Proper 8
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Comments on the Lessons
In the 1 Kings passage Elijah is told to return from Horeb to the wilderness of Damascus, and he gives his mantle to Elisha as a symbol of his call to be a prophet. The Galatians reading deals with freedom in Christ, and its implications in daily living. The reading from Luke begins a new section of the Gospel and deals with the hostile Samaritans and claims of discipleship.
Commentary
1 Kings 19:15-21 (C)
1 Kings 19:14-21 (L)
1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 (RC)
Before replying to Elijah's complaint in verse 14, God gives him three tasks: (1) anoint Hazael as king of Damascus, (2) anoint Jehu as king of Israel, and (3) anoint Elisha, his own successor as prophet. Notice that Elijah carries out only the last task. Scholars think that part of the Elisha cycle may have intruded into the Elijah story, which would mean that verse 17 is a judgment inserted by an editor after this confusion. In verse 18 God speaks to Elijah's complaint by pointing out that there are seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed to Baal, the false god. Assuredly Elijah is not the only faithful one left.
By means of anointing is not the usual way a prophet is called. Usually only kings were anointed, although priests were anointed (in the postexilic period only, and even then only the high priest). Anointing is a term that seems to have been used of a special call to God's service, whether or not there is any actual ceremony.
In verse 18 it is a better translation to read "Yet I will keep a remnant" rather than the "I have left me" of KJV or "I will leave" of the RSV. Note the reference to kissing idols, a custom mentioned in Hosea 13:2.
Verses 19-21 deal with the call of Elisha, a young farmer. Elijah throws his mantle on him. A skin with the hairy side out, it was thought to have great power (see 2 Kings 2:13-15). Elisha was ploughing, along with others in his community - and probably as Palestinian peasants still do today. He had eleven yoke of oxen in front of him and he was with the twelfth. The mantle Elijah put on Elisha had been in contact with his body and was thought to be imbued with his personality and power. Elisha asks permission to take leave of his father and mother. Some think Elijah's reply was a rebuke, but others see it as meaning something like, "Go, but don't forget what I have done to you in placing my mantle on you." The point is the uncompromising nature of the call to the office of prophet.
Elisha's killing of the oxen and cooking them with fire made with the yokes of the oxen is a symbol of his sharp break with the old life. The meal with the people is his rite of integration with Elijah and his way of enlisting his people in this new enterprise.
Galatians 5:1, 13-25 (C) (L)
Galatians 5:1, 13-18 (RC)
The whole of chapter 5 is concerned with the nature of Christian liberty. In verse 1 Paul declares that for freedom Christ has set us free, which means that to be in Christ is to be free from legalism of all kinds. To give in at any point to legalism is to return to the yoke of slavery. There are two paradoxes about freedom which lie at the heart of Paul's theology: (1) The event and the demand, or the indicative and the imperative. Christ has set us free, therefore stand fast and do not submit again to legalism. (2) The paradox of freedom by which Christ has freed us for freedom! The following section of chapter 5 explores the true meaning of Christian freedom.
Beginning with verse 13, Paul says that, although Christians are free from the law, they must not abuse this freedom. In verse 12 Paul uses a cutting bit of satire in which he wishes those who unsettle them (the Judaizers, advocating circumcision for Gentiles wishing to become Christians) would mutilate themselves! Then Paul says in verse 13 not to let your freedom become an opportunity for the flesh, but rather be servants of one another. Freedom is distinct from libertinism. It does not mean everyone can do his or her "own thing," as the hippie movement advocated, regardless. It doesn't mean escape from responsibility. It is rather a summons to greater responsibility under grace. We are called to be servants of one another through love. Paul says that the whole law is summed up in the command to love your neighbor as yourself, a law found in Leviticus 19:18. But if Christians war with one another they are likely to consume one another as animals devouring one another.
Instead, says Paul, walk by the Spirit. Love is the appropriate content of freedom, and the Spirit is its proper context. The Spirit gives power and guidance. The Christian life is seen as a walk, an ongoing process, in which the Christian is led by the Spirit. The early church was called simply "the Way," indicating it was a way of walking, a way of living, a way to relate to God and neighbor.
Love is not just another virtue among a list, but is the sum and substance of the Christian life. When a person dies to self and is raised to a new life in Christ, then that person knows God's grace and what it means to surrender to God's love. Love does not do away with the law, but rather confirms it. Love provides the correct interpretation of the law, setting it in a new perspective. Our obligation is not lessened by love but is made more radical and inclusive of all of life. All of life is to be governed by love for God and neighbor. The law has value as a norm but only in light of the governing power of love and the new life of the Spirit.
Charles Cousar comments that "such an ethic controlled by love and based on the freedom of Christ will inevitably result in behavior which appears inconsistent if not contradictory, particularly when compared with the rather predictable conduct dependent exclusively on the law." (p. 132, Galatians by Charles B. Cousar, John Knox Press, 1982) Cousar points out that decisions governed by love are made in terms of very specific contexts, which cause a response of "yes" at times and "no" at other times, even to the same request. Paul does not set forth abstract principles which are always consistent, says Cousar, but he urges his readers to love an actual human being in a particular situation. For a fuller treatment of the meaning of Christian freedom and living by love, the preacher is urged to read the comments by Professor Coursar in his commentary mentioned above.
We may outline this section as follows:
1. Verses 16-18 - poses the Spirit over against the flesh
2. Verses 19-21 - lists the works of the flesh which bar entrance to the kingdom of God
3. Verses 22-24 - a description of the fruit of the Spirit
4. Verses 25-26 - Paul's command to walk by the Spirit and implications of this command.
In verses 19-21 Paul lists the works of the flesh which are against the Spirit. Paul says he warned them before and now warns them that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Then he lists the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (v. 23) Paul says that against these there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit is given to those who live by faith. It is not something one strives for or earns by good works. By God's grace alone one's life is transformed and enabled to bear the fruit of the Spirit. These are marks of that transformation of life. We should not confuse the fruit of the Spirit with the "gifts of the Spirit" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
Paul says that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is the best reply to those who would accuse Christians of libertinism, since they are no longer under the law. They have died with Christ to the flesh and its passions and have been raised to new life in him.
In verses 25-26 Paul is explicitly hortatory. Since we have been transformed by God's grace, we are to walk by the Spirit in a new life. We may loosely translate verse 25 "since we are completely dependent upon the power and leading of God's Spirit, then live in relation to God's purpose." Paul then lists some sins which the Christian is to avoid: self-conceit, provoking of one another, and envy of one another. Notice in this entire pericope that Paul puts the works of the flesh over against the Spirit, and points out specific actions and attitudes of each. The sermon may develop this contrast, showing how each individual battles with desires of the flesh, over against the desires of the Spirit. Someone has remarked that within every Christian there is a "civil war" raging, the power of the Spirit battling the desires of the flesh.
Luke 9:51-62
Our pericope begins the third major section of Luke, 9:51--19:44. The first was 1:5--4:15, which gave an account of the prepublic career of Jesus. The second was 4:16--9:50, which gave the story of Jesus' Galilean ministry. Now, in this third section, we have material within the framework of a journey to Jerusalem. This travel section is now recognized widely as an editorial framework created by the evangelist. This section begins and ends with a rejection of Jesus by a village of the Samaritans, and by Jerusalem. The first major thought unit of this section is 9:51--10:24. It is linked together by a number of devices. We find in 9:52-56 and 10:1-24 a theology of world mission and also guidelines for missionary behavior. They both have notes of rejection following a theme of universality.
Note that verses 51-56 deal with the hostile Samaritans. This story is from Luke's special material and is not found elsewhere in the Gospels. Luke points out that Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem for a specific purpose, namely, "to be received up." This means, of course, to be crucified, raised and to ascend to the Father. There was longstanding hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritans were descendents of Gentile settlers and Israelites and they were considered by Jews to be racial half-breeds, apostates from the true faith. They were publicly cursed in the synagogues and daily prayer was offered that they might not enter eternal life. Recall that the center of worship in Samaria was a countertype and rival to the temple in Jerusalem. Galilean pilgrims going up to worship in Jerusalem had to cross through Samaria - or else take a longer route through Perea, an alternative which most pilgrims preferred. Jews were subjected to harassment and sometimes to overt violence on their journey through Samaria.
But Jesus was not an ordinary pilgrim, and his rejection by the Samaritans has special meaning for Luke: (1) it points to Jesus' steadfast purpose to go to Jerusalem, and (2) there may be an intended parallel between the rejection by the Jews of Nazareth, the Gentiles at Gerasa, the Samaritans and the people of Jerusalem later. Jesus goes to his death on the cross rejected by all! The central thrust of this event of rejection seems to be not the Samaritan question but the very nature of Jesus' messiahship. James and John asked Jesus if he wanted them to bid fire come down from heaven and consume these Samaritans, an action Elijah took with the false prophets of Baal. Some authorities add, "as Elijah did," but this is probably not original. But they give the meaning of the disciples' question. Be aware of the fact that even on the road to the Cross there is misunderstanding by James and John about who Jesus is: they regard him as an Elijah-type messiah. They misunderstand to the very end. But Jesus knows that his present mission is not as judge, as Elijah was, but as savior. So he sets his face to go to Jersualem to die.
The Greek word translated "received up" refers to all the events of salvation culminating in Jesus' ascension, and may correspond to John's term "glorified." It may be an allusion to the Jerusalem pilgrimage also.
Then in verses 57-62 the demand of discipleship is laid out by Jesus. There are three incidents in this episode, the first two are found in Matthew in the Galilean ministry. As Jesus approaches the Cross, the urgency of the demand of the kingdom becomes even greater. Realize the utter commitment involved in discipleship and the immediacy of its demand. This section would be an appropriate charge to candidates for baptism or for the ministry, and may originally have been designed for this purpose.
Take notice of the fact that the first and third candidates for discipleship volunteer. Jesus reminds them that there is no easy road to discipleship. The second man is called by Jesus and the hard demand laid upon him is a positive counterpart to the warning given the others. The main thrust of discipleship is that the disciple should become like the master, and Jesus does not require more of others than of himself. Recall that Jesus is penniless and is always working, and has sacrificed family and home for the Kingdom's sake. Those who join him must come on the same basis. The main point is not the specific sacrifice involved, but rather the principle involved. Jesus' claims as messiah take precedence over all others in the life of the Christian.
In normal circumstances it is good for a person to have a home where acts of filial piety to parents can be performed, and affection can be shown kin and friends. But a disciple must be prepared to sacrifice security, duty and affection if he or she is to respond to the call of the Kingdom. This call is so urgent and imperative that all other loyalties must take second place to it.
In verse 69f a man says he must first go bury his father, a sacred duty and work of love for a Jew, one which gave benefits in this life and in the world to come. But this duty, says Jesus, must yield to the pressing mission of the Kingdom. Elsewhere Jesus says discipleship involves forsaking one's living parents, leaving the dead to be buried by the "dead." The "dead" in verse 60 are those who have not responded to the Kingdom message and whose soul stands under the claims of the old age. "Dead" was used in Judaism to refer to the ungodly, and in the New Testament it refers to those who do not share the new resurrection life which Jesus gives.
Verse 61f occurs only in Luke. Elijah was granted a similar request. Some thought Elijah had reappeared.
These three encounters point up that the most difficult choices in life are not between the good and evil but between the good and the best. The kingdom is the best, and the urgency of it demands a radical break with tradition and human ties. Service to the kingdom of God requires an undivided loyalty.
Theological Reflections
The thrust of the Elijah passage is on the call of Elisha. As Elijah casts his mantle on him, he leaves his task of ploughing and becomes a prophet. This radical break with a former life is found in Jesus' call to three men in the Luke passage. Freedom is the central message of the Galatians passage, with its implications for daily living, in contrast to living by the flesh. The Luke passage begins a new section of the Gospel and tells of Jesus setting his face to go to Jerusalem where he would be received up. He lays down the demands of discipleship to three men who would follow him.
Homiletical Moves
1 Kings 19:15-21 (C)
1 Kings 19:14-21 (L)
1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 (RC)
Elijah Casts His Mantle on Elisha
1. God calls Elijah to return from Horeb to the wilderness of Damascus and gives him three tasks
2. Elijah finds Elisha ploughing and casts his mantle upon him
3. Elisha leaves his oxen and runs after Elijah, asking him to let him say farewell to his parents before following him
4. Elijah tells him to go and then return to him, for he has done something very important to him
5. Elisha breaks with his former life by slaying the oxen, making a fire with the yokes and having a feast with the people before going after Elijah
6. God calls us from our routine tasks to special service in the kingdom and we must be prepared to make a radical break and obey
7. God also calls us to radical obedience in the common tasks of life as we follow the Spirit and live by the law of love
Galatians 5:1, 13-25 (C) (L)
Galatians 5:1, 13-18 (RC)
Stand Fast in Your New Freedom in Christ
1. You have been called to freedom in Christ
2. Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, or submit again to a yoke of slavery, or gratify the desires of the flesh
3. Rather, through love be servants of one another, live by the Spirit and produce the fruit of the Spirit
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 9:51-62
Go and Proclaim the Kingdom of God
1. Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem, there to suffer and die, and be raised
2. Jesus is rejected by the Samaritans, but refuses the disciples' request to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans
3. On the way to Jerusalem Jesus meets three men who would follow him:
a. The first man volunteers to follow him and Jesus tells him the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head in contrast to the foxes and birds, so he must be prepared for radical obedience
b. Jesus calls the second man, who asks to be allowed to go and bury his father, but Jesus tells him to let the dead bury the dead and to go and proclaim the kingdom of God
c. A third volunteers to follow Jesus but asks to be able to say farewell to those at his home; Jesus tells him that no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God
4. Jesus' call to discipleship is a radical one, demanding a break with our old way of life in order to proclaim the breaking in of the kingdom of God; let us obey his call gladly and immediately
Hymn for Proper 8: O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
Prayer
Holy God, who has given us freedom in Christ from the desires of the flesh, enable us to be servants to one another through love. Forgive us when we have not loved our neighbor as ourself. Enable us to live by the Spirit, walk by the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit. May we hear your call to radical obedience and put first the claims of your kingdom. Amen
In the 1 Kings passage Elijah is told to return from Horeb to the wilderness of Damascus, and he gives his mantle to Elisha as a symbol of his call to be a prophet. The Galatians reading deals with freedom in Christ, and its implications in daily living. The reading from Luke begins a new section of the Gospel and deals with the hostile Samaritans and claims of discipleship.
Commentary
1 Kings 19:15-21 (C)
1 Kings 19:14-21 (L)
1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 (RC)
Before replying to Elijah's complaint in verse 14, God gives him three tasks: (1) anoint Hazael as king of Damascus, (2) anoint Jehu as king of Israel, and (3) anoint Elisha, his own successor as prophet. Notice that Elijah carries out only the last task. Scholars think that part of the Elisha cycle may have intruded into the Elijah story, which would mean that verse 17 is a judgment inserted by an editor after this confusion. In verse 18 God speaks to Elijah's complaint by pointing out that there are seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed to Baal, the false god. Assuredly Elijah is not the only faithful one left.
By means of anointing is not the usual way a prophet is called. Usually only kings were anointed, although priests were anointed (in the postexilic period only, and even then only the high priest). Anointing is a term that seems to have been used of a special call to God's service, whether or not there is any actual ceremony.
In verse 18 it is a better translation to read "Yet I will keep a remnant" rather than the "I have left me" of KJV or "I will leave" of the RSV. Note the reference to kissing idols, a custom mentioned in Hosea 13:2.
Verses 19-21 deal with the call of Elisha, a young farmer. Elijah throws his mantle on him. A skin with the hairy side out, it was thought to have great power (see 2 Kings 2:13-15). Elisha was ploughing, along with others in his community - and probably as Palestinian peasants still do today. He had eleven yoke of oxen in front of him and he was with the twelfth. The mantle Elijah put on Elisha had been in contact with his body and was thought to be imbued with his personality and power. Elisha asks permission to take leave of his father and mother. Some think Elijah's reply was a rebuke, but others see it as meaning something like, "Go, but don't forget what I have done to you in placing my mantle on you." The point is the uncompromising nature of the call to the office of prophet.
Elisha's killing of the oxen and cooking them with fire made with the yokes of the oxen is a symbol of his sharp break with the old life. The meal with the people is his rite of integration with Elijah and his way of enlisting his people in this new enterprise.
Galatians 5:1, 13-25 (C) (L)
Galatians 5:1, 13-18 (RC)
The whole of chapter 5 is concerned with the nature of Christian liberty. In verse 1 Paul declares that for freedom Christ has set us free, which means that to be in Christ is to be free from legalism of all kinds. To give in at any point to legalism is to return to the yoke of slavery. There are two paradoxes about freedom which lie at the heart of Paul's theology: (1) The event and the demand, or the indicative and the imperative. Christ has set us free, therefore stand fast and do not submit again to legalism. (2) The paradox of freedom by which Christ has freed us for freedom! The following section of chapter 5 explores the true meaning of Christian freedom.
Beginning with verse 13, Paul says that, although Christians are free from the law, they must not abuse this freedom. In verse 12 Paul uses a cutting bit of satire in which he wishes those who unsettle them (the Judaizers, advocating circumcision for Gentiles wishing to become Christians) would mutilate themselves! Then Paul says in verse 13 not to let your freedom become an opportunity for the flesh, but rather be servants of one another. Freedom is distinct from libertinism. It does not mean everyone can do his or her "own thing," as the hippie movement advocated, regardless. It doesn't mean escape from responsibility. It is rather a summons to greater responsibility under grace. We are called to be servants of one another through love. Paul says that the whole law is summed up in the command to love your neighbor as yourself, a law found in Leviticus 19:18. But if Christians war with one another they are likely to consume one another as animals devouring one another.
Instead, says Paul, walk by the Spirit. Love is the appropriate content of freedom, and the Spirit is its proper context. The Spirit gives power and guidance. The Christian life is seen as a walk, an ongoing process, in which the Christian is led by the Spirit. The early church was called simply "the Way," indicating it was a way of walking, a way of living, a way to relate to God and neighbor.
Love is not just another virtue among a list, but is the sum and substance of the Christian life. When a person dies to self and is raised to a new life in Christ, then that person knows God's grace and what it means to surrender to God's love. Love does not do away with the law, but rather confirms it. Love provides the correct interpretation of the law, setting it in a new perspective. Our obligation is not lessened by love but is made more radical and inclusive of all of life. All of life is to be governed by love for God and neighbor. The law has value as a norm but only in light of the governing power of love and the new life of the Spirit.
Charles Cousar comments that "such an ethic controlled by love and based on the freedom of Christ will inevitably result in behavior which appears inconsistent if not contradictory, particularly when compared with the rather predictable conduct dependent exclusively on the law." (p. 132, Galatians by Charles B. Cousar, John Knox Press, 1982) Cousar points out that decisions governed by love are made in terms of very specific contexts, which cause a response of "yes" at times and "no" at other times, even to the same request. Paul does not set forth abstract principles which are always consistent, says Cousar, but he urges his readers to love an actual human being in a particular situation. For a fuller treatment of the meaning of Christian freedom and living by love, the preacher is urged to read the comments by Professor Coursar in his commentary mentioned above.
We may outline this section as follows:
1. Verses 16-18 - poses the Spirit over against the flesh
2. Verses 19-21 - lists the works of the flesh which bar entrance to the kingdom of God
3. Verses 22-24 - a description of the fruit of the Spirit
4. Verses 25-26 - Paul's command to walk by the Spirit and implications of this command.
In verses 19-21 Paul lists the works of the flesh which are against the Spirit. Paul says he warned them before and now warns them that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Then he lists the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (v. 23) Paul says that against these there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit is given to those who live by faith. It is not something one strives for or earns by good works. By God's grace alone one's life is transformed and enabled to bear the fruit of the Spirit. These are marks of that transformation of life. We should not confuse the fruit of the Spirit with the "gifts of the Spirit" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
Paul says that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is the best reply to those who would accuse Christians of libertinism, since they are no longer under the law. They have died with Christ to the flesh and its passions and have been raised to new life in him.
In verses 25-26 Paul is explicitly hortatory. Since we have been transformed by God's grace, we are to walk by the Spirit in a new life. We may loosely translate verse 25 "since we are completely dependent upon the power and leading of God's Spirit, then live in relation to God's purpose." Paul then lists some sins which the Christian is to avoid: self-conceit, provoking of one another, and envy of one another. Notice in this entire pericope that Paul puts the works of the flesh over against the Spirit, and points out specific actions and attitudes of each. The sermon may develop this contrast, showing how each individual battles with desires of the flesh, over against the desires of the Spirit. Someone has remarked that within every Christian there is a "civil war" raging, the power of the Spirit battling the desires of the flesh.
Luke 9:51-62
Our pericope begins the third major section of Luke, 9:51--19:44. The first was 1:5--4:15, which gave an account of the prepublic career of Jesus. The second was 4:16--9:50, which gave the story of Jesus' Galilean ministry. Now, in this third section, we have material within the framework of a journey to Jerusalem. This travel section is now recognized widely as an editorial framework created by the evangelist. This section begins and ends with a rejection of Jesus by a village of the Samaritans, and by Jerusalem. The first major thought unit of this section is 9:51--10:24. It is linked together by a number of devices. We find in 9:52-56 and 10:1-24 a theology of world mission and also guidelines for missionary behavior. They both have notes of rejection following a theme of universality.
Note that verses 51-56 deal with the hostile Samaritans. This story is from Luke's special material and is not found elsewhere in the Gospels. Luke points out that Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem for a specific purpose, namely, "to be received up." This means, of course, to be crucified, raised and to ascend to the Father. There was longstanding hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritans were descendents of Gentile settlers and Israelites and they were considered by Jews to be racial half-breeds, apostates from the true faith. They were publicly cursed in the synagogues and daily prayer was offered that they might not enter eternal life. Recall that the center of worship in Samaria was a countertype and rival to the temple in Jerusalem. Galilean pilgrims going up to worship in Jerusalem had to cross through Samaria - or else take a longer route through Perea, an alternative which most pilgrims preferred. Jews were subjected to harassment and sometimes to overt violence on their journey through Samaria.
But Jesus was not an ordinary pilgrim, and his rejection by the Samaritans has special meaning for Luke: (1) it points to Jesus' steadfast purpose to go to Jerusalem, and (2) there may be an intended parallel between the rejection by the Jews of Nazareth, the Gentiles at Gerasa, the Samaritans and the people of Jerusalem later. Jesus goes to his death on the cross rejected by all! The central thrust of this event of rejection seems to be not the Samaritan question but the very nature of Jesus' messiahship. James and John asked Jesus if he wanted them to bid fire come down from heaven and consume these Samaritans, an action Elijah took with the false prophets of Baal. Some authorities add, "as Elijah did," but this is probably not original. But they give the meaning of the disciples' question. Be aware of the fact that even on the road to the Cross there is misunderstanding by James and John about who Jesus is: they regard him as an Elijah-type messiah. They misunderstand to the very end. But Jesus knows that his present mission is not as judge, as Elijah was, but as savior. So he sets his face to go to Jersualem to die.
The Greek word translated "received up" refers to all the events of salvation culminating in Jesus' ascension, and may correspond to John's term "glorified." It may be an allusion to the Jerusalem pilgrimage also.
Then in verses 57-62 the demand of discipleship is laid out by Jesus. There are three incidents in this episode, the first two are found in Matthew in the Galilean ministry. As Jesus approaches the Cross, the urgency of the demand of the kingdom becomes even greater. Realize the utter commitment involved in discipleship and the immediacy of its demand. This section would be an appropriate charge to candidates for baptism or for the ministry, and may originally have been designed for this purpose.
Take notice of the fact that the first and third candidates for discipleship volunteer. Jesus reminds them that there is no easy road to discipleship. The second man is called by Jesus and the hard demand laid upon him is a positive counterpart to the warning given the others. The main thrust of discipleship is that the disciple should become like the master, and Jesus does not require more of others than of himself. Recall that Jesus is penniless and is always working, and has sacrificed family and home for the Kingdom's sake. Those who join him must come on the same basis. The main point is not the specific sacrifice involved, but rather the principle involved. Jesus' claims as messiah take precedence over all others in the life of the Christian.
In normal circumstances it is good for a person to have a home where acts of filial piety to parents can be performed, and affection can be shown kin and friends. But a disciple must be prepared to sacrifice security, duty and affection if he or she is to respond to the call of the Kingdom. This call is so urgent and imperative that all other loyalties must take second place to it.
In verse 69f a man says he must first go bury his father, a sacred duty and work of love for a Jew, one which gave benefits in this life and in the world to come. But this duty, says Jesus, must yield to the pressing mission of the Kingdom. Elsewhere Jesus says discipleship involves forsaking one's living parents, leaving the dead to be buried by the "dead." The "dead" in verse 60 are those who have not responded to the Kingdom message and whose soul stands under the claims of the old age. "Dead" was used in Judaism to refer to the ungodly, and in the New Testament it refers to those who do not share the new resurrection life which Jesus gives.
Verse 61f occurs only in Luke. Elijah was granted a similar request. Some thought Elijah had reappeared.
These three encounters point up that the most difficult choices in life are not between the good and evil but between the good and the best. The kingdom is the best, and the urgency of it demands a radical break with tradition and human ties. Service to the kingdom of God requires an undivided loyalty.
Theological Reflections
The thrust of the Elijah passage is on the call of Elisha. As Elijah casts his mantle on him, he leaves his task of ploughing and becomes a prophet. This radical break with a former life is found in Jesus' call to three men in the Luke passage. Freedom is the central message of the Galatians passage, with its implications for daily living, in contrast to living by the flesh. The Luke passage begins a new section of the Gospel and tells of Jesus setting his face to go to Jerusalem where he would be received up. He lays down the demands of discipleship to three men who would follow him.
Homiletical Moves
1 Kings 19:15-21 (C)
1 Kings 19:14-21 (L)
1 Kings 19:16, 19-21 (RC)
Elijah Casts His Mantle on Elisha
1. God calls Elijah to return from Horeb to the wilderness of Damascus and gives him three tasks
2. Elijah finds Elisha ploughing and casts his mantle upon him
3. Elisha leaves his oxen and runs after Elijah, asking him to let him say farewell to his parents before following him
4. Elijah tells him to go and then return to him, for he has done something very important to him
5. Elisha breaks with his former life by slaying the oxen, making a fire with the yokes and having a feast with the people before going after Elijah
6. God calls us from our routine tasks to special service in the kingdom and we must be prepared to make a radical break and obey
7. God also calls us to radical obedience in the common tasks of life as we follow the Spirit and live by the law of love
Galatians 5:1, 13-25 (C) (L)
Galatians 5:1, 13-18 (RC)
Stand Fast in Your New Freedom in Christ
1. You have been called to freedom in Christ
2. Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, or submit again to a yoke of slavery, or gratify the desires of the flesh
3. Rather, through love be servants of one another, live by the Spirit and produce the fruit of the Spirit
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 9:51-62
Go and Proclaim the Kingdom of God
1. Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem, there to suffer and die, and be raised
2. Jesus is rejected by the Samaritans, but refuses the disciples' request to call down fire from heaven to consume the Samaritans
3. On the way to Jerusalem Jesus meets three men who would follow him:
a. The first man volunteers to follow him and Jesus tells him the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head in contrast to the foxes and birds, so he must be prepared for radical obedience
b. Jesus calls the second man, who asks to be allowed to go and bury his father, but Jesus tells him to let the dead bury the dead and to go and proclaim the kingdom of God
c. A third volunteers to follow Jesus but asks to be able to say farewell to those at his home; Jesus tells him that no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God
4. Jesus' call to discipleship is a radical one, demanding a break with our old way of life in order to proclaim the breaking in of the kingdom of God; let us obey his call gladly and immediately
Hymn for Proper 8: O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
Prayer
Holy God, who has given us freedom in Christ from the desires of the flesh, enable us to be servants to one another through love. Forgive us when we have not loved our neighbor as ourself. Enable us to live by the Spirit, walk by the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit. May we hear your call to radical obedience and put first the claims of your kingdom. Amen
