The One About Long Goodbyes, Last Words, and Ascension Day
Every Thursday I write a pastoral letter to the West Congregation of The Austin Stone. It is a simple opportunity for me to share some devotional thoughts from my week with my congregation. This post is one of those weekly letters. You can find the full series here.
Dear West Family
Today is Ascension Day, a church calendar day for remembering that 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended back to the Father. Reading Luke’s account of it (in Luke 24 and Acts 1) again this morning had me thinking about my family's frustrating habit of long goodbyes. Do any of you suffer this same dysfunction, where it takes you forever to leave an event, dinner, or church, because you drag out the goodbye by inserting new conversations into the space that ought to be reserved for departure?
I can’t even get mad about it, because I am as responsible for it as any other in my home. I might even be the worst. I think I got it from my family’s Friday night tradition of visiting with our cousins on Friday nights when I was growing up. The kids got so tired of the grown up’s long goodbyes that we insisted on playing a game of “last touch” to pass the time. This was a very annoying version of tag but which would potentially leave you as “it” until your next meeting which was at least a week away. So the stakes were high! I can remember my parents getting so frustrated with the game taking place at their feet, but somehow they didn’t get the message that the game was necessitated by their own inability to just say “goodbye” followed by an actual departure.
When it came time for Jesus’ departure to heaven, He didn’t offer a long goodbye.
Luke 24 tells us simply …
And 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 they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
- Lk 24:50–53.
The Acts 1 account is equally abrupt.
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
- Ac 1:6–9.
But, packed into these stories are some remarkable things to consider. Jesus may have left quite rapidly, but He did so with some profound messaging. Think about it with me for a minute. What are the last things on Jesus’ lips before He ascends to glory?
Blessing.
He lifts His hands and speaks blessing over this ragamuffin bunch.
Purpose.
He gives them purpose to live out the rest of their days as witnesses of His work.
Promise.
He promises them the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable them to live to that purpose.
Limitation.
You don’t need to know the timeframe of my return. Don’t worry about the running of the universe. Just stay in your lane as a human and leave that part to the Father.
Friends, I can’t wait for Jesus to come back - just as He went. I find myself watching the sky more and more as I get older. But remember, that His last words for us before He left were words of blessing, purpose, promise and liberating limitation.
Cheers to short but meaningful goodbyes.
The music this week is from an old U2 song. I always found the video really cheesy, until I heard an interview with them this last week in which they explained that the video was largely unscripted and filmed in the space of a couple of hours. They put a boombox in a shopping cart and walked down the strip in Las Vegas and gathered people as they went. That has really endeared me to it and makes it really vulnerable and nervous, which lies right at the heart of the song. The lyrics of the third verse still impact me deeply.
I believe in the kingdom come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes I'm still running
You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Oh my shame
You know I believe it
U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (Official Music Video)
See you Sunday
Ross
