+Ok let’s face it, the Ascension is weird. Why did Jesus rise from the dead, hang out for awhile and then leave in a Technicolor, MGM drama-filled way?
The quick answer is that I have no idea, but the more lengthy answer is this: I think Jesus walked the earth for a while after his resurrection and then physically and visibly “left,” for some very good reasons. Us.
The resurrection of Jesus, while the major part of our Christian faith, can be a little tough to fathom... And yet, at least for me, I know it to be absolutely true. But what if I’d actually known the man? What if I was a contemporary of Jesus? What if I’d lived in 1st century Palestine and counted Jesus as one of my friends? What if I saw him take his final breath, saw his body removed from the cross and laid in a tomb. What if, a few days later, that same very dead friend calls me by name, places my hand in his wounds, joins me for a fish breakfast and preaches one more sermon?
How does one deal with it? Think about how utterly FREAKED out you’d be. Of course you’d like to think you’d be grateful, joyful and happy. But at first I think most of us would have FREAKED out.
So, I think I get why we have this span of time---40 days to be precise---between Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning and the Ascension of Christ into heaven. We need some time to adjust.[1]So I believe the 40 days were, in many respects, a “do-over” for the apostles. They, with a resurrected Jesus by their side, get to revisit all the lessons he’d taught them. They get to see that all things are possible through Him. They get to understand that all the crazy mind blowing things he said and did were not side-shows, they weren’t the work of a mad man or a freak show. They were the work of a Savior, they were the work of a man sent by God, they were the work of God made human. They were the opening chords of a chorus of a new life. The apostles then and we now were granted some time to realize that God’s not kidding. Death is dead, darkness is defeated, loss is overturned, hate will not win, hope does live and God’s kingdom, a place where there is no longer Jew or Greek, Male or female, black white or brown, gay straight, rich, poor, Christian, Jew Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist or agnostic.
God’s not kidding.
God loves us and God knows that with a little help we can make God’s goal of freedom, joy and love come true, right here and right now, one step at a time.
But still, why the spectacle of ascending into heaven? Couldn’t Jesus just have said good bye and disappeared? Why the show?
Well, I don’t think Jesus ever did anything without a very good reason so I think we need to consider why a bodily, visible Ascension was necessary. And again, as I said before, that reason is right here, right now. It’s us.
Jesus knows that this isn’t the time for subtlety. Time is a-wasting and Jesus knew that we need to get busy, we need to get on with it. No gazing up at the sky, no waiting for Jesus to re-appear. It’s our time, it’s our turn, the time is now.
The resurrection of Jesus, while the major part of our Christian faith, can be a little tough to fathom... And yet, at least for me, I know it to be absolutely true. But what if I’d actually known the man? What if I was a contemporary of Jesus? What if I’d lived in 1st century Palestine and counted Jesus as one of my friends? What if I saw him take his final breath, saw his body removed from the cross and laid in a tomb. What if, a few days later, that same very dead friend calls me by name, places my hand in his wounds, joins me for a fish breakfast and preaches one more sermon?
How does one deal with it? Think about how utterly FREAKED out you’d be. Of course you’d like to think you’d be grateful, joyful and happy. But at first I think most of us would have FREAKED out.
So, I think I get why we have this span of time---40 days to be precise---between Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning and the Ascension of Christ into heaven. We need some time to adjust.[1]So I believe the 40 days were, in many respects, a “do-over” for the apostles. They, with a resurrected Jesus by their side, get to revisit all the lessons he’d taught them. They get to see that all things are possible through Him. They get to understand that all the crazy mind blowing things he said and did were not side-shows, they weren’t the work of a mad man or a freak show. They were the work of a Savior, they were the work of a man sent by God, they were the work of God made human. They were the opening chords of a chorus of a new life. The apostles then and we now were granted some time to realize that God’s not kidding. Death is dead, darkness is defeated, loss is overturned, hate will not win, hope does live and God’s kingdom, a place where there is no longer Jew or Greek, Male or female, black white or brown, gay straight, rich, poor, Christian, Jew Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist or agnostic.
God’s not kidding.
God loves us and God knows that with a little help we can make God’s goal of freedom, joy and love come true, right here and right now, one step at a time.
But still, why the spectacle of ascending into heaven? Couldn’t Jesus just have said good bye and disappeared? Why the show?
Well, I don’t think Jesus ever did anything without a very good reason so I think we need to consider why a bodily, visible Ascension was necessary. And again, as I said before, that reason is right here, right now. It’s us.
Jesus knows that this isn’t the time for subtlety. Time is a-wasting and Jesus knew that we need to get busy, we need to get on with it. No gazing up at the sky, no waiting for Jesus to re-appear. It’s our time, it’s our turn, the time is now.
And this means you all as well.
I think what Jesus is saying is, “I have to go, and I know that’s going to hurt you…it’s going to hurt me….but the reality is that if I didn’t go, you wouldn’t grow to be the people I know you can be.
Folks, you know a lot about saying good-bye, about figuring out how to go forward without any roadmap except for the roadmap of God’s love. Here you are, almost a year since Fr Gary retired. You had an interim priest who pushed and prodded you, you took a long hard look at your situation and you made some decisions. You’re thinking outside the box, you’re taking some risks. Your reality is that you can’t afford a priest every week. You’ve learned to worship through Morning Prayer. I know a lot of you don’t like it, and for others of you it’s unfamiliar and uncomfortable…but you’re trying.
I think what Jesus is saying is, “I have to go, and I know that’s going to hurt you…it’s going to hurt me….but the reality is that if I didn’t go, you wouldn’t grow to be the people I know you can be.
Folks, you know a lot about saying good-bye, about figuring out how to go forward without any roadmap except for the roadmap of God’s love. Here you are, almost a year since Fr Gary retired. You had an interim priest who pushed and prodded you, you took a long hard look at your situation and you made some decisions. You’re thinking outside the box, you’re taking some risks. Your reality is that you can’t afford a priest every week. You’ve learned to worship through Morning Prayer. I know a lot of you don’t like it, and for others of you it’s unfamiliar and uncomfortable…but you’re trying.
A lot of things have changed, but one thing hasn’t changed.
Love for God, Love for our neighbor and Love for each other.
Love for God, Love for our neighbor and Love for each other.
When Jesus left he left his work behind for us to continue. Howwe do it doesn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that we do it. That we Love. That we manifest Love in all we do.
I know the changes at St Paul’s may seem scary, annoying, unsettling or all of the above, but the lesson of Jesus’ Death, Resurrection and Ascension is this: trust God, trust yourself and remember that Jesus is with us, in all we do, for ever.
Yes the Ascension is weird, but sometimes we need the unexpected, the unfamiliar, and the unbelievable to shake us up and toss us just where God wants us to be!
Amen and Alleluia.
[1]! [now full disclosure here---the Bible is a living document written by people at various times and for various reasons. Therefore I must report that many scholars believe that the Ascension of Christ, what we are commemorating today didn’t happen 40 days after Easter morn but most likely happened Easter night, or a couple of days later….but not 40. No worries though, in God’s kingdom there are no clocks or calendars, so time? It’s just an outdated concept. ;-) ]
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