The Mantle of Living by the Spirit

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

Few people realize that our expression of “passing down the mantle” comes from this story in II Kings about Elijah passing on his prophetic role to Elisha. An insecure Elisha asks for a double share of Elijah’s spirit – perhaps his power which isn’t up to Elijah but to God. Elijah is lifted to heaven in a chariot – thus he never dies. So, he appears again at the Transfiguration and Jewish tradition leaves an empty chair at Passover for Elijah.

By picking up the mantle Elijah has dropped, Elisha has the power with it to part the Jordan like Elijah did. Many think this mantle merely brought power to do the miraculous, yet I believe it brought a share of the spirit of Elijah that Elisha had wished for. Hopefully, the Spirit brought love shown in the fruits of the Spirit told of in our Galatians passage.

Our passage in Galatians tells us we are no longer slaves to the law but are called to freedom. This shouldn’t be used for self-indulgence, of which the author lists the desires of the flesh. Instead, we are to live by the Spirit. If we do so we can live the one commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. Living by the Spirit will produce what is known as the fruits of the Spirit told of in Galatians. It says that those who belong to Christ have crucified the passions and desires of the flesh and are able to produce these fruits of the Spirit. Living by the Spirit allows us and encourages us to be led – guided by the Spirit.

Now Jesus, considered by many a prophet, was someone who died physically but was raised from the dead. What is the mantle he has sent down to each of us? He has sent us the Holy Spirit to give us the power to crucify the flesh and to live out its fruits and to love our neighbors. We are told to be enslaved to each other not devour them by bickering and other fleshly desires. Let’s look at the opposites of these fruits. They would be hate, despair, worry, impatience, meanness, stinginess, unfaithfulness, aggressively lording over others and lack of self-control. We need the Spirit’s help to turn these into the positive fruits of the spirit.

Let’s take up the mantle of living by the Spirit and its fruits so we can help to bring God’s kingdom into the world.

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