This passage (2 Kings 4:1-7) shows us an encounter between the prophet Elisha and a woman whose husband had just died and who stood to lose her two sons to a debt collector. This woman’s despair and hopelessness was compounded by the fact that her husband was a good man; he was of the company of prophets.
Elisha was certain of two things when this woman cried out to him for help. First, he knew that he was completely incapable of doing anything that would be of benefit. This certainty of inability is summed up in his first question to her, “How can I help you?” I read that as rhetorical. Elisha couldn’t pay off her debt. Second, Elisha knew that God doesn’t need much. That prompted his next question, “What do you have in your house?” She had nothing, oh, except a small jar of anointing oil. She would soon learn what Elisha was quite sure of, that God doesn’t need much. That oil became enough to pay of her debts and to provide for her and her sons in the future.
One of my main points of focus was not in the miracle itself, but how it was that Elisha came to be used so mightily. He wanted to be used mightily. His great desire was for God to use him. He begged Elijah for a double portion of his spirit (2 Kings 2:9). And he received it- there are 14 recorded miracles of Elijah and 28 of Elisha!
So what does that mean for us as the church? Being used by God to carry out the ministry of Christ (Luke 4:18, 19) through the power of the Spirit begins with us saying, “Give us a double portion of your Spirit Lord!” We say this not because we think we have the ability in and of ourselves to carry out Christ’s mission, but because God desires to use us anyway. The incarnation is God’s proof to us that God doesn’t need much to accomplish his great work of redemption in the world.
Pastor Scott
To Listen to the Sermon, Click here
Elisha was certain of two things when this woman cried out to him for help. First, he knew that he was completely incapable of doing anything that would be of benefit. This certainty of inability is summed up in his first question to her, “How can I help you?” I read that as rhetorical. Elisha couldn’t pay off her debt. Second, Elisha knew that God doesn’t need much. That prompted his next question, “What do you have in your house?” She had nothing, oh, except a small jar of anointing oil. She would soon learn what Elisha was quite sure of, that God doesn’t need much. That oil became enough to pay of her debts and to provide for her and her sons in the future.
One of my main points of focus was not in the miracle itself, but how it was that Elisha came to be used so mightily. He wanted to be used mightily. His great desire was for God to use him. He begged Elijah for a double portion of his spirit (2 Kings 2:9). And he received it- there are 14 recorded miracles of Elijah and 28 of Elisha!
So what does that mean for us as the church? Being used by God to carry out the ministry of Christ (Luke 4:18, 19) through the power of the Spirit begins with us saying, “Give us a double portion of your Spirit Lord!” We say this not because we think we have the ability in and of ourselves to carry out Christ’s mission, but because God desires to use us anyway. The incarnation is God’s proof to us that God doesn’t need much to accomplish his great work of redemption in the world.
Pastor Scott
To Listen to the Sermon, Click here
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