So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are
you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.”
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:6-9)
Sometimes Dad gets a little anxious. I woke at 3 this morning to the sounds of his having a mid-night snack. I told him when he was done, no more food so that he could take his meds this morning. One of them is supposed to be taken on an empty stomach. At 5:15, he got me up because ever since I started taking care of his medicines, he doesn’t know which ones he’s supposed to be taking.
I think the disciples were sort of like that. They knew the kingdom of Israel was going to be restored, but when? What part would they have in it? It may have been more anticipation than anxiety, but it had the same effects, uncertainty, a higher than usual level of excitation….
I think we can all relate. None of us really likes to be out of control and clueless, but that’s how life is and that’s the way God works. It’s a good thing, really. I know it’d be nice to never be surprised, to be told at least six months ahead what’s coming up, so I’d have time to prepare. I have a friend who quips about wanting six months’ notice about doing something spontaneously. Yep, that’d be nice, except then I’d fret and worry. I’d spend the whole six months trying to get ready. Really, I’d spend the six months trying to figure out ways to be (at least in my own imagination) in control. Being out of control is scary.
That’s why it’s not for us to know the times of dates. Instead of answers, they were going to receive power, and they were to use that power to be His witnesses. For many people, that assignment creates anxiety or anticipation, too, but there is more that can be done about that anxiety or anticipation, more ways one can take control. I don’t know that Jesus was quite suggesting this, but it makes sense to me that if you’re going to get anxious about something, the thing to get anxious about is the thing that you can then do something about.
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.”
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:6-9)
Sometimes Dad gets a little anxious. I woke at 3 this morning to the sounds of his having a mid-night snack. I told him when he was done, no more food so that he could take his meds this morning. One of them is supposed to be taken on an empty stomach. At 5:15, he got me up because ever since I started taking care of his medicines, he doesn’t know which ones he’s supposed to be taking.
I think the disciples were sort of like that. They knew the kingdom of Israel was going to be restored, but when? What part would they have in it? It may have been more anticipation than anxiety, but it had the same effects, uncertainty, a higher than usual level of excitation….
I think we can all relate. None of us really likes to be out of control and clueless, but that’s how life is and that’s the way God works. It’s a good thing, really. I know it’d be nice to never be surprised, to be told at least six months ahead what’s coming up, so I’d have time to prepare. I have a friend who quips about wanting six months’ notice about doing something spontaneously. Yep, that’d be nice, except then I’d fret and worry. I’d spend the whole six months trying to get ready. Really, I’d spend the six months trying to figure out ways to be (at least in my own imagination) in control. Being out of control is scary.
That’s why it’s not for us to know the times of dates. Instead of answers, they were going to receive power, and they were to use that power to be His witnesses. For many people, that assignment creates anxiety or anticipation, too, but there is more that can be done about that anxiety or anticipation, more ways one can take control. I don’t know that Jesus was quite suggesting this, but it makes sense to me that if you’re going to get anxious about something, the thing to get anxious about is the thing that you can then do something about.
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