Ascension - "What are you waiting around for?"

Acts 1:9-11
₉After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. ₁₀They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ₁₁"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

One of my first jobs was a cashier at a local grocery store. When you earned some seniority and trust there they'd schedule you for the more early and late shifts as they trusted you to run the store by yourself. During the daylight hours and weekends the store was a nonstop rotation of customers and 8 hours passed before you could even think about your break. But after 7 on a weekday night, with everyone at home, the minutes would crawl and you would beg for a customer. I had a manager who was all too aware of the lack of work and had a remedy. Instead of letting you sit up against your conveyer belt or read a magazine off the rack he would say, "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean." And boy help you if he did see you leaning. He was famous for walking a bottle of spray cleaner and rag right up to you and ask, "what are you waiting around for?"

"What are you waiting around for?" That's the question asked of the disciples as Jesus went back to Heaven. One can imagine how awe struck you would be if you had witnessed Heaven open up and watch it take home your friend and Savior. But Jesus went back to do work, He had to prepare Heaven for us in time for His glorious return. That's why the disciples, standing there, mouth agape, catching flies, had some Heavenly managers walk up to them, rag and cleaner in hand and ask, "Why are you standing around? Get to work!"

Wouldn't it be nice to have an angel walk up to you and tell you to get to work? It's Sunday morning, get out of bed! Get those old clothes to good will! Share the message of Christ with your neighbor! Stop that sin before it starts! We have a conscience that yells at us what to do, we have instructions from the Bible, so why do we have such a hard time getting to work?

We know that the disciples did get to work as soon as the angels told them to, which is why you and I have the ability to talk about what happened on that day thanks to them along with Luke. But you and I, we don't always get right to work. Some days we have nonstop work and then others, we sit up against our registers and read a magazine off of the rack.

The answer is laziness because of sin. We worry about how we'll be received by our fellow men. We doubt our abilities. Christian duties are easy in the church, much like the disciples who had Jesus with them, they were sure of themselves. But when Jesus isn't so near, things get tough, because we start to put the burden on ourselves rather than trusting the Holy Spirit to work within those who we are at work trying to save.

Work isn't supposed to be easy, it involves challenging our minds and bodies, taking up our time, doing things we don't want to do. My manager knew that we weren't bored from lack of stuff to do. It's true, cleaning was a rare opportunity that presented itself within the open hours of the store, but our manager wanted our customers to see a clean and beautiful store, he wanted his customers to see hardworking, devoted employees, so he gave us a rag and cleaner. Work for the Lord however, brings us joy, and heavy burdens fall on the Holy Spirit and Jesus. Work in the Lord is worship, devotion, praying, loving your neighbor. So what are you waiting for? Get to work!