Meditation 291
Luke 24: 44-53
The disciples who witnessed the ascension of Jesus, and came away from the event are transformed from who they had been when Jesus called them to follow him. They had been a group of men who had almost nothing in common. These men did not see themselves as religious leaders, but they had been called by a charismatic leader, Jesus, to follow him, so they did. During Jesus’ ministry they had been born from above (John 3) and they had been transformed from those who hoped for something better to those who knew that in Jesus hope had been realized.
Transformed lives are what we have in common with the early disciples. Transformed lives are what we have in Jesus. We can see parallels in our own lives and the lives of the early disciples. They came to faith from a place of needing to grow in their knowledge of God’s kingdom, they had doubts and questions about life in general, and they had felt abandoned when Jesus had died on the cross. Similarly, we can feel confused and abandoned at times, and we see in the lives of the disciples that Jesus does not give up on those who ask “why” and “what is going on.”
Like the early disciples we also know that the kingdom of God is not of this world. The kingdom of God is about the things Jesus taught before he ascended. God’s kingdom is about the promises about Jesus found in all of scripture, about the resurrection of Jesus, and about repentance. Further, those who know and live these truths are to be witnesses to them to share the truths of Jesus with the world.
When the disciples were first called to follow Jesus they would not have seen themselves as those who would have the courage to be witnesses of Jesus. They would not have believed that they would say goodbye to him, and return to Jerusalem with joy. Such was the transformation that had taken place within them. They were those who had met God face to face and who had a new purpose in life.
Earlier in Luke 24, when two followers of Jesus met him on the Emmaus Road after the resurrection, their hearts burned within them as they heard Jesus share scripture’s truth about himself. Our hearts can also burn within us as we let ourselves be open to what Jesus has to tell us. In recent years congregations of believer have been faced with questions as to if we will keep on, and the answer has been yes we will. Those whose hearts burn within them still share Jesus with the world.
There are some who say that churches are being oppressed in these days of COVID 19 as public worship is being curtailed for health reasons. This is not the case. Those who love and serve Jesus are still sharing the good news. We are still sharing with those who do not have enough, we are still advocating on behalf of the oppressed, we are worshipping on line, we are praying for leaders, and we are doing our part to follow health guidelines.
We are asked to share the truth of living God’s way, to love God with all there is of us to love, and to love our neighbours as ourselves. As transformed people we are able to do that.