The prophets recognize Elisha as the new prophet and bow before him. They can see that the spirit that once rested on Elijah now rests on him. But they still want Elijah.
They recognize what God is doing now, but still want what God did in the past. Does that sound familiar?
So, the prophets ask Elisha to let them search for Elijah. He tells them not to go, but they keep pressing him until he is embarrassed. Maybe he is embarrassed for them. Maybe he is embarrassed because they refuse to listen. Or maybe he's just tired of arguing about it.
Finally, he says, “Send them.”
Fifty people search for three days. That is a lot of energy spent looking for something that is no longer there.
Churches can do that, too, right? We can invest enormous amounts of time, money, and energy trying to recover what used to work. Then we wonder why we keep returning empty-handed.
When the search party comes back, Elisha says, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Confession: I'd like to pretend I cannot relate to that, but I can. Every leader knows the temptation to say, “I tried to tell you.”
But Elisha does not linger in the satisfaction of being right. In the very next story, the people of Jericho bring him a problem. Their location is good, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful. Elisha quickly (and rightly) turns his attention to the need right in front of him.
Churches can spend a lot of energy searching for what God did in the past. We can become so busy trying to recover what used to be that we miss the people, the needs, and the possibilities already around us.
Elijah's gone. But God is not. So, you can keep searching for what's gone, or turn toward what God wants to heal now.
Stay blessed...john
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