Turning back

This morning’s reading for Morning Prayer was 1 Kings 19:15-21 – the calling of Elisha by Elijah. This is where Elijah is told to go and anoint a couple of kings, and then appoint Elisha to be prophet after him. Elisha basically says he will follow Elijah, but first he wants to go and say goodbye to his father and mother. Elijah says OK, and all is well.

What struck me was the contrast with Jesus. In two gospels (Matthew and Luke), there is the story of the disciple who says that he will follow Jesus, but first he wants to go back and bury his father. Precisely what this means (whether his father was already dead and just needed burying, or whether he was asking to wait until his father had died) isn’t what got me. The contrast, it seems to me, is that Jesus’ response is quite different to Elijah’s – Jesus says “No”. His followers were not to turn back for anything.

And this is important because Jesus is constantly referenced in the gospels as echoing the acts of Moses and Elijah (as the giver of the Law and the greatest of the prophets). This saying of Jesus’ isn’t just about the calling to follow being urgent – there’s something in there about a change between the old world and the new.

pax et bonum

Article posted at 7:16pm on 21 September 2005
Category: Faith, Musing