S149P1 – Stories of life and death: Elijah
2 Kgs. 2:9-12a
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
I was raised in a narrow fundamentalist environment which caused me to ask many questions a lot of children might not think to ask. Most of the kids I knew did not believe what I was taught to believe, so I spent my time trying to reconcile these various ideas about life and death. When a friend said that her grandfather was an angel in heaven it defied what I had been taught to expect after this life. Even after becoming an adult and becoming a Christian, certain questions still exist. The actual transition or process from life to death is not exactly clear, but perhaps it does not need to be. Perhaps we will not know this until we experience it, but Elijah’s story might give us a hint at what it looks like.
The traveling done by Elijah and Elisha leading to this incredible moment looks like a man simply bidding others farewell before a big move or a long trip. Nothing indicates any fear or apprehension. There is only preparation during the waiting. Then, like an airplane pulling into the gate, the heavenly chariots appeared. A few moments later and he was gone. His eyes never closed. He never tasted death. Elijah’s exit from this world came with high drama but also with peace. What strikes me most about this transition from life to death is the lack of death. Elijah experienced no interruption of life, and no physical body was left behind to be buried. He was gone but not dead.
Death has no power over those who are in Christ. [Rom. 6:3-9] We have died with Christ in his physical death, and we have been resurrected with him. As He cannot die again, neither can we. We might say that those who have left this life are dead, but that is not the case for the righteous. Life will change for us in a moment, but it will not end. It will simply continue differently. My exit from here might not be as dramatic as Elijah’s, but I expect it to be no less peaceful and miraculous, a life continued without interruption. When death loses its power, life ceases to have an end. Father, help us to better understand this life and what lies ahead, that we would be at peace with the journey beyond here.