Pick It Up
13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him.
(2 Kings 2:13-15)
When Elijah was swept up by God in a whirlwind, Elisha - who had asked to receive a double portion of his mentor's spirit - immediately picked up Elijah's cloak and used it, as Elijah had, to part the water that was separating him from the other prophets who had travelled with him and his mentor. The awaiting prophets acknowledged and affirmed the transition of leadership, bowing in reverent respect.
When Jesus took three of his closest disciples up a mountain, God affirmed Jesus by causing him to, literally, shine before them. Simultaneously, the disciples saw Elijah and Moses there with Jesus. The disciples understood this to mean that the Law and the messianic prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus - Jesus had picked up the cloak of Elijah and Moses, and the three disciples heard the Spirit of God call Jesus the beloved son.
The Christian church was started by those who picked up Jesus' cloak - empowered by God's Spirit, they took up Jesus' message of repentance, and healed and restored many who were cast down and cast out. We are called to pick up Jesus' cloak as well - obeying his teachings, and healing a broken world by sharing that God loves us so much that God gave God's self, in Jesus, to redeem us. May we boldly pick it up!
And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. (Mark 9:1-4)
