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TableTalk is a growing archive of snippets and stories from the heart of our fellowship. Ascension…in the nick of time! May 1, 2008
Posted by Lindquist in : Editorial , add a comment
Thank goodness for the Ascension! Our Lord made his departure, I think, in the very nick of time.
The disciples, you see, were on the verge of (another) colossal blunder. They were experienced in colossal blunders, actually. What made matters worse, much of their blundering was of the same sort time and time again. It was a blundering of misunderstanding concerning faith and mission. What was the “kingdom of heaven” all about? And what difference did it make?
When Jesus was seen to while away the hours with children, the disciples objected (Matthew 19:13). Surely Jesus could find better kingdom contributors than these! The disciples misunderstood. “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,” Jesus said (v.14).
When Jesus was heard to speak about the kingdom (Luke 9:11) – and then to feed five thousand followers (v.12) – it occurred to the disciples, naturally, to argue “as to which of them would be the greatest” in the kingdom of heaven (v.46). Once again they misunderstood. “For he who is least among you all – he is the greatest,” Jesus explained (v.48).
At the end of Jesus’ life, the disciples were ready to fight (Matthew 26:51) – or to flee (v.56). They misunderstood the very nature of the kingdom of heaven: if it included a cross, it was impossible to conceive. “Never, Lord!” Peter objected. “This shall never happen to you!” (Matthew 16:22).
And now on Ascension Day, the disciples are misunderstanding in the same way again. In the forty days since Easter morning, Jesus “spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). But all the disciples could find to ask was, “Is it now time to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (v.6). Jesus’ sighs are not often recorded in scripture. But a sigh must have followed at that point, I think.
The kingdom of heaven was very much bigger than Israel, you see. It could not be “restored” to Israel; it was never Israel’s kingdom to begin with. The kingdom of heaven was beyond every tribe and greater than every nation, in fact. Its gospel was a story for every nation because it was above every nation. It was a story that came from heaven.
Indeed, the kingdom of heaven was so much greater than political Israel – so far above and beyond every nation on earth – that Jesus could proclaim it simply “near.” This was his own principal message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” (Matthew 4:17). And this was the message he gave to his disciples: “As you go, preach this message, ‘The kingdom of heaven is near’” (Matthew 10:7).
It is the good news in a nutshell: in Jesus, the kingdom is near. It is near! – for the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3) and for children in Jesus’ arms (Matthew 19:14). A Roman centurion may find the kingdom near – and find a place at the table at Abraham’s side (Matthew 8:11). But “the subjects of the kingdom,” Jesus warned, may be thrown out in the cold (v.12).
The kingdom of heaven, you see, is not any “nearer” for Israel – people who presumed themselves its natural “subjects.” This was exactly the blunder so often presumed by the disciples. The kingdom is not nearer for adults, nor for the rich, nor for the respectable, nor for the healthy. The Sadducees were not nearer to the kingdom of heaven. Neither were the Pharisees. And in an American election year we should remind ourselves: Republicans are no nearer the kingdom of heaven than Democrats. Heaven is utterly beyond them all. And therefore utterly at hand.
So when the disciples wondered if now, finally, our Lord might “restore the kingdom to Israel” – well, it was time for the Savior to go. Maybe it was an election year for them, too: they would reduce their Risen Savior to a glorified Campaign Manager in the struggle against Rome.
But if he were gone – then, maybe he would cure his followers of the illusion that the Savior of the world preferred their tribe over all the rest. Maybe he would move them to lift their eyes beyond themselves. Maybe he would ready them for mission.
