
Ministering like Elisha
Christians seeking after God’s heart for social justice might often turn in their Bibles, for inspiration, to the books of Amos, Micah and Isaiah. The prophet Elisha may not come to mind so quickly. Perhaps we can too readily pigeonhole characters, or books of the Bible, too easily.
In reality, justice and mercy - as with other themes - are woven through the whole sweep of God’s big story and redemption plan. So, we should not be surprised - when digging a little deeper - to see justice and mercy, care for the poor, and so on, crop up in the less predictable places.
Like Elijah, his predecessor, Elisha was called by God as a prophet to the northern Kingdom of Israel at a time of division, great turmoil, idolatry and conflict.
The two prophets had different callings and responsibilities - and yet commentators frequently view them together as bringing two parts of one whole, showing the character of God.
Often Elijah is portrayed more as the prophet of judgment, while Elisha follows as the prophet of grace: although, once again, drawing simple lines (or caricatures) around the ministries of the two men would be too simplistic.
Elijah does ride the pages of 1 Kings as the messenger of God protesting against the evil around him. Much of his ministry does directly confront some powerful figures - the likes of Ahab and Jezebel, and later, Ahaziah. Calling down fire from heaven in his stand-off with the prophets of Baal, is a dramatic judgment on the apostasy of the northern kingdom of Israel.
Elisha later receives the baton from Elijah and we can see his story revealing, often, the mercy of God. He has been described this way:
“Elisha is the Spirit-empowered man of God who walks with God, represents God, and shows the way to covenant faithfulness through word and deed. Elisha therefore serves as a preview of knowing God in the new covenant through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.” (Gary L. Schultz Jr., The Spirit in Elisha's Life, TGC article)
Through Elisha we see the readiness of God to relieve distress and need: the concern is frequently with ordinary people, whether it is a widow, a labourer, or the Shunnamite woman. But, we should not overstate the differences of the two prophets, as Elijah, too, was used by God to bring relief and comfort in miraculous ways; while Elisha also advised kings, and even blinded the Syrian army!
Many of Elisha's miracles - recorded in the early chapters of 2 Kings - were modest and showed deeds of simple compassion. He cleansed the polluted, unproductive waters of Jericho. He provided a widow with a supply of oil, which saved her children from being sold into slavery.
In a time of famine he cleansed a pot of food into which a poisonous herb had been mistakenly added. He fed 100 hungry men by multiplying a small amount of barley loaves and corn. He cured Naaman, a Gentile, of his leprosy. He recovered a lost axe head that a man had borrowed from his neighbour, thus saving him, it seems, from financial distress.
What lessons might we draw from Elisha?
First, we always need to see our human activity in the context of God’s power and sovereignty. Like Elijah before him, Elisha ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit, not in his own power or ability. Even the most gifted of God’s servants are limited and can only accomplish what they do by His power.
Like Elisha we can accomplish nothing unless it is by the power of God. We must trust God to heal, to provide, and so on. Let us not jump to good works without faith, but with confidence that these are works to which God is calling us. And let us seek the miraculous and unexpected in the ordinary events of our mercy ministries. In this way we will give all the glory to Jesus.
Secondly, from what we read it seems that Elisha ministered to anyone and everyone who came to him for help. He helped the helpless. He helped those who couldn’t repay him. He helped in the small things. Elisha’s ministry reminds us of the later definition of James that, the religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is to look after orphans and widows in their distress.
True religion is helping those who cannot return it or pay back. But Elisha was also willing to help those, like Naaman, not without means but one outside the people of God. God has a heart for the poor, and the outsider. He shows us, in Elisha’s ministry, that we should reach out without discrimination. Just as the good news of salvation is offered to all, so we need to reach out with mercy into all areas of society.
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Written by Richard Wilson (King's Church 1066) for the Jubilee+ blog