Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, February 14, 2013 Read – 1 Kings 19:19-21 We have read the story right before this one of Elijah on Mount Horeb receiving a re-commissioning to be God’s prophet. The story now turns to the call of Elisha who will be Elijah’s successor. The story is reminiscent of the story Luke has told us about the would-be followers of Jesus. As we hear this story we may begin to think of Luke’s story in a slightly different light. In Luke’s story Jesus says that one who “puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). What makes the Elisha story powerful is that Elisha does go back to bid farewell to his family – and he burns up his plow and sacrifices his oxen! There will be no going back. Elisha’s story informs Luke’s story about what true discipleship will look like.