Thursday, May 21, 2020

But Someday

 
Ascension Thursday, May 21, 2020
Acts 1:6-11

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”  He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.  And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.  As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them.  “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven?  Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

“But someday” is a reminder of being 5 years old and hearing my Father or Mother’s answer to my question whether I could do this or that; they said we’ll see.  And, with that began the waiting game, often accompanied by the whining of why, when, and it’s not fair!  Russell was never a “silent sufferer”.  However, I always absolved myself of being a brat by quoting Scripture loud enough so my parents could hear:
How long will you delay?  Psalm 90:13b
My use of Scripture was more a display of preschooler’s selfishness than piety.  But it probably isn’t any more unthinkable than the disciples’ asking Jesus, Who was fresh from the grave, if the Romans and the ruling Jewish elders who crucified him were now going to get what was coming to them.  The not-so-thinly-veiled agenda behind their question was more like, are we finally going to sit on thrones with you?  Further underneath were hidden hopes and dreams…how big are those thrones…are they gold-plated…silver…and are there jewels…how many crowns do you suppose we’ll have…and servants…and, and, and…
The white-robed men who suddenly stood among the disciples answered the question of how long, but it was inconclusive to human ears…someday; we’ll see.
And, just what does it mean for us?  We, of the instant gratification generation, would be even less satisfied than the first-century disciples.  But, Scripture and history both reveal that the disciples went to work figuring out what it meant to them, and what God wanted them to do about it.  They started mulling-over what Jesus had said to them the previous 3½ years…about the Kingdom of God.  And, about loving, serving, giving, worshipping, and being busy in God’s vineyard.  It was in that season of mulling they began to understand what living the surrendered life was all about.  Scripture’s account (along with the general sweeps of history the past two thousand years) affirm that the disciples got it; how long is the question of impatience, not faith.  Believers walk by faith.
Still, the angels didn’t equivocate; their statement to the gathered disciples who had just witnessed Jesus lifted up to the sky and out of their sight, ascending to His Father in Heaven, was that, in the same way they’d just seen, He would be back.
If Scripture’s track-record on prediction and fulfillment bears any credibility, there IS a “someday” coming, and our business, as followers of Jesus, isn’t to question when that day might be, or how long before we get to sit on thrones with Him; our question is what’s the next task for these hands, O Lord?
For You Today
In earthly kingdoms there are no shortages of pretenders to the thrones, nor wannabe’s in the fame department.  In the kingdom of God there is (on this planet, and in this day), a huge vineyard to harvest, and a woeful supply of workers.
Let’s Pray
Father, forgive us for hunting promotions when our focus ought to be on  the lost sheep you care about.
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.  Have a blessed day!
For another post on Courage see Serving God in a Hostile World

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