Not Fit for the Kingdom of God

We had the story today of Elijah, post-Mt-Carmel, when God told him to go anoint Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19). Elisha wanted to go back and say goodbye to his family and have a farewell meal. Perfectly reasonable, seems to me.

We also had the story from Luke 9, where Jesus tells the guy to follow Him. But the guy says he wants to go back and say bye to his family, and Jesus says, "No one who looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." Now, I don't know about you, but I could never make sense of that. Is it okay to tell your family instead of simply disappearing? Or is it not? Why one response from Elijah and a different response from Jesus? What's the deal?

Pastor addressed that today. He suggested that Elisha (according to Jesus' words) was not fit for the kingdom of God. And why are we shocked are that? Is anyone fit for the kingdom of God? Only Christ didn't look back. Only Christ had no regrets. Only Christ was fully faithful. Only Christ is fit for the kingdom of God. We are worthy only because we are found in Him, with His "fitness."

Well, duh! Once he says that, it's so obvious! The fact that I didn't see it before just shows how much I see the Bible as a handbook on how to be good, how much I think Christianity is about my trying to follow the rules. But even so, He still declares me to be fit for the kingdom.