It’s the last time that the risen Jesus is with his followers. They have time for only one final question. They ask, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”

It’s tempting for us, removed from this scene by more than two thousand years, to see their question as foolish. We might imagine that we would not use such an opportunity to ask Jesus that. Really, though, their question is a very human one. From the Psalms to our own prayers, “When?” and “How long?” are questions we ask God regularly.

Like the disciples, we don’t usually get a concrete answer. Jesus says, “It is not for you to know….” Maybe that’s hard for us to hear, but maybe it’s also a gift. What would we do with that knowledge if we had it? Would it make our lives better, or cause us more stress? Because time is under God’s authority, we are set free from worrying about “when.” We are free to be Jesus’ witnesses all over the earth.

By Julie Ball from D365