Now what?

by Marvin Bublitz

Now what? That is a question that often gets asked when life happens. A young couple finds out they are expecting a newborn… now what? How do we prepare? What needs to be done? Who do we tell?

The doctor calls you in to her office to “give you the news”... now what? The phone rings and you hear that a loved one is gone… now what? A terrible pandemic is starting to wind down… now what?

Now what? It can be a cry of helplessness or hopelessness. It might be a shout of desperation. I imagine the disciples spoke those words to each other in the upper room. “They killed our Rabbi… now what?” Then the Risen Lord Christ came to them and bestowed His peace. Now what?

We learn in Acts 1:6 that the disciples asked the Risen Lord: “Now what?” Well, put more accurately, they said, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” It was not so much an open question as a directed question—a question that implies the desired answer. It seems the disciples still did not fully appreciate that His kingdom is not of this world.

Jesus redirects them to leave to God the things and times of God. Then He directs them to the forthcoming outpouring of the Holy Spirit who will empower them to be His witnesses. Now what?

Jesus ascended into heaven. As they stood staring into the clouds, I wonder if they thought, “Now what?” Then the angels of the Lord asked them why they were just staring into the sky. Just as Jesus left, so He will return.

It is interesting that the disciples so often got it wrong: doing the wrong thing, saying the wrong thing, thinking the wrong thing, and looking in the wrong places. And each time it was the Lord who refocused and redirected them.

As we examine ourselves, are we any different? A pandemic strikes, and we strike back—albeit at each other. So now what? Now what do we do? Well, as Jesus would have us, we drop to our knees and repent. We are seemingly coming out of the pandemic, and now what? We drop to our knees in repentance. As we honestly look back over the last two years, we must confess that we have so often lost our focus.

Satan has convinced us to see our brothers and sisters as the enemy. “They just don’t get it. If only they would see things my way.” But no! If only we would see things the Lord’s way.

So, we are guilty. Now what? Repent. Return to the Lord your God and seek His forgiveness. Will it take an angel from heaven to get us to see things His way?

As we emerge from the doubt and fear of the last two years, some may feel embarrassed or ashamed of how they handled it. Some may feel that others owe them an apology. Can broken relationships be restored? God knows. And God can.

Satan will use any means to drive a wedge between the people of God, and between us and the Lord. He will do all he can to create doubt, fear, and blame. The last two years have given him ample opportunity. Now what?

Now we do what the Lord has always told His people to do. Repent. We look within and see the sin lurking there. We expose and confess it. Only the Lord can forgive and restore. Only the Lord can heal and save.

As we move forward, our only hope is Jesus. Our only way to come back together as the people of God is Jesus. Our only way to be what He has made us—baptized, blood-bought children of the Father—is Jesus.

We are sinners. Now what? Jesus. We have not acted as children of God. Now what? Jesus. We confess our sin. Now what? Jesus.

We desire to be with Him at the eternal banquet feast. It is only through Jesus we will be.

So now what as we move forward? We do so gathered around the Word and Sacraments, for it is there that the Lord bestows His divine gifts of faith, forgiveness, and salvation to us. We gather at the foot of the cross with our fellow sinners and receive His forgiveness.

Now what? Now we live and love and work together as the Holy Spirit empowers us.

Rev. Marvin Bublitz is Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)'s East Regional Pastor.