Waiting for the Fire

I heard a really cool story this week that I hope will get us thinking. This story is about a couple of Desert Fathers. Desert Fathers and Mothers were individuals who lived in the wilderness after the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, doing away with persecution and making Christianity the major religion in Rome. These Christians were not comfortable with their faith being make so easy. It seemed to them that faith lost its truth when it because something that is mandated and simple. It lead to questions such as, “Do people really take believing in Christ seriously anymore or is it just the normal way to do things without any real conviction?” I can kind of see their point. With persecution, only those who truly wanted Christ would ever say they were a Christian. It was nothing against those who would find faith in such easier times, they just desired the devotional life more than the secular. Desert Fathers and Mothers became the monks and nuns that we know today.

One day Abbot Lot went to see his teacher, Abbot Joseph, and Abbot Lot said, "Abbot Joseph, the best that I am able, I keep my little fast, my little rule, my little devotions. To the best that I am able, I keep my meditation and my prayer, I try to cleanse my heart of earthly desires, but Abbot Joseph, it is not enough. I still haven't found what I seek."

Now Abbot Joseph listened closely to his student, and when Abbot Lot was done speaking Abbot Joseph got up out of his chair, and he reached his arms and his hands up into the air until he stretched out each of his ten fingers and out of the tips of each of his fingers shot pure flame—ten burning candles there in the middle of the desert—and Abbot Joseph said to Abbot Lot  "Why not be completely changed into fire?"

Now we begin our journey into the Acts of the Apostles.

Pray and Read Acts 1:1-14

Acts 1:1–14 NRSV

1 In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2 until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Luke is writing to someone named Theophilus, which means literally a Lover/Friend of God. How beautiful! We all should wish to be called Theophilus. Luke as many of you know, was a doctor who converted to the faith during the time of the Apostles, who worked closely with Paul. Both the Gospel by the same name and this book are attributed to being written by this disciple. You could therefore say that Acts is a sequel to the Gospel of Luke.

The Book of Acts begins with a summary of the ending of the Gospel of Luke with a few additional details that continues with the story of the Early Church. Verse 4 is key for what comes next. Acts 1:4-5

Acts 1:4–5 NRSV

4 While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So Jesus tells them to stay in Jerusalem and wait. They were to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Waiting is hard. Humans don’t like to wait. We think about the time we are losing. We think about what else we could be doing. We think about what could happen the longer we wait. “What are we waiting for?” We may be more patient and willing to wait if we know that what we are waiting for is going to be worth it. When we know that our food at the restaurant is coming soon, we decide that we can wait. When we count the number of people that are in front of us in line, we guess how long our wait will be and decide to be a little patient.

So some of them asked Jesus for some details. They were hoping, even still, that Jesus was going to make everything right and His Kingdom would rid the earth of evil once and for all. But this is not what Christ wanted them to wait for. He told them that they had a job to do. The Holy Spirit would come and through that power, they were to spread the Good News throughout the earth. After saying this, Jesus, his full body, floated up to Heaven and the disciples just watched. Jesus was not gone, just not physically present. Some of us have family or friends that live in other cities or states, we know they are there, although we cannot physically see them. Distance does not change our love for them.

Waiting to see our loved ones though may be tough sometimes, we still miss them. But life goes on. Waiting is hard. What do you do when you have to wait? The disciples were a little impatient and replaced Judas, prayerfully though. But we don’t hear much about Matthias as an Apostle, but we do hear about this guy named Paul quite a bit.

I don’t know what the disciples thought about what the future would be like for them. They had a few details. They knew soon that the Holy Spirit would come to guide them. They knew they would spread the story of Jesus the Messiah, healing and casting out demons in the name of Jesus. Do you think they had any idea of all that would transpire over the next week (they only had to wait ten days)? How about next few months, or years?

Remember a time when you had to wait for a promise to come true or wait for something to happen? Maybe you remember your engagement to be married or waiting through the pregnancy for the birth of your child. Maybe you where waiting for a loved one to return home from a business trip or a long military deployment. Maybe God has given you a dream or vision of great things, but it hasn’t happened yet. What do you do in the waiting? Do you look towards the future with fear or anxiety? Do you feel impatient or maybe that no one, not even God knows your struggles? Maybe you, like the disciples, are so concerned with the task at hand that you feel as though you must do something now or you are just wasting time.

Sometimes, God gives us the big picture not to leave us hanging, but to let us know that great things are in store. As long as we wait on the Lord and step in His direction. Right now, God is working. Right now, our steps are being directed. We can look up at the sun all day long, everyday, waiting for Jesus to come back, but that would just destroy our eyes. Patiently endure each day in the presence of God and move as you are guided to move. In due time, when you look back, you will see just how far God has taken you. There are blessings in the waiting. God is always on time, just trust Him.

In the Name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.