Succession – letting go of the past
Series: Follow me | Bible text: 1 Kings 19:19–21; Luke 9:57–62
When Elisha was called to succeed Elijah, he sacrificed his cattle and the teams that provided income for his «old life». He tore down the bridge behind him and looked ahead. A few hundred years later, Jesus would describe this very behaviour as a condition for following Jesus.
Elisa is ploughing with twelve hitches. The light plough is guided with one hand. This one hand, usually the left, must simultaneously regulate the vertical position, its depth with pressure and lift it over rocks and stones in the way. Elisa needs the other hand to drive the cattle with the approximately 2 metre long driving stick, which is fitted with an iron spike at the tip. At the same time, he has to keep an eye on the furrow, looking between the animals. When Elisa looks round, the new furrow becomes crooked. In the midst of this focussed attention, the great prophet Elijah comes and throws his mantle over him, calling Elisha from the middle of his professional life to be his successor as prophet of Israel. «And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, saying, «Let me kiss my father and mother, and I will follow you. And he said to him, «Go back! Consider what I have done to you!» (1 Kings 19:20 LUT). Elisha sacrificed a team of his oxen. He then roasted the beef over the fire of yokes and organised a farewell feast.
Jesus will refer to this story about 900 years later when he says: «Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God» (Luke 9:62 NLB).
Putting your hand to the plough
Putting your hand to the plough is an image for the moment when a person is called by God to follow Jesus. Before starting a relationship with Jesus, there is always the call of the heavenly Father (John 17:24; Matthew 11:27). However, when a person responds to this call, he experiences the best possible transfer. «For he has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. God has bought our freedom with his blood and forgiven us all our trespasses» (Colossians 1:13f NLB).
Those who put their hand to the plough are expressing that they are about to start work. The fact is, following Jesus can mean strenuous work throughout. But – and this is absolutely crucial – the foundation in the Kingdom of the beloved son is another. The culture of this realm is love. That is why Jesus prays: «I have revealed your name to them and will continue to reveal it. I do this so that your love for me may remain in them and I in them» (John 17:26 NLB). Whoever puts their hand to the plough is taken into the love relationship between Jesus and his Father. This divine unconditional love is now the basis of discipleship and all work.
Martin Lloyd Jones (1899–1981) was an important preacher in London. He was sidelined by a serious illness. People asked him if it didn’t bother him to be sidelined like that. He looked at them and said: «Do not rejoice that evil spirits obey you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven» (Luke 10:20 NLB).
In the Old Covenant, when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, he wore two precious stones set in gold on the shoulder pieces of his apron, on which the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved (Exodus 28). The New Testament presents Jesus as the high priest who is before the throne of God. As soon as a person puts his hand to the plough, his name is engraved on the heart of Jesus Christ and carried before God. When the Father looks at this name, he sees absolute beauty. The eyes of the only person whose opinion counts in the entire universe will find you more valuable than all the jewels of our earth. Deuteronomy 7 describes that God did not choose the people of Israel because they were great or important, «but because he loves you […]» (Deuteronomy 7:8 NLB). The reason for God’s call is love. God loves you because he loves you.
On this platform, our hearts are encouraged to reciprocate this love. There is nothing more beautiful, nothing more redeeming than simply being in love with our Saviour. It is the end of all self-righteousness and the launch pad into a discipleship that is characterised by God’s grace. Before Jesus confronts Peter with the words «You follow me!», He made sure that this happens on the foundation of love. Would you like to grow more into this love relationship? Concentrate on God’s love for us humans until your heart, soul and mind are overflowing with love in return. «We want to love because he first loved us» (1 John 4:19 NLB).
Don’t look back
«Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God» (Luke 9:62 NLB). This sentence was preceded by an episode that reminds us very much of the story of Elisha. Jesus challenged a man to follow Him. The answer: «Yes, Lord, I want to go with you, but first let me say goodbye to my family» (Luke 9:61 NLB). What Elijah allowed, Jesus does not allow. There is no «first» that can come before Jesus. Either Jesus has the «first» for himself or there is no discipleship at all.
Because Jesus «knew what it really looks like inside people» (John 2:24 NLB), He refused to allow the man to go home for a farewell. Perhaps Jesus knew that this man would not be coming back. Elijah reminded Elisha: «Consider what I have done to you.» In other words, he exhorted him to keep his calling before his eyes and to follow it. Elisa then burnt the bridges to his previous life. He sacrificed his cattle, roasted the meat on the burning yokes and organised a farewell dinner. This ritual helped him to let go completely and not look back.
As followers of Jesus, we are equally challenged to burn bridges to the past. Nothing shall hinder us, Jesus «with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your thoughts» (Matthew 22:37 NLB) and to follow Him. Perhaps the ban on saying goodbye sounds anti-family. But it is not. Because when someone uncompromisingly follows Jesus, those closest to them definitely benefit the most.
A man sold his house to the buyer on the condition that a single nail next to the front door would remain in his possession. The buyer agreed and bought the house with the exception of this one nail. Full of joy, he made himself comfortable in his new home. But one day, an old hat was hanging on the nail, followed a short time later by a worn, shabby coat. He didn’t like it at all. But because the nail was not his property, he was not allowed to take the items down. One day, when a dead animal was hanging on the nail, it became too much for the man and he moved out.
When someone puts their hand to the plough, in the Kingdom of the beloved son is moved, all bridges to the The power of darkness be cancelled. Strange nails can be old patterns in dealing with money or tax returns, in partnership or sexuality, unpleasant ways of living out power, attachments to father or mother, unforgiveness, attachments or occult objects, etc.
I recently heard the story of a woman who left the room screaming loudly at a church event. Subsequent conversations revealed that her father was involved in occult practices. It turned out that she still had old objects from her father in her household.
Let’s do like Elisa and make a clean sweep of the past. We can dispose of these nails on the cross of Jesus and then follow Jesus – without any unnecessary ballast. Let us cast off the burdens of the past and look to the future.
Suitable for the kingdom of God
When ploughing, the farmer must look ahead with perseverance and concentration so that the furrow is straight. Many straight, parallel furrows are the basis for a good harvest. Followers of Jesus are allowed to co-operate in the kingdom of God, to dig a furrow or two, and then to witness how the seed, which is God’s word, sprouts and miraculously multiplies.
Those who have let go of their own past are able to look ahead with concentration. Paul calls it «Seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth» (Colossians 3:2 LUT). Our attention should be focussed on God and his possibilities and not on earthly temporariness. The Greek. word for costumes can be translated as «to set one’s mind on», «to think about» or «to concentrate on the essentials». We then take part in the great project «Kingdom of God» when we focus our senses on the divine, it is an exercise of the mind. The only point of reference for a follower is Jesus Christ. «[…] We want to run the race to the end for which we are destined. We do this by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from the beginning to the end […]» (Hebrews 12:1f NLB). This unrelenting focus on Jesus Christ makes us humble and courageous at the same time. Those who are humble know that they are dependent on God and not on themselves. Courage grows in this dependence.
Following Jesus means persistently focussing on Jesus. How can this be done without it being a strenuous exercise? The English poet Thomas Watson wrote: «The first fruit of love is thinking about God. Whoever is in love always dwells on the other person. Those who love God are delighted and enraptured by thinking about him. The Lord is the treasure, and where the treasure is, there is the heart.»
And again we end up with love. To develop and maintain such a lifestyle requires an overarching plan. This includes regular activities that nurture our inner self, such as solitude, silence, prayer, fasting, service, Bible study, fellowship, etc.
The gospel of the Bible is an invitation to put your hand to the plough and instead of looking back, look to Jesus. In doing so, you become part of the great kingdom of God project and your life takes on deep meaning.
Possible questions for the small group
Read Bible text: 1 Kings 19:19–21; Luke 9:57–62
- What does Jesus mean by «putting your hand to the plough»? What does it mean to be transferred to the «kingdom of the beloved Son»?
- What role does love play in discipleship? How can our love for Jesus grow?
- Where are people in danger to look back? Where are the dangers in your personal life? Where does the past catch up with you from time to time?
- We should strive for what is above. How does that work in practice?
- Where has Jesus challenged you personally today?
