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[Darris McNeely] In this Beyond Today series on "To Be A Disciple", becoming a disciple
of Jesus Christ, we've been talking about commitment. Last time, I misspelled the word
so I want to make sure I get it corrected here right now, but we're still talking about
commitment.
Last time we talked about Jesus making a statement to someone who came and saying that they would
follow Him wherever He would go, and He made the comment in Luke chapter 9 that if we don't
put our hand to the plow and keep it there, if we look back, He said we're not fit for
the kingdom of God. The disciples understood exactly what Jesus meant when He said that.
They would have instantly referenced a story from the Old Testament, the story of Elisha
following the prophet Elijah, in 1 Kings chapter 19. And it's there I want to take us, and
read the story of Elisha following Elijah -- beginning in verse 19 and through verse
21.
Elijah was a great Old Testament prophet, and prior to his death, he was told by God
to begin to train, mentor, disciple someone else -- in this case, Elisha. And Elijah went
and he found Elisha, and we are told here in 1 Kings 19 -- chapter 19 and beginning
in verse 19 -- "He found Elisha, the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke
of oxen before him, and he was with the twelve. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle
on him" (1 Kings 19:19-21). The mantle was his cloak and his coat and is a symbol of
his authority as a prophet of God. Elisha, however, was plowing out in the field when
Elijah found him. And so, when he gave the summons, "Elisha left the oxen and ran after
Elijah and said, 'Please, let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.'"
Similar to what some had said to Jesus back in Luke chapter 9. "And he said to him --" Elijah
did -- "'Go back again, for what have I done to you?'" In other words, he was basically
telling him, "Look, you better take this opportunity. Come with me now, and follow me, and burn
all your bridges. Make this new commitment." Which he did. Elisha turned back, in verse
21, "and he took a yoke of oxen and he slaughtered them and he boiled their flesh, using the
oxen's equipment, gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah,
and became his servant."
Elisha became the servant of Elijah and he stayed with him until the end of Elijah's
life. But by taking the oxen, taking the plow that he had, cutting up the plows, and slaughtering
the oxen, and using the plows to build a fire and cook and eat the meat of the oxen, Elisha
was basically burning his bridges with his past life. He now had a new calling, had a
new vocation, and that was to be a disciple of Elijah -- which, when you read through
the rest of the account, Elisha accomplished. There's a lot of lessons from that.
But that's where Jesus got the example in Luke chapter 9, which we covered in an earlier
Daily about this concept of discipling, when He told His disciples who wanted to follow
Him to put your hand to the plow. They would've known about the plow of Elisha -- where, when
Elisha began to follow Elijah, he burned his plows, he killed his oxen, and he then had
a new life to go forward.
That is what it takes to make a lifelong commitment to the life, and teachings, and service of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth -- to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. To follow, to let Him mentor
us, we have to be like those in the Old Testament -- this case, of Elisha with Elijah, and others,
who were willing to forsake their previous life and follow God, follow His teachings,
wherever they would go -- in this case, with Elijah.
And that's really what it takes when it comes to the commitment to be a disciple. And so
it's important to analyze this matter of commitment in any part of our life -- the commitment
that we have to work, to a husband, to a wife, to another personal relationship of friends
that we might have, and certainly in a calling and a commitment to God, and to His way of
life, and to His truth.
When we are able and willing to put our hands to the plow, and to do like Elisha did -- to
basically sever what it takes and to make that commitment to follow God -- then we are
ready to be His disciple. Then we are ready to begin to learn what it means to be a disciple.
That's BT Daily. Join us next time.