The Right Man for the Job

My dear friends in Christ,

     Are you tired of all the political campaign talk yet? Much of the evening news is dedicated to the different Republicans who want the party nomination to run for president. Each one is trying to convince the nation that they would be the right man to run against President Obama to be the next president of the United States. Which one is the right man for the job?

     Was Elijah the right man for the job? He had seen plenty of success during his ministry. Just a few weeks earlier, he had seen one of his greatest victories on the top of Mt. Carmel. The prophets of Baal wasted most of a day trying to convince Baal to send fire from heaven. It took Elijah just a few moments in prayer for the LORD to answer and consume the offering, the wood, water, and stones of Elijah’s altar. He had destroyed all 450 prophets of Baal, and all the people told him they would follow the LORD.

     It didn’t last very long. Queen Jezebel swore she would have Elijah killed. He ran as hard as he could, heading as far away from Jezebel as possible. Exhausted, in the middle of the desert, he collapsed under a tree. He was all alone. He was depressed because he thought he was the only believer left on earth. In frustration and despair he cried out, “I have had enough, Lord, take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4).

     Elijah thought that all of his hard work and faithful preaching had been worthless. The people who had heard his message had not turned away from worshiping Baal. They trusted that the rain god would bring the 3 ½ year drought to an end. They trusted the king and his wife. They worshiped Baal. Why would they listen to one prophet who had been living in the wilderness and outside of Israel for 3 years?

      Then there’s Elisha, the man Elijah was supposed to anoint as his successor. How could he be the right man for the job? If he looked at himself, he wouldn’t see a lot of qualifications to become a prophet. He was younger than Elijah, which was a strike against him. He was completely inexperienced—he was a farmer, not a preacher! He knew Elijah’s reputation. Elijah was a miracle worker. He brought fire from heaven, rain from a dried out sky, and had even raised a boy from the dead. Elisha couldn’t be as good at preaching as Elijah. Elijah was going to train him, so he’d preach and teach the same things. On top of it all, Elisha wasn’t an attractive individual. He is described as bald and not very good looking! How could Elisha be the right man for the job?

      Have you ever felt like Elijah—all alone? Do you go to work day after day, have your successes, and feel like no one notices? Do you ever wonder if you’re in the right job, doing the right kind of work? College students, do you ever feel alone because your major is so different than your friend’s course of study? Teens, do you ever feel all alone even when you are with your family or friends? Congregational leaders, do you ever feel alone when it comes time to make a tough decision? There are times in the middle of our loneliness when we ask, “Am I the right person for the job?”

     How about Elisha—ever feel like him? Do you ever feel completely unqualified for what you’re doing, like you’re in over your head and you won’t be able to get the work done? Do you struggle with the idea of leading, because you’re too young and too inexperienced? Do you compare your gifts and talents with the people around you and wonder why you can’t sing as well, play an instrument as well, figure out finances as well, speak in public as well, or share your faith as well as someone else? Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder why people would listen to someone who looks like that? How can I be the right person for the job?

     When we look at Elijah and Elisha, we’re in pretty good company. They weren’t perfect, and they struggled with the job that had been entrusted to them. We aren’t perfect, either! The apostle Paul described us all pretty well in Romans 3. He said, “There is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12). We will never be the perfect person for the job, whether it is sitting at a desk in an office, teaching a classroom full of students, working on cable lines, being an example for the students in lower grades, listening to our moms and dads. We are not perfect. We are sinners. If that’s true, then how can we be sure that we are the right person for the job?

 

     About 17 years ago I became a pastor. I didn’t make it happen. In fact, I was never going to be a pastor! God was in charge of that one, and you can see where I am today. The LORD was in charge when he called Elijah to be his spokesman. Elijah didn’t have to worry whether or not he was the right man for the job because God chose him. Elijah felt alone, but he wasn’t. The LORD sent him to anoint a new king, Jehu, who would get rid of Ahab and his family and restore the worship of the LORD to Israel. Elijah was to anoint Elisha as his successor. Elisha would take care of anyone Jehu missed, and he would faithfully preach the word to God’s people. On top of all of that, the LORD told Elijah that there were still 7,000 people in Israel who had not and would not bow down to Baal. Elijah was the right man for the job.

     With that confidence, Elijah went and did what the LORD told him to do. “So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him” (1 Kings 19:19). Elijah’s cloak, his mantle, was the sign of his prophetic office, like a pastor wears a gown with the colorful stoles as a symbol that he’s a pastor. The mantle around his shoulders showed Elisha that the LORD had called him to be the next prophet.

     Elisha recognized the call, and so he ran after Elijah. His was prepared to follow the LORD’s call and serve the people. He said, “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by, and then I will come with you” (1 Kings 19:20). Elisha was willing to go, but he also wanted to show honor and respect for his parents before he left. Elijah didn’t stop him. He said, “Go back. What have I done to you?” He wanted the decision to be entirely Elisha’s.

     Elisha went back. He said good-by to his parents in a very visible way. He slaughtered his yoke of oxen, broke up the plow and used it to cook the meat. He fed the people who were there, including his family, and then went on his way. He followed the LORD’s call and became Elijah’s apprentice.

     God calls imperfect, sinful men, women, and children to serve him in many different ways. He doesn’t ignore or excuse the imperfections. He got rid of them when he sent the one who was the perfect man for the job. We heard Jesus call his disciples to follow him in our gospel reading: “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). Jesus could call them because he was the right man for the job of saving the world. He was the perfect prophet—he spoke the Word with authority and clarity. He was the perfect sacrifice—he offered himself on the cross to make each one of us perfect and holy. He was the right man for the job because he rose from the dead.

     Jesus did his job perfectly. His perfection makes the people he calls the right person for the job. So, if you’re working in an office, Jesus called you there and enables you to do your job well. If you’re in college, he called you there and enables you to study hard and do your best. If you’re struggling with loneliness, trust that God has given you family and friends for support and encouragement. Trust that he’s given you the gifts and talents you possess to serve him. Jesus was the perfect man for the job, and his love for you makes you the perfect person for whatever job he has given you.

     Don’t forget about serving in God’s kingdom. God has called each one of us to carry out the mission he has entrusted to our congregation. Salem’s Mission Statement is to Glorify God by teaching his timeless Truth to today’s people, that by God’s Grace, all may grow in faith and share tomorrow’s eternity. We have one mission, and many people to help accomplish it. What’s your part in the mission? Can you share your faith with your friends and neighbors? Do it! Can you invite someone to church with you? Do it! Can you be a welcoming face for a visitor on Sunday morning? Do it! Can you visit someone who can’t get to church? Do it! Can you serve as a leader in the congregation and lend your talents to guiding the congregation in the future? Do it!

     We don’t have to worry whether we have the right abilities or not. We don’t have to wonder whether we are the right person for the job or not. God has already chosen you. He has chosen me. Let’s use the gifts he’s given us, follow him, and get the work done!