The Last Sunday after Epiphany: The Transfiguration of Our Lord

TO MAKE A SHORT STORY LONG

Text: II Kings 2:1-12c

Dr. Carl C. Fickenscher II

How many of you know the story of our Old Testament lesson this morning? I'll bet a lot of you could tell it in your own words. Like: "When God knew that the prophet Elijah's work on earth was finished, He sent a fiery chariot to carry him up to heaven, so that Elijah never died." Right? That's pretty much the whole story, isn't it--Elijah goes to heaven in a fiery chariot. Well, that's actually one verse of our twelve verse text. One verse, but it's pretty well the whole story.

So why all the rest? Now be honest. As I was reading the lesson a minute ago, didn't it occur to some of you that this was getting a little long? Remember? Elijah and Elisha: "Stay here." "No. I'm coming." "Stay here." "No. I'm coming." "Stay here." "No. I'm coming." And then the sons of the prophets: "Do you know?" "Yeh, I know." "Do you know?" "Yeh, I know." Sure looks like an example of making a short story long.
 

DOESN'T THIS REPETITION GET A LITTLE OLD?
 

Maybe, but sometimes it's necessary to make a short story long.

I. The repetition may get a little old, but it does show the unswerving loyalty of our God.

  1. All heard this old joke, but probably never heard quite this way before:
     
    1. There was this SMU student
      1. Graduated, proud his sheepskin
      2. Went looking for job for which degree qualified him
      3. Went Highway Dept, applied
        1. "In luck, striping machine out, need someone paint stripes down new hwy"
        2. So takes out road, sets down bucket paint: "There's bucket, here's brush, go for it"
      4. First day: "How far?" (7 miles) "Great!"
      5. Second: "How far?" (1 miles) "Still pretty good"
      6. Third: "How far?" (15 feet)
        1. "What's wrong?"
        2. "Well, getting be pretty long walk from bucket"
    2. OK, so wasn't very funny
    3. But imagine how unfunny it would be if you just jumped ahead to 15 feet!
    4. Have build up (make short story long) before punch line

Once again, sit through the first part of our text:

(1-6) "And it came to pass, when the Lord was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. Then Elijah said to Elisha, 'Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Bethel.' And Elisha said, 'As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!' So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, 'Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?' And he said, 'Yes, I know; keep silent.' Then Elijah said to him, 'Elisha, stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to Jericho.' And he said, 'As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!' So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said to him, 'Do you know that the Lord will take away your master from over you today?' So he answered, 'Yes, I know; keep silent.' Then Elijah said to him, 'Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me on to the Jordan.' And he said, 'As the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!' So the two of them went on."

So, why all that? Doesn't the repetition get a little old? Perhaps, but it does show unswerving loyalty.

  1. Elisha was good friend, wasn't he!
     
    1. For several years, Elijah's understudy
      1. Now somehow God told his turn take stage
      2. But sure isn't eager get old teacher out way, is he
        1. "Elisha, don't really have go" ("Want to go!")
        2. "Elisha, don't really have go" ("Want to go!")
      3. This last journey something like 30 miles (foot)
      4. And if check map, journey itself repetitious--up/ back, retracing many steps
    2. Elijah gives Elisha one chance after another bail out, but Elisha wouldn't miss step it if meant leaving beloved spiritual father
    3. That kind loyalty isn't typical, is it
      1. Men leave wives when something younger/hotter along
      2. Children abandon parents when old/helpless
      3. Sometimes parents even ignore children (or worse)
      4. We spend more time with friend who's witty/fun than one who tries patience with lots emotional needs
      5. So often we fail go extra mile after mile after mile help friend/fellow church member
      6. How often go 30 extra miles?!
    4. We fail loved ones because refuse keep doing same old things
      1. Living year after year with same spouse
      2. Going week after week visit at nursing home
      3. Changing diaper after diaper
      4. Listening one tearful phone call after another
    5. All repetition text serves underscore Elisha's loyalty
       
  2. And by doing that, it is really showing us God's unswervin-g loyalty
     
    1. All his life, Elijah worked tirelessly to bring people Israel back God
      1. But may remember how discouraged once became
        1. Fretted that work had come to nothing
        2. Thought he only believer left
      2. God said, "No--will provide successor; work go on, accomplish everything I planned"
    2. Now here was successor--Elisha pick up mantel, carry on with even double portion Elijah's spirit
      1. God's people not left without prophet
      2. God continue reach out, call His people
      3. And God continue do that over/over/over again
    3. Remember last week's OT lesson?
      1. There God promised prophet successor Moses
      2. Elisha now just latest in long prophetic line
      3. Text even mentions "sons prophets"
        1. They weren't literally "sons," but future succes-sors, "prophets in training," sem students
        2. There would be more
      4. God would always continue speak His people
         
  3. Think of how loyal God is to us
     
    1. Really shown in repetition, isn't it
      1. We sin/rebel against God, fail be loyal others (now, now again, now again, now again), and time after time God forgives (never time sinned once too often)
      2. We fret/worry what next day bring, and day after day after day can look back see God still with us, deliv-er-ing us to new one
      3. We become tired/bored with "same old, same old," but God never becomes too tired with our complaints to cancel His promise of never-ending, always new, always fresh excitement--eternal life heaven
    2. Relatively short story our lives actually long litany problems, but that only serves show how loyal God is
    3. Wouldn't really appreciate how good God is without all that repetition

It's like a good joke--or even a mediocre one. You can't just jump right into the punch line. First, you've got to make the short story long.

II. The repetition may get a little old, but it points to the ultimate Fulfillment.

  1. So there Lutheran pastor, Catholic priest, Jewish rabbi
     
    1. Talking about career potential respective faiths
    2. Rabbi asked pastor: "How far can Lutheran pastor go?"
      1. "Believe priesthood all believers--so every person (layman/pastor) already direct relationship God"
      2. "One divinely created office--all pastors equal"
      3. "Suppose synodical president"
    3. Rabbi not impressed, asked priest: "How high get?"
      1. "Do have hierarchy, so priest/bishop/archbishop/ cardinal/pope"
      2. Rabbi: "That's as high as can go?"
      3. Priest: "Only one higher than pope: God Himself; no one do better than becoming pope"
    4. "Well," said Rabbi, "I'm told one our boys did"

OK, so it takes a while to come to the point. Sometimes that's necessary to point to the ultimate fulfillment.

  1. Moses to Elijah to Elisha
     
    1. Actually Adam to Noah to Abraham to Isaac/Jacob/Judah/ Moses/Elijah/Elisha, and still be Isaiah to Jeremiah to Daniel to Zechariah to Malachi to John Baptist
    2. God is loyal, but doesn't that get little old? (yes)
      1. Even with all those prophets, all those centuries created terrible longing among God's people
      2. Sometimes desperation--when end?
      3. Believers thankful for prophets, but repetition made long for the Prophet

(Mark 9:2-4,7-8) "[One day] Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus....And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!' Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus."

  1. End of story, no more repetition
     
    1. Here's reason for everything gone before--reason for that whole long story: so when punch line came, would pack some punch
      1. "You've waited long time
      2. "You know how great Moses/Elijah all rest were
      3. "Well, telling you," God says, "This My beloved Son"
      4. "Clear stage, take away all rest
      5. "Listen to Him"
    2. This One is reason God so loyal to people all centuries
      1. Heavenly Father always had suffering/death Jesus in view
      2. Knew Jesus reconcile world to God, and already OT counting as if had
      3. Kept sending prophets as models of/spokesmen for this One, Jesus
    3. And Jesus is reason God loyal us
      1. Doesn't hold our sins/rebellions against because Jesus paid them cross
      2. Provides us day after day after day because Jesus made us His dear children again
      3. And it's because Jesus' resurrection that one day share His glory

There probably won't be a fiery chariot coming to take us there, but you know there will nothing "same old same old" about it.

 

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