Expectations

This Transfiguration Experience triggered another discussion in these three apostles, one having to do with "restoration." It is true that we idealize "restoration." We long for the good ole days, the way things used to be, when life was simple and predictable and purer. Everything was laid out in order and a person could neatly fit into the mold. Somewhere along the line life gets complicated. So a company hires a new CEO who will get them back to where they once were. Or, a school hires a new coach who will return them to the glory days. Or, a church will bring in a new preacher who will get them back to where they once were. There were glory days in Israel's past. The days of Moses and Joshua, David and Solomon, and the days when prophets roamed the earth. Many in the "church" do that today with some glory days of our past, the days of Campbell, Lipscomb, or Lucas. Many of you reading this have no idea what I am saying here. But some of you do. For you the names might be King, Reagan, or Graham. But, there is a sentiment that "those were the days" and we are all Archie Bunkers just trying to fit into this new day when everything seems upside down. Well I am sorry to break your bubble but the good ole days were not as good as we remember them, and even for the Jews of Jesus' day they tended to fix their minds on what they considered the most positive aspect of the good ole days. It might be that during the days of King David, the nations respected them, i.e. meaning they didn't mess with them because David was a great warrior. Or it might be the days of Solomon when the nations envied them for all their wealth and wisdom. But the days of the first temple was filled with slavery, hedonistic lust, and making deals with idolatrous nations through contracted marriages. What followed this golden age was the ripping apart of the kingdom.

So as the apostles came down from the mountain they talked about restoration. "Why is it the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" Elijah's visit on the mountain no doubt prompted this question. It made these three amateur theologians think of scribal discussions they had heard in the Synagogue on Saturdays. "Doesn't it say somewhere that Elijah has to come first before this golden age comes again?" They may have been thinking of Malachi 3-4 or Isaiah 59. They knew enough to be dangerous. Since this discussion was wrapped up in the resurrection, guess what they talked about after Jesus' resurrection. That's right, restoration (Acts 1:6). Even then they had no idea of what this restoration was going to look like. It wasn't until the sending of the Spirit and the proclamation of the gospel in Acts 2  that they began to see the purely spiritual nature of this kingdom Jesus told them was near.

We are still the same kind of people the three disciples were. We long for a day when everything falls in to place, everything is made right, we wake up in a perfect family, church, nation, or job and everything is beautiful. Everyone does what they should and everyone prospers. Take a closer look at even the word "restore." It is a returning--re-turning, turning again. Both Malachi and Isaiah relate the turning to fathers and children (offspring). Restoration is a return to core values and core practices and putting first things first. It is about sincere devotion and consistent living and teaching our children. It is about being in the trenches doing the hard work of helping each person within our circle of influence "know the Lord." It is not about ribbon cuttings, grand openings, new buildings, launching ships, or celebrating our new quarterly earnings. It is about getting our hearts right before a holy God, and leading others to know Jesus and God. It is a gospel mission. It begins with me and my house. (More to come)