Are you a Christian or simply Christian-ish? Many people will be offended by such a question and respond, “I’ve been going to church since I was a baby. There are four generations of good, church going people in my family. I’m there every time the doors are open. Of course I’m a Christian!” Let me ask you another question. If you have slept in the garage every night for the past forty years, are you now an automobile?
In today’s scripture section we read about the prophet Elisha who received a double portion of God’s anointing after seeing Elijah taken up into heaven in a whirlwind and picking up that prophet’s mantle of authority. He performed amazing miracles in the preceding two chapters and beginning at verse eight of Chapter 4 we see him declare God’s blessing on the Shunammite woman to bear a child after years of infertility. Starting at verse 18, however, we read that the child sickens and dies. With a broken heart, she rushes to Mount Carmel to seek a miracle from Elisha.
When the prophet sees her coming he’s puzzled because he has not received any word about her from God. He sends his servant Gehazi to intercept her and ask what’s going on. But she’s a mother on a mission and brushes the servant aside and falls at the feet of the man of God. She’s broken-hearted and angry that Elisha would set her up for such a loss by giving her a child. In response, Elisha hands his staff to Gehazi and tells him to hurry ahead to the woman’s home and lay the staff on the child (thinking/hoping that would be sufficient to revive the child) while he accompanies the Shunammite home at a slower pace.
While Elisha was still on his way with the mother, Gehazi meets him and reports that he has done as directed but the child is still dead. When they arrive at the house, the prophet himself goes up and stretches his own body out on the child and breathes God’s breath into the boy’s mouth, God’s sight into the child’s eyes and God’s strength into the hands of the little one (see Genesis 2:7). It takes two times of this ceremony but – after sneezing seven times – the life returns to his body.
So what made the difference between Gehazi doing as Elisha directed and Elisha doing what God told him to do? I’m sure you’ve all given or received a Christmas gift at some point that looks terrific but you forgot to read the fine print on the box – “Batteries not included.” The power of God was not in Gehazi. It was in Elisha.
In Matthew 7:21 – 23 Jesus talks about the Final Judgment and addresses those who are devoutly Christian-ish and tells them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Again in Mark Chapter 9, Jesus descends from the mountain after His transfiguration to find that his disciples have been praying in His name but are unable to cast an unclean spirit out of a young boy. The child’s father is desperate and asks if Jesus can help. Jesus replies (with arched eyebrow) “If? All things are possible for one who believes.” Convicted, the father responds, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” And again, in Chapter 3 of John’s Gospel Nicodemus – a “ruler of the Jews” (very Jewish-ish) – declares, “’Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.’” Salvation is not horseshoes – close is not good enough.
You cannot give what you don’t have. Only God can give life. Only Elisha had the life-giving power of God in him as part of the anointing he received. Only Jesus, God incarnate, the second person of the Trinity, had the power to raise Lazarus from the dead and Himself rise from the grave to everlasting life after three days in the tomb. Only He is the Ultimate Life-Giver who can say of His sheep, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
To be born again, we must first die to ourselves and every false idol that wants to bleed God’s life out of us. As always, Jesus gets the final word: “Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:38,39)