WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.  While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.  And while they were gazing up into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “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.”  And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

(Luke’s account of the ascension combining Luke 24:50-53 and Acts 1:10, 11)
 

Our small group at church has been watching R.C. Sproul videos and last Sunday we saw the one on the ascension.  I’ve been thinking about Luke’s accounts of the ascension ever since. 

Jesus had told the disciples he was leaving them.  They were broken-hearted but he encouraged them by telling them he was going to his Father’s house to prepare a place for them.  His departure was not unexpected.  Just before Jesus ascended into heaven he told the disciples that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.  Then they stood there, seemingly transfixed by what they had just seen.  They had not moved when the angels spoke to them and asked them what they were doing still there looking into heaven.  Wasn’t there something they were supposed to be doing?

We have all heard the saying, “He’s so heavenly-minded that he’s no earthly good!”  We know where Jesus is and we know what he is doing!  He is preparing a place for us!  But the time we have on earth is not meant to be spent waiting around for Jesus to return or waiting to die and “go to heaven.”  We have inherited the charge Jesus gave to the apostles!  We are to be witnesses!  Active witnesses!  Making use of the time we have been given to spread the good news of Jesus to whomever we can!  That is the reason we are still here and not taken up to heaven already!

It seems that the angels shook the disciples back to reality.  They began worshiping Jesus and made their way back down the Mount of Olives celebrating with great joy.  The Christian life should be characterized by deep, authentic joy!  Yes, we have all kinds of problems and troubles in this life.  Yes, we have sorrow and grief.  Yes, we have pain and sickness.  But in the depths of our redeemed souls there should be joy because we are certain of where Jesus is and what he is doing!  He is enthroned as King of kings and Lord of lords and we are his no matter what happens here on earth.  Our lives are meant to be full of worship and joy.

Then finally notice where the disciples went when they returned to Jerusalem.  They went to the temple!  Can you imagine these guys making their way into the temple that day worshiping and praising Jesus?  Talk about the persecuted church!  They walked right into the mouth of the lion and praised Jesus for being the Son of God and the messiah!  One might think they would retreat to the upper room and have their own quiet time of praise and worship together!  But no, they were drawn to the Father’s house and they would praise the Son in his own house!  It didn’t matter who saw them or who might have disapproved of their worship.  They had eyes and hearts only for their Lord.  They were continually meeting in the temple for worship!  Not just this once, but day after day!

I compare my life and my thoughts and my attitudes to those of the disciples and it seems I hear the voices of angels saying, “Moorhead, what are you doing sitting there?  Isn’t there something you are supposed to be doing?”