Blessed Feast of the Ascension of the Lord
The word of the day is 'better.' Sometimes, our Heavenly Father does not fulfill our petitions in the way we expect, but He provides us with a 'better hope.' This 'better hope' is not about material gains or worldly success but about spiritual fulfillment and alignment with God's plan for us. For instance, on this day of the glorious Ascension of Our Lord, we hear the last conversation that the Risen Christ had with his apostles. We find in our reading of Acts 1:1-12 that the final words of the disciples were, 'Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' (OSB vs. 6). But the Lord declines to answer. Instead, He gives them a 'better hope,' the baptism of the Holy Spirit that will provide them with the power to fulfill the mission He has in store for them (OSB vs. 5 and 8).
Today, we are reminded to trust the Lord, even when His plans may not align with our own. He always has something better in store for our souls than anything we could conceive or request in prayer.
The Last Question Before the Ascension
For us who know the rest of the story, the question that the disciples asked the Lord at His Ascension is puzzling but understandable. After all of the Lord's teaching, the disciples still clung to the hope of the restoration of the fortunes of the nation of Israel. The Lord had spoken of the Kingdom during His earthly ministry. Yet, even now, after 40 days of the Risen Lord's appearances, the disciples still need to fully understand His promise.
The Prophecies About the Restoration of the Kingdom to Israel
The prophecies of the return of Israel to the golden age of David and Solomon resounded so loudly in the disciples' ears that they could not hear the Lord's teachings--even after His resurrection. Jeremiah had said that the whole world would recognize the Holy City of Jerusalem as the center of the rule of God. He wrote, "At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem" (NKJB Jeremiah 3:17). Isaiah had added that the temple mount would be exalted above all the mountains. Many would come to the temple to learn the ways of the Lord, "for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (NKJV Isaiah 2:2-4).
Moreover, the prophets taught that when the world comes to worship the one God, the God of Israel, the tribulations of the People of God would be vindicated. Isaiah said, "Also the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bowing to you, and all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet" (NKJV Isaiah 60:14).
In other words, the disciples hoped that the nation of Israel would be delivered from its lowly state and be exalted above all the nations. The temple would be the center of the world, and many would come to it to learn "the ways of God." Since "out of Zion shall come forth the Law" (Isaiah 2:3), many Jews must have thought that the Law of God would govern the world. Moreover, the Jews hoped that the children of their oppressors would bow in homage before those they once subjugated. Thus, the disciples mistook the Kingdom of God that Jesus preached for the Davidic rule that crowds proclaimed when Jesus entered Jerusalem: "Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" It was the restoration of the sovereignty, glory, and prosperity of the Jewish nation.
What Does Restoration Mean?
With these hopes in mind, the disciples asked about the "restoration" of the kingdom to the People of God. In Greek, the basis of the term is the thought of the "reconstitution" of health, home, or organization (Strong's #600, 35-36). The renewal of the nation is what the prophets seemed to promise. When Jesus came near Jerusalem, "they [the people who followed him] thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately" (OSB Luke 19:11). In response, Jesus told the Parable of the Talents. And when the Lord appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, they lamented His crucifixion. Nevertheless, they said, "We were hoping that He was going to redeem Israel" (NKJV Luke 24:21).
The disciples' hopes were mistaken but not reprehensible. They hoped for a time when all the world would worship God and follow His Law. This would be an era of peace and concord for the People of God and an era that would bring blessings to the earth.
The Lord Had Something Better in Mind
However, the Lord had something better in mind. He would not bring them the glory they hoped for, but He would give them work to do. He would not relieve them of their tribulations but be with them amid their trials. Thus, The Orthodox Study Bible comments, "Christ will not restore the kingdom to Israel, but will instead restore Israel and the world to the Kingdom (OSB note on vs. 1:6).
Thus, the Lord's most significant promise was that the disciples would be "baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now" (OSB vs. 5). Further, the Holy Spirit will be "power from on high" (OSB Luke 24:29). The term power means more than strength or ability. It refers to miraculous forces that work miracles, wonders, and signs (Strong's #1411, 73). It engenders moral virtue and empowers convincing. It, therefore, is "from on high," and it is even strong enough to turn the human heart to repentance and faith.
The Holy Spirit is the might of the Almighty that will drive the apostles' mission. He will free the apostles from fear, fill them with joy, and teach them the true nature of the Kingdom of God. Then, by the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit, they will be the Lord's witnesses, starting where they were in Jerusalem and going everywhere (OSB 11:8).
For Reflection
We are not saying that we should not ask the Lord for the desires of our hearts if those requests are not sinful. But we should be content with how our gracious Heavenly Father answers them. He responds to them in mercy and kindness, but He does not always give us what we want when we want it. Rather, He often grants us what is better.
His response may teach us to have a better hope than we can imagine. What we ask for may be limited, even material things; the Lord may not grant our request. The Book of James puts it bluntly, "Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (OSB James 4:3), that is, on what is enjoyable to your senses (Strong's 2237, 111).
Pray for the Things of the Spirit
The Divine Liturgy teaches us to pray for things of the Spirit instead of worldly things. The deacon prays in the "Litany of Supplication: "All things good and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask the Lord" (St-Tikhon's 1984, 61).
The Book of Ecclesiastes says, "All the rivers run into the sea, Yet the sea is not full" (Ecclesiastes 1:7). The Lord is faithful to supply our needs, but He does not always fulfill our desires. Our desires are endless and insatiable. They would never satisfy us even if God granted our prayers for all of them. So let us pray for what does satisfy--the Holy Spirit (OSB John 4:14 and John 7:38-39) and all things that pertain to the life of the Spirit. In other words, let us pray for a better hope.
All things good and profitable for our souls, A Better Hope, Acts 1:1-12 Acts 1:1-12, not release us from trials but be with us in tribulation, Restore the Kingdom to Israel, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Receive Power From On High,
Works Cited
St-Tikhon's. 1984. Service Books of the Orthodox Church. Third ed. South Canaan, PA: St. Tikhon's Monastery Press.
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