Waiting for Understanding

It has been a little more than a week since Easter. For most of us today, that means that summer and vacations are just around the corner. But for the first disciples, it was a time of intense learning and unlearning. First, they were unlearning everything they knew about - well just about everything. They were unlearning everything they thought they knew about the Messiah. Jesus was obviously not going to establish a secular Jewish kingdom after defeating the Romans. They were unlearning what they thought they knew about their own futures. It was clear that they were not going to sit on thrones at Jesus' side in that new kingdom that was not coming, but they were wondering whether that meant they were going to go back to their old jobs. In fact, several tried, until Jesus went to Galilee, and called them back to following Him again. But most of all, they were unlearning everything they thought they knew about life itself - death was obviously not the final word. Jesus had come back to life again after a horrendous death - and could do things no sane person would ever expect to be able to do, like walk through walls! Little did they know that in just a few weeks Jesus would literally disappear before their eyes as He rose into heaven. The disciples were unlearning quite a lot. But it was necessary in order for them to start learning some things - things like the nature of God's kingdom and of human life. So many times we find ourselves in a similar situation - in the middle of the painful process of unlearning and not yet knowing what will take its place. But hang in there. God is not done with you yet, and we can't even imagine what the end is going to look like!

Pastor Ken