6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
About five years ago, I agreed to help my brother into a house in Salisbury, Maryland, where he attended school. We were moving him in on a Sunday, but as I was spending Saturday in Ocean City, NJ, I figured I would drive down Saturday night. I left Ocean City at about eleven o’clock, and started following my printed out directions[1]. I had gotten lost and was getting tired, and so with about an hour of driving left, my head was dancing with thoughts of a warm bed and a soft pillow. I was picturing the finish line, and it looked glorious. The directions lead me to turn left onto some shady road, and at the end of it was a closed gate. I re-check the directions and discover this was not a mistake. Worse, the directions have told me to take the ferry across the water and continue driving from there[2]. At this point it’s one in the morning; there will be no more ferries until sometime the next morning[3]. I was stuck.
At that point, I had already come so far and thought the end had to be imminent, only to discover that my driving adventure had only just begun. I imagine that’s how the disciples feel in Acts 1:6-8. They had given up their lives to serve Jesus, only to watch him be beaten and crucified. But now, he has conquered death and redeemed sinful man, isn’t it time to eat at the Lord’s table and sit on thrones as Christ told them they would[4]? Isn’t the story over at this point? I’m sure the disciples that certainly now Christ would step in and deliver captive Israel.
I think Christ understands that the question had some legitimacy, as he doesn’t correct them or call them selfish, but gently tells them their adventure had only just begun, and they are not to know when it ends. However, he doesn’t just let them walk away disappointed. Instead, he tells them that they will receive power and be his witnesses to the very ends of the earth. The story isn’t over, and their job is not to sit and wait for the end. They are to receive power and represent Christ anywhere they could possibly go.
I suppose the lesson here is that salvation is only step one. When we receive Christ, it is not a call to patience but a call to action. We have been given the same power the disciples were given through the Holy Spirit, and have the same calling to represent Christ anywhere we could possibly go. It is a tremendous blessing that a Christian life isn’t about being a statistic for salvation, but rather an active call to be part of God’s plan, no matter what point you are at in your walk. Whether you are a disciple of Christ who has given up everything or someone who first heard about Jesus yesterday, we are called to spend today representing Christ in every way that we can. Therefore, let us live like today has never happened before.
1. For you younger kids, it was like using a GPS that didn’t allow for any mistakes and couldn’t adjust to detours.
3. I wound up sleeping in my car parked behind some lawyer’s office that apparently was a meeting spot for a gang of wild cats, who chilled on the hood of my car. It was not pleasant, and I maybe got an hour total sleep before boarding the ferry at 8 or 9 the next morning. I still hate that experience. Since when can MapQuest simply guide you to another mode of transportation? I don’t want to look up directions to Tampa and have them just lead me to the airport, it’s so lazy on their part. Chances are the clientele still using MapQuest are not the people who are driving because no one has bothered to suggest an alternative, more expensive means of transportation. I’m still not over this.
4. Luke 22: 29-30
No comments:
Post a Comment