what is important in the kingdom of God. How we use our money shows what is important to us. Is building our own castles as important as sharing the Good News of forgiveness and life through faith in Christ Jesus? Is time spent at the lake as valuable as time spent in God’s Word? Do our words and actions speak, publicly, our trust in Jesus? Do our children always see us living a God-fearing life?
Now, please do not take offense. Many of those things are not, of themselves, sinful. Yet, when do we cross the line between faithfulness and reluctance to serve our Lord Jesus? In what ways do we turn away from our call to go back to the ways of our sinful nature? We each must answer those questions for ourselves knowing that in the end, we will stand before the Judge of the world.
At the same time, Heed God’s gracious call. Remember that God has called you into the Christian faith through Baptism, and by His gracious love, He has dressed you in Jesus’ righteousness, for Jesus never once forgot His call to serve. When His disciples were offended that some people didn’t receive Jesus willingly, they wanted to call down fire from heaven in judgement, but Jesus told them His call: “The Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s souls, but to save them.” (Luke 9:56)
Dear friends, Elisha was faithful to God’s gracious call. Yet, Elisha could never measure up to the holiness of God’s Son, and indeed if Elisha couldn’t be that perfect, then neither can we. On the other hand, just as Elisha was made holy and saved by faith in the promised Messiah, so you and I are counted holy for Jesus’ sake. Trusting in Jesus, we have the gift of holiness and faith. As we have been reminded so many times, “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Faith given to us at our Baptisms and renewed in us often through the Gospel and Sacrament.
Just as Jesus reminds us whenever we partake of His Holy Supper, “Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:27-28) Because of the life He lived in our place, and the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for the sins of the world, you and I can be confident of God’s love for us. It is also both our duty and privilege to share that message to the world around us. We do that by teaching our children, helping our neighbors, and confessing our faith in Jesus. Even our attendance at worship and at the Lord’s Table is testimony to the world of our Savior’s grace, just as St. Paul wrote, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26) Day by day throughout your life receive God’s kindness and love as you Heed God’s gracious call. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.