1 Kings 19:20

Hebrew Bible

18 I still have left in Israel 7,000 followers who have not bowed their knees to Baal or kissed the images of him.” 19 Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen; he was near the twelfth pair. Elijah passed by him and threw his robe over him. 20 He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother goodbye, then I will follow you.” Elijah said to him, “Go back! Indeed, what have I done to you?” 21 Elisha went back and took his pair of oxen and slaughtered them. He cooked the meat over a fire that he made by burning the harness and yoke. He gave the people meat and they ate. Then he got up and followed Elijah and became his assistant.

Luke 9:61

New Testament

59 Jesus said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

 Notes and References

"... As Jesus turned to Jerusalem, the intensity of His ministry sharpened. He narrowed the focus of the ministry of disciples, by defining their ministry of mercy (9:51-56) and defining the extreme requirements of discipleship (9:57-62). On Christ's way to Jerusalem, there were three references to Elijah. First, there was the reference to His "taking up" (9:51). Secondly, there was the disciples' reference to Elijah's calling fire down from heaven (9:54). And thirdly there was the reference to the calling of Elisha by Elijah in 9:61-62 ..."

Baylis, Charles Passant The Elijah/Elisha Motif in Luke 7-10 as Related to the Purpose of the Book of Luke (p. 45) Dallas Thelogical Seminary, 1985

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