Ask For More

Scripture: 2 Kings 2.1-2, 6-14; Luke 9.51-62; Galatians 5.1, 13-25


A pastor called the children to the front of the sanctuary for a children’s message one Sunday. It was the Sunday before July 4th, so he told them about freedom in this country and more importantly, our freedom in Christ. One boy exclaimed, “I’m free!” Not to be outdone, another boy proudly announced, “I’m four!”

St. Paul tells us in Galatians that our freedom in Christ is not given so that we can indulge ourselves. Rather our freedom provides the way to become all that we can be for the Kingdom and for the world. Freedom is given to so potential can be realized to God’s glory. And as we shall find in the story of Elisha, potential is realized with one part skill and two parts inspiration.

Elisha is the young apprentice to the great prophet Elijah – the one who defeated the priests of Baal, who predicted the great drought and then made it rain again, who spoke against the wickedness of Queen Jezebel, who heard the still small voice of God in the wilderness. Elijah was a great prophet, but if he had a flaw it was that he tended to think he was the only one who served God. In fact, he said so. And God answered by giving him Elisha, the apprentice, and saying, “Here is the one who will replace you.”

Now, suppose your boss at work came up to you tomorrow and said, “Here. I’d like you to meet Sally – she will be replacing you at the end of the year. In the meantime, I want you to train her and teach her everything you know.”

How would you feel about Sally?

There must have been a little of those feelings in Elijah toward this young apprentice. But after that initial time of awkwardness and even resentment, you get the sense that there is a growing bond of respect between the two men as they share in God’s work and the various trials that come with it. Elisha is there with Elijah on the national stage of politics and war as various kings come to the prophet to curry his favor and hear his judgments. It was heady and it was dangerous. And through it Elijah showed Elisha how to speak for God.

This is how an apprentice learns. Remember, church, this is the definition of a disciple – one who apprentices themselves to the master. You learn how to do what the master does by living with the master, watching how he does things, and doing those things with him. It’s a very active, purposeful thing. You can’t do it part-time. Elisha initially tried that.

“I’ve got to go back and see my father and mother first, and then I’ll come with you.” 1 Kings 19.20

That’s got nothing to do with me, was Elijah’s response. When you’re ready to follow, follow. And Elisha did. He learned the skills by experience with the master. Jesus said the same thing to a would-be apprentice:

“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9.52

One part skill. Now here comes the other parts.

“Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind. . .Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.’

Elisha said, ‘Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.’” 2 Kings 2.1,9


I want double of what you’ve got, is what Elisha is saying to Elijah. Now, in a way this is very flattering but it’s also very presumptuous.

I remember when I was twelve or thirteen years old. It was a summer day and I was sitting on our front porch at 2327 Newberry street when my younger brother came outside wearing a baseball cap. Now, my brother Scott is a lot of things, a lot of good things: He is smart; he is kind, he is good-looking. (He’s a Morris, after all). But what he isn’t, he wasn’t, and never will be is particularly athletic. And what he certainly wasn’t back in those days was a baseball player. When he walked out on the porch that day, he wasn’t wearing his baseball cap, he was wearing my baseball cap. Not only that, he was wearing my All-Star Baseball Cap!

You can imagine my outrage as I hollered, “What are you doing??!! That’s my hat! You didn’t play. You didn’t earn it. I did!


Elisha wanted to wear Elijah’s baseball cap, err, well, his mantle, the symbol of his prophet office. Elijah must have been feeling a little like, “Are you sure you’ve earned it?” A mason has to first mix mud before he lays brick. A doctor has to first crack books and make rounds before he performs surgery. A prophet has to walk with God a long time to get double the spirit of a man like Elijah.

It was a hard request, as Elijah acknowledged. And yet, there was also something good in all of young Elisha’s presumption; the good of a heart hungry for inspiration from God. Elisha had come to the point of unreserved passion and commitment to God. His very request was a sign that he was ready to become the master.

Some of you are here because not so long ago you decided, “It’s time for to me to ask for more out of myself and my life.” You started coming to worship and inquiring of the things of God.

Some of you have been coming to church a long time but your commitment was like a shallow river – a half-mile wide and three inches deep. Maybe there is a holy discontent with just dabbling in the things of God. Maybe you are ready to actually apprentice yourself to the Master. Maybe you’re ready to ask for more.

You need what Elisha needed. We all need what Elisha needed – more skill, more experience, and more inspiration. We can never go wrong asking more of God’s Spirit to be with us. So ask for more. Ask for a double portion and become the kind of person God intends you to be.