Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over. (II Kings 2:14 ESV)
Heroes
Elijah was the hero of Elisha. Elisha wanted nothing more than to be like Elijah, in every way that he could. Some legends speak of Elisha copying Elijah in hairstyle, speech patterns, and habits.
But I think Elisha learned something important here about heroes. Elijah was only worth following because Elijah pointed people towards the Lord.
Elijah’s hero, the Lord God of Israel, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the only hero worth following.
Elijah’s cloak was not magical… it only parted those waters in imitation of the Lord parting the Red Sea. The cloak was symbolic not of Elijah, but of Elijah’s God.
If you want to be a hero, remember that. Our heroic efforts fall short. Our heroic plans mislead. Our heroic desires are usually selfish. The only way to be a hero is to point people towards the Lord… like Elijah’s cloak.
We cannot be heroes, but Jesus can and is.