Friday, September 21, 2018

Good Riddance!

50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God. (Luke 24)
This phrase "Good Riddance!" usually does not have a nice tone to it as we use it.  The old English word, however, was in itself neutral. It decribed being free from something or "rid" of something.  Jesus was going away.  Not long before this the disciples moaned at the thought of His departure, and their parting here did have a sense of "sweet sorrow."  But their response when He was gone - worshipping and blessing God, shows that they had begun to understand how it was for their good that He go back to the Father.  He blessed them; they blessed God, and waited for God to bless the world through Him with the Holy Spirit and the Gospel.  There was no desire for Jesus to leave, but an appreciation that His going was indeed good. 

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