Slow Learners
Scripture Reading — Acts 1:1-6
Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?
— Acts 1:6
Some people learn quickly how to drive a car. Others don’t get the hang of it for years. Some students grasp the concepts of math in no time. Others take lots of time—and try the patience of the quick learners in class. Some piano students need only a few months’ training to be able to make beautiful music. Others struggle to get beyond making terrible music.
The original “Jesus students,” the first disciples, were slow learners. Jesus taught them for three years, but at the end of his ministry on earth they still didn’t have a basic understanding of who he was. In our text the disciples reveal that, after constant instruction, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, they still think Jesus is merely about building an earthly kingdom through the people of Israel, the Jews. Not until the Spirit fills them on Pentecost will the disciples see the full scope of Jesus’ ministry: redemption of the nations, and the establishment of a kingdom from all peoples and nations.
The disciples’ slowness makes slow learners like me glad. I’m not alone! Just as God used slow learners back then, equipping them along the way, so he uses slow learners like me today. Whew!
As slow as we are, let’s take a step today to learn and grow in honor of God’s patience. Are you ready?
Thank you, God, for your everlasting patience! Keep my heart close to you and train my slow mind to think, act, and speak your thoughts after you. Amen.
About the author — David Den Haan
Pastor Dave Den Haan has served at Fairway Christian Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan, since 1999. Previously he served a church in Minnesota. Dave and his wife, Connie, have three children.
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