Bible Passage: 1 Kings 19:19-21

Pastor: Joel Jenswold

Sermon Date: June 29, 2025

Bulletin – June 29, 2025

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

There are certain things in life you cannot do “half way.”  For example, you cannot jump off of a diving board “half way.”  You cannot go skydiving “half way.”  You cannot ride a roller coaster “half way.”  And you cannot be “half way” pregnant.  There are certain things where you are “all in.”  The Bible really knows nothing of a “half way” devotion to Christ.

Our text this morning is the story of the call of Elisha into the prophetic ministry.  What we see in this text is not an Elisha who is “half way” devoted to this call.  But we see an Elisha who is “all in.”  How do we know?  He Burned the Plow.

This incident takes place after Elijah’s flight to Mt. Horeb.  Remember the showdown on Mt. Carmel between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Hundreds of the prophets of Baal were put to death.  It was a great day for the LORD!  But immediately after this, wicked Queen Jezebel sent word to Elijah telling him that he was as good as dead for this.  Elijah fled to Mt. Horeb.  He wanted to die.  He was convinced the ministry of the Word was a failure.  But through a gentle whisper, the LORD reminded Elijah that the Word always works, though quietly and often unnoticed.  Because of the Word of the LORD there were still 7000 people in Israel who didn’t worship the false god, Baal!  So the LORD sent Elijah on his way with some instructions.   Go back the way you came…you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram.  You will also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah as prophet in your place. (1 Kings 19:15-16)  It’s that last one that interests us today.  He was to anoint his successor.  The ministry of the Word would continue after Elijah.  And Elisha was the LORD’s man!

Off Elijah goes!  He finds the one called Elisha, son of Shaphat.  Elisha is at work.  Our text tells us that Elisha was busy in the field plowing with twelve teams of oxen in front of him, and he himself was driving the twelfth team. (v. 19)  That’s 24 oxen!  That is a lot of oxen!  That is a big hitch!  This gives us a hint that Elisha may have been part of a wealthy, successful family.

Elijah approaches Elisha in the field.  He takes his outer garment and puts it over the shoulders of Elisha.  As the hymn puts it, “Elijah’s mantle o’er Elisha cast.”  Elisha got the message.  He has been chosen to succeed Elijah.  He says to Elijah, Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye!  Then I will follow you.” (v. 20)  Elijah says, Go back!  What have I done to you? (v. 20)  Elijah was saying, “Go ahead!  I’m not stopping you.”  Elisha goes back.  Then we are told he took the team of oxen and slaughtered them.  And then 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. (v. 21

He burned the plow!  Why is this significant?  This plow might well have been his “safety net” if the whole “ministry-of-the-Word thing” didn’t work out.  He could always come home to the farm and the family business.  Or maybe if ministry was kind of slow, he could still work a few hours on the farm and make a little extra income.  After all, he may have been walking away from a lucrative life!  Burning the plow was so “final.”  Indeed.  Elisha was not in “half way.”  He was “all in!”  Elisha is a living example of what Jesus said in the Gospel lesson today.  There Jesus called for focused following.  Undivided.  Undistracted. Committed.

Now, the thoughtful listener today will notice that Elisha’s call wasn’t the call to faith, but it was the call to full-time service.  And there will always be those who are called to full-time service in the Lord’s kingdom.  The full-time worker does leave things behind.  There are “plows” he or she burns.  One summer when I was in college, I had a shirt in my closet with the US Postal Service logo on it when I worked for the Post Office.  I got rid of that shirt.  I don’t need it anymore.  I have a football helmet in my office from when I played football.  You know how much I need and use that helmet now as a pastor?  None.  Those are parts of my life I don’t return to now.  I do not have my postal shirt hanging in my closet “just in case.”  Perhaps some of our young worshippers here today will think about serving in the Lord’s Kingdom one day as pastors or teachers.  For the full-time worker there is in a very real sense “burning of the plows.”

But there is a remarkable thing about following Jesus.  Jesus doesn’t demand you torch everything in your life.  Being a follower of Christ doesn’t mean you have to abandon family or vocation.  You can believe in Jesus AND be a plumber.  You can be a Christian AND be a nurse.  You can believe in Jesus AND go home to your family every day.  You can believe in Jesus AND enjoy playing golf.  Loving Jesus doesn’t mean you must “burn” everything in your life.  But this truth abides:  nothing should INTERFERE or HINDER or COMPETE WITH following Jesus.

What is it about Jesus that so completely captivates me?  What is it about Jesus that makes me so myopic it is as if I can see nothing else?  What has the power to jerk and jolt me from unholy worldly affection and entanglements?  Only one thing!  Listen again to the opening words of our Gospel lesson today:  As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.  (Luke 9:51)  Look at the single-minded focus of your Savior!  Look at his devotion and dedication to YOU!  Jesus did not look back over his shoulder when it came time to go to Jerusalem and die on the cross.  He did not glance longingly northwards to the friendlier confines of Galilee.  He knew cross and death and tomb were in Jerusalem.  He knew there was no forgiveness, no salvation for YOU without that cross and death and tomb.  Nothing would INTERFERE or HINDER or COMPETE WITH Jesus’ work of saving you!  And so, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.   For you he spent his soul, his life, his all.  And so we have learned to sing, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.” (CW 125)

Amen.