Observations on Acts 1:6-11

Acts 1:6-7

The first thing to observe in this section is that the apostles still don’t understand the scope and depth of what Jesus came to do. Their question reveals the narrowness of their understanding of Jesus mission: “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” The apostles are still thinking about Jesus as the one who will remove the occupying Romans and restore the land of Israel to the Jewish people. As the story of Acts unfolds, we will see several moments wherein followers of Jesus are made aware that Jesus’ mission of redemption is wider and deeper and longer than they previously thought. See, for example, Acts 10:45, which recounts the Jewish believers being amazed that the Spirit was poured out even on the gentiles.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t answer their question. He sidesteps the issue of restoring the kingdom to Israel, basically telling them that it is none of their business. Jesus merely says that it is not for us to know times and seasons the Father has fixed by his own authority. It seems on first glance like Jesus is simply telling them that only the Father knows the time of the restoration of the kingdom of Israel. But Jesus never addresses restoring the kingdom to Israel at all. At the end of the Gospel according to John, John reminds us to listen carefully to Jesus’ words:

John 21:18–23 (ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

In verse 23, John cautions us to listen carefully to what Jesus says. He never said that John wouldn’t die. He only said, “What is it to you if I want John to remain alive?” Read Acts 1:6-7 with the same precision and you will see that Jesus does not even address the time when he will “restore the kingdom to Israel.” He directs them away from things that are not their concern to things that are their concern: the job he is giving them to do. Jesus neither confirms nor denies the premise of their original question about restoring the kingdom to Israel.

Acts 1:8

The size, scope and boundary-destroying impact of this verse cannot be overstated. Jesus tells his apostles that something big will happen to them then they will do something big.

The big thing that will happen to them is that the Holy Spirit will come on them. This is the same Spirit that we read about in Genesis 1:2 that was “hovering” over the face of the waters. “Hovering” doesn’t convey the energy of the Hebrew word for the activity of the Spirit or Wind of God at the beginning. “Hovering” feels peaceful. But in reality, hovering takes a lot of energy. The Hebrew word translated as “hovering” is used to convey trembling, shaking, fluttering, swooping or brandishing. The sense at the beginning of creation feels like humming with potential energy.

It’s worth noting that the Spirit is given many times and on many occasions, not just once. In one post-resurrection instance, Jesus blew on the disciples and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22)

This same Spirit is going to come on the disciples. The Wind of God is going to blow through the disciples giving them power. We will see that power at work in many places in the book of Acts, sometimes where we expect it, sometimes where we don’t expect it. There will be times when we wonder why the power of God doesn’t act as well.

The big thing they will do is be Jesus’ witnesses on a much wider scale than they had been thinking. The first place Jesus mentions is perfectly natural: Jerusalem. That Jesus would want them to be his witnesses in the capital city of historic Israel, of the kingdom of David, is no surprise. But Jesus doesn’t stop there.

Jesus next tells them that they will be witnesses in “all Judea and Samaria.” There is an interesting little thing going on here: Judea and Samaria are linked together. The Greek text reads in a more literal way, “also in all the Judea and Samaria.” The way this works is that the “the” carries across the “and” and indicates a unity of Judea and Samaria.

If you are familiar with the the Holy Land during the time of Jesus, you will notice that Jesus is doing a very unorthodox thing linking Judea and Samaria this closely, since the Jewish people did not associate with the Samaritans. The Samaritans are of Jewish descent but claim that the place to worship God is Mount Gerazim while the Jews of Jesus’ day asserted that Jerusalem was the place to worship God. In John 4:23, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that this division between Jerusalem and Gerazim will end. Jesus tells her, “…the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23 (ESV))

By linking Judea and Samaria, Jesus is telling his disciples that the walls that have arisen that separate the Judeans and the Samaritans are to be ignored.

This is one of myriad instances of Jesus ignoring societal boundaries and teaching others to do the same. Jesus spoke to a Samaritan Woman who was probably of poor reputation since she came to draw her water at the time of day when, generally speaking, there would be few others drawing water. (sse John 4) Jesus touches dead bodies and lepers. He eats with tax collectors and prostitutes. And, of course, he also interacts with people of higher reputation, such as pharisees, scribes and priests. In short, Jesus tells them that there are no untouchables, no groups of people with whom they should not associate.

Then Jesus further expands the mission to where? The ends of the earth. No boundaries for the Gospel. It goes to Greeks, Parthians, Medes, Egyptians, everyone.

Christians should also take note that Jesus does not tell the disciples that they will be his salesmen. They are witnesses. They will tell the story — the ever-expanding story of God’s work in the world. This is a story with the death and resurrection of Jesus at the center, but it is a longer story than that. It starts out with the words, “In the beginning…” and it doesn’t end. You can tell the story of God’s work up until now.

Acts 1:9

Here we witness Jesus rising into the clouds. But what for? Is he going into heaven? In the disciples’ worldview, the answer is, “yes.” The worldview at the time of Christ can be pictured as layers. Sheol, the place of the dead, was below us. Earth is where we stand. Heaven is above us. So Jesus ascended toward where the disciples considered heaven to be. But, we have not only looked above the clouds with telescopes, we have flown above the clouds in airplanes and rockets. Mankind has stepped on the moon and sent probes beyond the edge of our solar system. The Hubble Deep Field Telescope can see 10-15 billion light years away. That is quite a distance. Our worldview has changed with new information.

Assuming Jesus didn’t physically zoom upward to heaven, what is going on? Jesus engages in what might be called a “parting ceremony.” He has appeared to the disciples at several times over the past 40 days. Paul lists several of these appearances in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. Jesus could have simply went to heaven, but he would have left the disciples possibly wondering when he would appear next. This ceremonial uplifting of Jesus into the clouds is done for the same reason Jesus does everything he does: love. The disciples needed a clear demonstration that Jesus would not be appearing physically to them again. He would not be saying, “Touch my palms. Place your hand on my side.” He would not be eating with them to reassure them that he was not simply a spirit.

This is it. This is the big hand off. Jesus has transferred the responsibility for the spreading of the kingdom of God to the disciples. Soon they will receive power from the Holy Spirit to do the job which Jesus has just handed off to them.

Acts 1:10-11

Why were the disciples standing there looking up? Did they expect Jesus to come back immediately after a quick trip to heaven? I don’t know. But two angels appear to shoe them along.

Chipotle, Flat Tires, and Feeling Good

I was using Chipotle’s web site recently to order dinner so it would be ready when I went to pick it up. The ordering window for each item includes an open line for special instructions (like “extra sour cream”) but you can type anything in that field. Thinking I’d be funny, I typed, “Make it like you were making it for yer momma!” in the special instructions field. Then I was hit by a way to kick this up a notch. With help from my daughter, I put a joke in the special instructions field for each order. This did take a bit of work because there is a 50 character limit. (e.g. “Y can’t u hear a pterodactyl urinate? Silent P” or “What’s brown and sticky? A stick.”) I was curious about their reaction to the corny jokes. When my daughter and I arrived at Chipotle to pick up our food, the guy at the cash register told us they had passed the food ticket around the kitchen and then he asked if they could keep it to put on their bulletin board. Bull’s-eye! It felt really good to bring joy into the lives of the line workers at Chipotle.

I met a man once who was headed to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting because he was craving a drink. On the way he stopped to help someone change a flat tire on the side of the road. After helping with the tire change, the man felt so good that instead of going to his AA meeting he spent the next 3 hours driving around looking for people to help. He did this 2-3 nights per week for the next several weeks as part of his recovery.

Corny jokes may not be your style and you may not be able to help someone change a tire, but you have an opportunity to feel good today. That opportunity is intentionally using your interactions with other people to do nice, kind, helpful, uplifting things for them, whatever your style. Offer a kind word to the cashier. Let someone in front of you when the traffic is backed up. Purposely keep a box of granola bars or other non-perishable food in your car to give to a homeless person at a stop light rather than just looking away. It's not complicated. Just keep your eyes open for chances to be kind.

Spreading joy is win-win because in bringing joy to others, you bring joy to yourself as well.

When conflict get heated, try the SCUM way

As I write this post, we are in the middle of an 8-week series at Journey of Life (www.journeyoflife.org) on Resolving Everyday Conflict. The material we are using is primarily from a group called Peacemaker Ministries. (www.hispeace.org). It is really excellent stuff, but I thought that perhaps some people might like a different approach. So I offer you, here, the SCUM process when conflicts get heated:

S — Stop. Be aware that as emotions rise, things happen to human beings. Our judgment gets skewed. Our creativity narrows. Our temper takes us places we don't want to go. The fight or flight reflex kicks in. Stop and then...

C — Calm down. Do what you need to do to calm down. This is often not just a five minute breather if the conflict has gotten heated. Studies suggest you need at least twenty minutes to move your physiology (your chemicals, arousal state, etc.) to a calmer place. So really do something different for a half hour instead of just taking five minutes to cool off a bit. After you have calmed down, make sure you...

U — Understand. Steve Covey says in "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," to "seek first to understand then to be understood." So often people talk across each other and they haven't taken the time to understand what's really underneath the conflict. Person A should get an amount of time without interruption to share his or her position, including the motivations and emotions behind it, Then person B should ask questions and restate person A's position, including motivations and emotions until person A agrees that person B understands what's going on. Then reverse the process so that person A understands person B's position, including motivations and emotions. Finally, once you understand each other...

M — Move with love. Creatively seek to find ways that both of your interests can be met. The Bible tells us to look out for not only our own interests but the interests of others. (Phil 2:4)

Sometimes sweet phrases fill the air with lovely fragrance as we walk together gently resolving our disagreements. But sometimes not so much. :)

SCUM might help you when things get heated. Maybe you and those around you can even agree to call "scum" on a heated argument. When someone calls "scum!" everyone agrees to stop, calm down for at least 30 minutes, work hard to understand the other's interests and then move forward with love.

Homeless Jesus? Not really...

This "Jesus was a homeless man" thing needs to be straightened out. Not because we shouldn't care about homelessness. It's a horrible problem that many people only understand through cliches. Furthermore, Jesus identifies with the lowly and outcast, saying whatever we do to them we are doing it to him.

So this blog is not about homelessness. It's not about caring for the homeless. It's not even about serving Jesus by serving the homeless. It's just about historical accuracy. Because truth is important.

Jesus was not a homeless man in the way of homelessness today in "developed" nations.

First, Jesus had a home to go to. Many people don't realize this. There is a Bible verse that tells us that Jesus went to his hometown. Mark 6:1 (ESV) "[Jesus] went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him."

Second, Jesus was an itinerant preacher. Jesus traveled around on purpose. He went from city to city teaching and preaching (and healing the sick and casting out demons). When he would stay with people, it was an honor for the host to offer hospitality to the wandering rabbi. This is what was going on in the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector. He climbed a tree to see the famous itinerant preacher, Jesus, and — unbelievably! — Jesus wanted to stay at his house! (see Luke 19) What an honor for an outcast like a tax collector.

Third, Jesus even had some nice clothes. What? How do we know that? Isn't that going a bit too far? Nope. Read the crucifixion account closely. The soldier divided up his his outer garment into pieces, but his undergarment was nice. It was one woven in one piece from top to bottom. So the soldier cast lots for this valuable piece of clothing rather than tearing it up into smaller pieces of cloth. (see John 19:22-23)

So, let's be historically clear. Jesus was not a homeless man like the homeless man you see sleeping on the park bench. Of course we have to care about the homeless. But let's keep history accurate because truth is important.

Today I officiated at the funeral for a 27 year old woman who was killed in a car accident. This puts two things into my mind.

First, as our church goes through a series on Resolving Everyday Conflict at Journey of Life, I am reminded of how important it is to not let conflicts go. This could be anyone at any time. If you are estranged from someone, don't wait to reconcile. Do it. If you aren't sure how, click here to go to the "Resolving Everyday Conflict" portion of the Journey of Life web site and follow (or watch the whole, depending on when you read this) series of messages. Peacemaker ministries has many great resources for helping you work through conflict. Click here to go their "help for yourself or others in conflict" page.

Any day may be too late. It might not be easy. It may be a long process. But pick up the phone, call the person, and just say, "Can we talk?" Then start to work it out. Unresolved conflict with someone who dies can be a heavy weight to bear and I would spare you that. So go and be reconciled.

Second, please slow down and drive carefully when it's raining.

Hello, world. I decided to reactivate my blog. This guy on the trombone is just amazing. Watch this:

Now, for all of you who hate discipline, this guy is the one you need to watch. Why? Because freedom doesn't come through doing whatever you want. Freedom comes through discipline. This guy had to be disciplined for years to be free to rock this piece on his trombone with looping software on his computer. Think about it. What do you really want to do? Get disciplined about it because that will give you the real freedom to do it.

Gratitude, OT Sacrifice, and 3 Points on Joy from Brene Brown's "Daring Greatly"

For today's post, I want to pass along three points on joy that are intertwined with practicing gratitude from a great book called, "Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown. I ran across this as part of my sermon prep for this Sunday. We are going to talk about the practice of gratitude. Practicing gratitude -- and reaping the rewards of joy and peace that come with practicing gratitude -- was really one of the main points behind the sacrificial system. There's more, of course, like recognizing dependence on God and such. But the Psalmist reminds us that God didn't call for sacrifice because he needed to be fed but because we need to be grateful:

Psalm 50:12-14a

“If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and its fullness are mine.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving

Gratitude and joy are intimately connected. So here are the three lessons on joy and light from Brene Brown's book, "Daring Greatly." Enjoy!

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And nothing has been a greater gift to me than the three lessons I learned about joy and light from people who have spent time in sorrow and darkness:

1. Joy comes to us in moments — ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary. Scarcity culture may keep us afraid of living small, ordinary lives, but when you talk to people who have survived great losses, it is clear that joy is not a constant. Without exception, all the participants who spoke to me about their losses, and what they missed the most, spoke about ordinary moments. “If I could come downstairs and see my husband sitting at the table and cursing at the newspaper …” “If I could hear my son giggling in the backyard …” “My mom sent me the craziest texts—texts— she never knew how to work her phone. I’d give anything to get one of those texts right now.” 
2. Be grateful for what you have. When I asked people who had survived tragedy how we can cultivate and show more compassion for people who are suffering, the answer was always the same: Don’t shrink away from the joy of your child because I’ve lost mine. Don’t take what you have for granted— celebrate it. Don’t apologize for what you have. Be grateful for it and share your gratitude with others. Are your parents healthy? Be thrilled. Let them know how much they mean to you. When you honor what you have, you’re honoring what I’ve lost. 
3. Don’t squander joy. We can’t prepare for tragedy and loss. When we turn every opportunity to feel joy into a test drive for despair, we actually diminish our resilience. Yes, softening into joy is uncomfortable. Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it’s vulnerable. But every time we allow ourselves to lean into joy and give in to those moments, we build resilience and we cultivate hope. The joy becomes part of who we are, and when bad things happen— and they do happen— we are stronger.

Reference:
Brown, Brene (2013-01-17). Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (pp. 124-126). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.