North Star News 06-05-2014

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?  This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  Acts 1:11

These words were spoken by “two men in white robes” who appeared immediately after Jesus ascended into heaven from Mt. Olivet.  Peter, Andrew, James, John, and all the rest of the disciples were quite dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed, and I imagine them standing there wide-eyed with their mouths open.  They wondered what they were supposed to do now that Jesus had ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father.  After all, they had given their whole lives over to following Jesus, and now that his work on earth was done he had returned to the glory that was rightfully his.  But what about those who were left behind?  What about us today?  Jesus is still in heaven.  We are still on earth.  What now?

When the disciples are asked “why do you stand looking into heaven?” there seems to be the broad hint that there is work to be done.  This is not the time to be standing around simply waiting for something to happen.  It is the time to roll up their sleeves and be about the work of Jesus here and now.  The work of Jesus is to tell the good news of salvation and peace in the name of Christ, to bring comfort and balm to those who are wounded, and to challenge those who don’t see the need for a savior.  Now is not the time for idleness.

In Matthew 20 Jesus told a parable about a householder who went out looking for laborers for his vineyard.  He hired some first thing in the morning, some at 9:00, and a few more at noon.  Then in the afternoon he came across others in the market place and asked “why do you stand idle all day?  You come work in the vineyard, too.”  In terms of the parable, the vineyard is the kingdom of God, the householder is the Lord himself, and the workers are the disciples of Jesus.  And the question the Lord asks is “why do you stand idle all day?”  There is work to be done.

In Matthew 25 Jesus told another parable about the last day when he comes again “in the same way you saw him go into heaven” to quote those two men in white robes.   He describes the scene as being similar to a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, placing some at his right hand and others at his left.  Those at his right are blessed because they were about the work of the kingdom.  They fed the hungry, clothed the naked, gave water to the thirsty, welcomed the stranger, and visited the sick and imprisoned.  This is the work of the kingdom after preaching the gospel and calling for repentance according to this parable.

As I write this it is Monday morning.  Time for work.  A new batch of teens has graduated from high school.  Time to move on.  The weekend was wonderful.  Time to start the work week.  And Jesus has ascended into heaven.  Time to carry on his ministry.  God’s work; our hands.