Passing on the Mantle of Love

 II Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Galatians 5: 1, 13-25

 Do you know where the expression of “passing on the mantle” comes from? It comes from our Old Testament passage where Elijah passes on his mantle to Elisha. So, it’s become known as passing on a responsibility to someone else. Here we have the passing of the office of prophet passed from Elijah to Elisha. The mantle of the Elijah story is a piece of cloth like a cloak. When Elisha picks up this mantle of Elijah’s he is empowered to part the Jordan River.

This is the account of Elijah being taken into heaven on a chariot of fire. He is one who never died so the Jewish people today still keep a chair open for Elijah at the Passover meal.

This got me to thinking of the people in our lives that we have been separated from by death or by distance. A popular term today is “influencer” and I think of those who have influenced my life and ministry – my mother, my mentors, and former pastors.

So, what is the mantle they passed down to me that I can still grasp hold of even though my influencers are gone? It is the gift of love. Galatians 5 tells about the new covenant commandment of loving your neighbor as yourself. In order to do so, we are to live by the Spirit.

Paul then contrasts the works of the flesh which are not based on love of neighbor but on love of self. These are selfish traits such as strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissentions, envy, and factions.

The works of – called the fruits of the Spirit are all based on love for each other: peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

When we’ve had this mantle of love passed down to us, we know it is possible and we’ve had examples to follow. We can continue to express the love given to us to others. But where does the power of the mantle of love come from? It comes from the Spirit which empowers us to live out these fruits of the Spirit.

May we in our lives today continually pass on this mantle of love which will still influence those we touch in this life, even after we’re gone.  Amen

 

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