Daily Devotional • July 31
A Reading from Acts 1:1-14
1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 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.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.11 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.”
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 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. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
Meditation
A lot goes on in these fourteen verses, and the passage ends with a cliffhanger. The summary of Jesus’ many resurrection appearances concludes with his order that the apostles are not to leave Jerusalem, for “not many days from now” they were to be “baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The apostles’ question about whether Jesus is now going to “restore the kingdom to Israel” shows that they still haven’t quite got it. Then we have the Ascension with the promise from “two men in white robes” that Jesus will return “in the same way as they saw him go into heaven.” The apostles then go back to Jerusalem and wait in the upper room for whatever God will do next. Note that Jesus does not explain about the kingdom nor the time of its coming, and does not explain what the “baptism with the Holy Spirit” is. He doesn’t tell them when that will happen other than it will be “not many days from now.”
There is a lot left unclear, but three things are definite: they are not to leave Jerusalem; they will receive power; and they will be witnesses. And even then, only one of these is plain: they are to go back to Jerusalem, stay there, and wait. Now, why wouldn’t they receive the Holy Spirit as soon as they got back? What was God’s purpose for the waiting? Well, surely in that in-between time they did a lot of thinking and talking energetically about what it all meant — but especially, “all these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer.” Think about it. Waiting is a major facet of the Christian life, from Advent, Lent, personal events like graduating, getting married, and dying, and the Second Coming. May we devote ourselves to prayer which deepens faith and trust in God.
David Baumann served for nearly 50 years as an Episcopal priest in the Dioceses of Los Angeles and Springfield. He has published nonfiction, science fiction, and short stories. Two exuberant small daughters make sure he never gets any rest.
♱
Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Honduras – The Episcopal Church
Messiah Episcopal Church, St. Paul, Minnesota
