Year C

Luke 9:51-62

The Rev. Denise Vaughn

A Journey of Freedom

For several Sunday’s, the Old Testament readings have been following the story of the prophet Elijah. The stories of Elijah take place during the reign of King Ahab in the ninth century BCE. Elijah was one of God’s boldest prophets who stood up for God in a time when idolatry had swept his land. In today’s text, we read of the call of Elisha with the Lord telling Elijah to anoint Elisha as Israel’s chief prophet in his place. Elisha, who will also demonstrate God’s love and compassion by performing many miracles through the power of God’s Spirit, was anointed by Elijah while plowing in his father Shaphat’s field with 12 yoke of oxen. When Elijah passed by, he threw his cloak over Elisha. Elisha left his ox, ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, and then I shall follow you.”

Elisha went home, killed and cooked his oxen, gave food to the people then left to follow Elijah and become his disciple. In the killing of his oxen, his livelihood, there is no going back to his former way of life now. He breaks from his old ways to go with Elijah. Elijah encourages Elisha to stay behind three times but Elisha is confident in his call and makes the commitment to follow. After Elisha saw Elijah taken away in a fiery chariot, Elisha walks away with Elijah’s cloak and with it he splits the Jordan while the whole company of prophet’s are watching, affirming that Elisha did indeed inherit Elijah’s spirit. In the empowering of Elisha, to fill the void when Elijah is gone, we see that God does not abandon the people and the fruit of the work of the Spirit continues.

With this story and throughout scripture the Spirit is associated in one way or another with power: power to split the Jordan River; power to speak in different languages, power to equip us and empower us, for the unconditional call from God. Luke, in the Gospel reading today, continues the theme of following by stressing the nature of our call of discipleship and the difficulty of being a true disciple in the three brief encounters Jesus had with would-be followers. Not all are ready to take that path. Many want to follow but have conditions attached and to emphasize this Luke contrasts the words of Elisha with this man’s request that he be allowed to bury his father. It is a reasonable request and Jesus in his reply is not asking this man to abandon his responsibilities. He is letting the man know that his response to his invitation is most important and his demand to “Leave the dead to bury their own dead” is a command to turn from death to live life under the reign of God by following him.

To follow Jesus is an unconditional call empowered by the Spirit because the way of the cross is ever costly and demanding. The challenge to make the journey with Jesus comes over loud and clear when Jesus said to another man, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” If you have ever worked the land, you can appreciate what happens if you’re trying to plough a straight line and then look back to see how you did. Even if what you see is a straight line looking back, the act of looking back will mean that the next bit will become crooked. To follow requires setting your face toward Jerusalem like Jesus did, looking forward to the work ahead but aware of the risk that comes with following. The question to us is: are we ready to follow him wherever he goes? Will we prefer security to freedom and the risk and hardship it may require to keep looking ahead to what God is calling us to do today?

Paul explains this freedom in Christ that Christians have, in the reading from Galatians, when he encourages them “to live by the Spirit,” to be guided by the Spirit of God. His description of what freedom looks like, this life in the Spirit, can sound quite intimidating. The Spirit-filled life prohibits behaviors not so easy to avoid such as jealousy, envy, anger and selfish ambition. Our freedom is not permission to do whatever we please. Paul says our freedom is for love; freedom to love and serve in the way of Jesus which is what God’s intents for us and it is a gift from God through faith. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Following Jesus means we have died to the powers of the flesh and live under the rule of the Spirit who is working in our lives.  If we live guided by the Spirit in ways that allow us to love and serve God and our neighbor than we will enjoy and participate in those “fruits” or those positive characteristics of life in the Spirit. Characteristics that include: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Yet, I don’t know about you I am tempted at times to respond as Jesus’ followers responded to him at another time, “Then who can be saved?” It is not easy to always live in the way of Christ. Therefore, Paul makes clear the fact that Christians are no longer under the law but under grace. This is the point he is trying to make to the church in Galatia, who seems to have slid back into a law mentality, it is not about living a life in order to become right with God because that is impossible. His whole letter to the Galatians is about the fact that they are already right with God because Christ went to the cross to make them/us right with God. Our faith makes us right with God not our works yet, when we live our lives guided by the Spirit, our lives will consist of the “fruits” being evident in our behavior. Good fruit indicates that we truly have been made one with Christ and therefore we live a life of freedom.  Paul reminds us that Christ’s perfect freedom engages us in an unconditional call to follow, love and serve.

The good news is that because we have been brought into Christ through baptism, we can live this life in God’s Spirit which lives in us. Because the Spirit lives in those who belong to Christ, we are empowered to live the Spirit-filled life. Sometimes our behavior does not display these fruits, so thankfully we are under the law of grace and forgiveness. Yet, if we seek each day to be in step with God’s Spirit and ask like Elisha for a double portion we will be guided by God’s Spirit. We will be able to risk the hardships it may require to keep looking ahead to what God is calling us to do today? We will be able to follow our Lord on a journey of faith; a journey of freedom to live in union with Christ in Christ’s life and mission, in the power of the Spirit.