Time to Believe
Today is Ascension Day, forty days after the Resurrection of Jesus, the day he goes to the Father.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. - Matthew 28:16-20
Doesn't it seem a bit odd to you that after spending so much time with the risen Jesus, that some of the eleven would still have doubts about him?
If they don't believe in him, how successful will they be in spreading the word about him?
I wonder how Jesus felt.
When he was taken by the Romans, before his death, they all scattered. They abandoned him, but he returned to them and showed them he had conquered death.
There were doubts at first, but when all saw him in person, how could they doubt?
Now, here we are. He is about to leave them for good and still some are not sure?
If doubts can exist in his presence, I would think they would creep in after he is gone as well. For the mission to continue and grow, they will need to believe.
So on Pentecost, he will send the Holy Spirit to strengthen them.
It is not just about leaving good instructions or good teaching. And there is something in that for all of us to consider. No matter what we say and do, those who take on the task after us will take their own path, and their commitment will be different than ours.
Just as we choose our path, those who follow will choose theirs.
So, we rely on the Spirit and our faith to guide us.
As we struggle to be good followers of Christ, therefore, we should not lose heart. We can do a good job, even if there are doubts that linger.
He has faith in us, even when we have little or no faith in Him.
More to come...