#DailyDevotion Are You Ready To Burn Some Bridges To Follow Jesus?
1 Kings 19:19-21 19When Elijah left, he found Elisha, Shaphat’s son. He was plowing behind 12 yoke of oxen; he himself was using the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his coat on him. 20So he left the oxen and ran after Elijah. “Please let me kiss my father and mother good-bye,” he said, “and then I will follow you.” “Go back,” he answered him. “What have I done to keep you?” is 21Elisha left him, took a yoke of oxen, butchered them, and using the yokes of the oxen, boiled the meat, and gave it to the people to eat. Then he started to follow Elijah and serve him.
Elijah having received orders from God starts out on his mission. It seems he is fulfilling it in reverse as he comes across Elisha first. If Elisha was plowing with 12 oxen teams it seems to me he must have had some wealth. I would think being able to have one or two is what most people would generally have.
Now throwing his cloak on Elisha was an action understood as calling him into the prophetic vocation. His cloak no doubt was a sign he was a prophet. Imagining a sheriff taking off his badge and putting it on someone deputizing them. It’s kind of funny because it seems as if Elijah throws is cloak on him and just keeps on walking as Elisha has to run to catch up with him. It’s like he is not concerned with it at all.
Elisha having received this call runs up to Elijah to ask permission to say his good byes to his family before he starts to follow Elijah. Elijah is like, “What do I care? Do what you must.” Now this Old Testament lesson is usually paired with Jesus’ responding to people who want to do this, that or the other before following Jesus to which Jesus’ usually replies, “If you have to do that, don’t bother.” (I am paraphrasing here) But Elijah isn’t Jesus. Elijah certainly seems to be a bit more nonchalant about it.
Elisha then butchers his pair of oxen, cooks them on the yokes he works them with and gives it to the people he lives and works with. This is pretty much a good sign Elisha is dispensing with his former life and vocation, burning his bridges so to say, and follows Elijah. Would be to God that we were willing to sacrifice everything for Jesus. Indeed, we are called to do that. I’m not saying in order to follow Jesus we have to sell everything and follow him. That was a command to one individual. I am saying if there is a choice between what we have in this world, whether people, places or things, we need to choose Jesus instead. This choice may come up in all sorts of ways as in keeping our mouths shut about Jesus or have friends and family. It could be a moral choice between following Jesus or doing something immoral to keep what we have or get what we want. I would not say we should leave friends because they are heathen and don’t follow Jesus. Quite the opposite. But we must let them leave if they will not let you have Jesus and have him first in your life. If you left them how will they hear about Jesus and join with you in your discipleship?
Then there are those who are called into the holy ministry. These are men who can have a good life in many vocations or who like Elisha already have a good life. The LORD Jesus though calls them and they follow him. You may never know all they gave up to serve you or what they give up to serve you with Jesus. So make sure you appreciate them.
Heavenly Father, may we always be prepared to give up all, even our own lives so we may follow Jesus wherever he leads us so we may join you in your heavenly kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.