“So when they had come together, they asked Him, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed 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 and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’ And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.” Acts 1:6-9
Devotional Thought For The Day
We often become distracted by issues that are not really our business. We are interested in knowing about many things, and how the outcome of particular issues may have great impact on aspects of our life and being. We would like to see the full scope of human history, and especially the full history of the kingdom of God, so that we can have greater certainty and take advantage of that knowledge. To this end, many Christians and Christian scholars have poured over the Book of Revelation to try to discover as many specific details as possible. The assumption is that this book is akin to the vision Daniel received, where many of the details were fulfilled in the centuries that followed, and so they look in Revelation for some kind of a road map for the future of the world and the church. The fact that their conclusions and musings are full of disagreement accentuates what Jesus told His disciples: “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.” This should suffice to cure us of speculating about the specifics of the future and the coming Kingdom of God.
This phenomenon, of getting distracted and our attention diverted to unknowable or relatively trivial matters, sucks energy away from the tasks that Christ has given to us. He draws the attention of these disciples back to the principle task of Christians and the Church – to bear witness to all that He has done for us and for our salvation in His suffering, death, and resurrection. Thankfully, this is precisely what His disciples subsequently did – upon fulfillment of His promise of power and the Holy Spirit, which they received on Pentecost. They literally turned the world upside down, going a long way toward getting to “the ends of the earth.” [Acts 17:6] Areas they didn’t get to personally have been infiltrated with the message of the Gospel by younger disciples who came to faith and salvation through their word, God’s Word. And this Scriptural Word of God, the good news of His forgiveness and free gift of eternal life, continues to go out into all the world, and Christ is building His church across the earth to this day.
As we contemplate our own lives as His disciples in the world today, we would do well to keep our minds focused on what He has clearly instructed us. First, to make sure that we are continuing in a genuine life of repentance with growing integrity, and utilizing the sources of grace, mercy, and strength that He has provided for us, His Word and His Sacrament. Second, to continue growing in a life of love and decency, which bears witness to the power of His love for us. Third, to continue doing all that we can to share the good news with people at the ends of the earth that we live in. And of course we continue to look forward to Christ’s return and the restoration of His perfect and righteous kingdom, when all tears are wiped away and there is no more sorrow, aging, pain, death, and dying. But we remember what Jesus said about the day and hour: “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” [Matt. 24:36] So let us beware of anyone who dares to contradict the Lord by predicting the time of Christ’s return in glory.
We have enough to do without getting distracted, and what a waste of energy and drain on the real work of the kingdom such distractions produce. Imagine what we might accomplish if we removed everything from our lives that detracted from our principle purpose in this world. Jesus provides us with some insight into what is coming down the pike for us, and for the unbelieving world around us. His instruction that we keep focused and on task, and the consequence that is coming for those who do not believe in Him, should be motivation enough for us avoid wasting time and energy on the things that are not for us to know. God grant us joy and whole-hearted commitment to the blessed, life-changing work that He has given to us, that His kingdom come to our relatives, friends, and neighbors. The warmth and power of His love will provide us with the energy and enthusiasm we need for this!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, grant patience and compassion toward us for the many things we grow concerned about which are not for us to know, and which distract us from the blessed tasks You have given us. Help us to be more fully committed to being Your witnesses, telling others of Your gracious mercy and forgiveness, and inviting them to faith and eternal life. Thank You for Your faithful disciples of the past, through whom we have come to faith. May our lives have much impact on the generations that follow us. Amen.