Last Sunday’s sermon was about waiting.
Waiting is hard.
It can also be confusing.
What kind of waiting are we talking about?
There are stories of whole Christian communities going out into the wilderness in Utah to wait for the return of Jesus; simply staying put and disengaging from society and leaving behind their lives in the communities they come from.
Is this the waiting we are talking about?
No.
Waiting is not about disengaging.
It seems weekly, I find myself in line at the grocery store on a busy day and just biding my time until I can purchase my items and go back to my car.
Is this the waiting we are talking about?
No.
Waiting is not about getting out as quickly as possible.
A few weeks ago one of my sons called me daily to ask if a package had arrived at the house for them (they were having trouble waiting for it to get there).
Is this the waiting we are talking about?
No.
Waiting isn’t being preoccupied with being done waiting.
One of my sons has diabetes and has been waiting for an order of critical supplies to be mailed through his prescription coverage.
Is this the waiting we are talking about?
No.
Waiting is not a time to be anxious.
Waiting isn’t about doing nothing.
It actually involves doing something.
In the reading from Acts last week, the disciples wonder if Jesus would now restore the kingdom to Israel (Are we there yet? Are we there yet?).
He doesn’t answer their question in a way that they are expecting.
“He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.”
Let’s take a look at Jesus’ answer.
“It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.”
First, whenever God chooses to restore anything, it is by God’s prerogative. The one with the authority is in charge of the timeline. The Disciples needn’t worry or wonder or be distracted from what they would soon need to do.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”
Second, God was going to give them Kingdom power so that God’s Kingdom would be restored and not Israel’s kingdom.
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
While they were waiting for God to restore all things, God gave them a mission (to go along with the power).
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Third, they were given the hope that Jesus would again return; there would be an end at some point when God would fully restore all things.
“All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer.”
Lastly, they got about the business of being disciples. As I mentioned on Sunday, the word for disciple in Greek is mathitis. It is where we get the word for math and it simply means a learner. The disciples devoted themselves to learning more about Jesus by remembering His life, by studying the Scriptures as they had them at the time (the Old Testament) and by humbling themselves in prayer to be mindful of God’s presence and God’s desire for their lives.
And so it is for us as well while we wait.
We trust God and submit to God’s authority, trusting in the process God has set forth.
We rely on the strength of God to navigate our lives.
We witness to the redemption God has called us to in all spheres of our lives and in all places.
We await the return of Jesus and place our hope in this.
Until He returns, we discipline ourselves to be involved in formation of some kind throughout our lives.
Blessings,
brad+