Luke 24:50-53

Posted by DJL on Apr 22, 2013 in Daily Bread | 0 comments

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

And so the story closes.

But of course it doesn’t close. Luke had more to say because, well, God wasn’t done yet.

We’ve had hints of that in these last verses. Jesus told them that he would send upon them the “power from on high” that his Father had promised. And he told them they would be his witnesses. And that they would carry their witness to the ends of the earth.

And so the story definitely isn’t over. Luke, in fact, will pick up the story in the second of his two-volume work, the book we call The Acts of the Apostles.

And even when he’s done telling us that story, still it’s not done. Because the story of what God is doing in the world through Jesus and his followers can’t be contained in one book, or two, or one hundred and two, or more. That story continues even up to this day.

Each time you go to church or open your Bible or even read this devotional you are continuing to hear, be drawn into, and participate in this story. Each time you share a word of encouragement or tell a neighbor or colleague you will prayer for her, you are living this story. Each time you go out of your way to help someone in need, you are making this story come alive. Each time you venture to share your faith in the smallest or grandest ways, you are telling this story.

We said before that Luke has a keen sense of history and that he imagines history to play out in three phases, each with a different focal point. In the first God was seeking to bless the world through the nation of Israel. In the second God intervened more directly and personally to enter into human history and redeem history itself through the person of Jesus. And in the third God works through the Spirit of Jesus to continue to inspire Jesus’ disciples – then and now – to live and share this story until God comes again in the fullness of time.

So, yes, this part of the story draws now to a close, but it continues in our lives each and every day. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for drawing us into the unfolding story of your love and redemption. Make us bold to share this story with others in words when necessary and always in deed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Note: tomorrow we’ll jump back to chapter 6 in Luke where we left off to explore the passion narrative for Lent. Thanks for your counsel back then and flexibility now!