Acts 1

I can sympathize with the reaction of the disciples after Jesus' ascension into heaven in Acts 1:9-11

And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

I have a mental image of the disciple with their mouths hanging open staring up into the sky. Along with absolute stupefied awe, I can imagine the disciples had mixed feelings at this moment in time.

On the one hand, their leader has just literally ascended into heaven before their eyes. It's hard to think what a better affirmation of their faith than that could be. But on the other hand, he left them. Keep in mind that these are the same disciples who were fleeing naked and denying they ever knew him when Jesus was arrested.

I think the angels' declaration to the disciples here is absolutely perfect, though. The angels reminded the disciples not to just stand around in terrified awe, because Jesus is coming back. Although this would be encouraging to hear, I wonder if some of the disciples weren't also thinking about the many parables in which Jesus spoke of a master going away for a short period of time. For example in Matthew 24:45-51:

⁴⁵"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' ⁴⁹and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. ⁵¹He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

With that in mind, some of the disciples must have been thinking "this really is no time to be standing around". I hope the knowledge that Jesus is coming back will spur me on, just as it did for the disciples.