II Kings chapter 2

Maximus of Turin

Bishop of Turin (likely died 408 C.E.)

~100 of his sermons have survived on 

Christian festivals, saints, martyrs

II Kings chapter 2

Who asked for a "double portion /

share of his mentor's spirit"?

Sermon #84, section 2 (transl.

Boniface Ramsey for Ancient

Christian Writers series vol. 50, 1989

publishers Paulist Press, New York)

Angels bring Elijah to heaven, then,

and angels watch over Elisha on earth.

What is there to wonder at if angels,

who carried away the master, protected

the disciples?  What is noteworthy in the

fact that the deference that they showed

to the _father they also manifested to the

son?  For Elisha is the spiritual son of

Elijah; he is the inheritor of his holiness.

Justifiably is Elisha called the spiritual son

of Elijah because when he went up to

heaven Elijah left a double spirit of

his grace to him.  For when Elisha was

given the right to ask for whatever he

wanted before Elijah would be taken from

him, he asked that a double portion of

Elijah might be in him.  Then Elijah said,

"What you have asked is hard, but so it

shall be for you."  O precious inheritance

in which the inheritor is left more than

is possessed and the one who receives

obtains more than the giver owned!

Clearly this is a precious inheritance that

is doubled by a kind of meritorious

interest when it is transferred from father

to son.  Elijah, therefore, left a double

portion to Elisha, although he himself

had a single spirit of holiness.  In a 

marvelous way, then, Elijah left more

grace on earth than he carried with him

to heaven!