The Gospel of Luke is addressed to someone named Theophilus (Luke 1:3); and Luke again names Theophilus as the recipient of the Book of Acts, indicating that this second volume has been given to follow up on what Luke had written about “all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning” (Acts 1:1). Luke recounts that after Jesus’ resurrection he presented himself alive to his disciples with “many convincing proofs” over a period of forty days (1:3). And he told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Holy Spirit to come to them (1:4-5).

But the disciples had a question they wanted to ask, regarding whether the time had come when Jesus would restore the kingdom to Israel (1:6) – would he now kick out the Romans and let Israel function as an independent kingdom again? His response is instructive: “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (1:7-8).

There are two parts to his response. First, there are things that we as disciples would like to know: but just because we want to know something doesn’t mean we’re going to get an answer. As it turns out, there are certain things that are “not for you to know.” And second, there is something that we as disciples are specifically commissioned to do: bear witness to all the nations about Jesus, empowered by the Spirit.

Alas, much of the time we get this exactly backwards. First, we presume to know what we cannot know: we set dates for the second coming, we judge who is saved and who is lost, we claim our limited biblical knowledge as an absolute. Second, we avoid doing what we have been told to do: we are afraid to testify about how the gospel has changed our lives, we ignore the power of the Spirit, we watch TV instead of serving the poor. We need humility, when it comes to discussions of doctrine; and we need obedience, when it comes to living the Christian life.

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Teach us, Lord, that some knowledge is too wonderful for us: and where you have said we cannot know it, teach us that we can be content not knowing it. And grant us, by the power of your Spirit, to have the boldness and the articulation to tell and live the truth of your gospel, right where we are, day by day.