Heads in the Clouds
showing them his hands and feet and eating fish. Once convinced that he wasn’t a ghost, they were ready to listen and receive the words of Jesus. Let us receive them now.
Luke 24:44-53 (NIV)
44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Is God gone from the world? The original disciples and followers were sure that Jesus’ return would be any day – that it would be soon. They aren’t at all bothered that he was lifted up into a cloud, taken away from them again. After all, he rose from the dead, what can hold him away. Perhaps they knew better than we do – nothing can hold God away. Didn’t we learn that in these 40 days of being an Easter people? Don’t we celebrate God with us next week all decked out in red when the Holy Spirit descends? It’s kinda like a relay race. If one runner doesn’t smoothly hand off the baton and get out of the way, the team will lose. All it takes is a quick search through records to see teams who have made or broken their chances in the race with the baton hand off in track.
This week is the second runner Jesus getting out of the way to make room for the third one to take up the baton. Jesus showed us with new eyes the many things God had done in the world, refreshed our hearts and minds to understand the gifts of God through the prophets and scriptures. Jesus lived among us, showing us what the perfect human looks like, preparing us to follow in his footsteps. Is the team ready? Jesus has run a good race, and the apostles worshipped with great joy staying in the temple. There is much at play here – aren’t these the same apostles that took several times seeing the risen Lord before they believed, before they understood. Now, now they are joyful with Jesus mysteriously lifted up in a cloud?
The apostles listened and followed God’s commands in joy worshipping in the temple continuously. However, it doesn’t take long for our puny human minds to wander and wonder at this great mystery. In the second book of Luke – Acts, written to explain to the new church and remind them what the gospels said, the new church needed reassurance. We wonder why the ascension story, the one in Acts vs. in Luke, is different already – it is the same author telling about the same scenario. As you look back on events of the past, do you remember different things about them? In this later telling, I suppose something different jumps out at Luke.
Yes, they followed Jesus’ instruction, but there was that moment when they stood and looked at the clouds in wonder. “Is this the time?” they asked, “That is not for you to know.” Jesus’ final words before ascending were, “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.” The runners who were so focused on receiving the baton, running as charged, are suddenly looking up at the clouds.
The sureness we see in Luke quickly moves to questions. While the apostles and early church needed reassurance that Jesus was returning because they had expectations of it being any day, today we are more likely to assume that Jesus’ return will not be in our day. For the Holy Spirit, this presents the same challenge. You have seen the race, you have the psalms, the prophets and the church across the ages. In the race, we are told who will pick up the next leg and run for and with us. Yes, the Holy Spirit took up the baton, but we weren’t looking for the marathon, and we misunderstand the nature of the relay. A mysterious expanding team.
How quickly we forgot – Abide in me, and I abide in you. It isn’t a mistake that Jesus ascends right before Easter concludes with Pentecost, and then the church celebrates Trinity Sunday. It’s time to explain this vine that loops and swirls containing us, this relationship that encompasses us. The Trinity that models to us how we are to be with and of each other, a team. Mysteriously of one at the same time as of three, as of many.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit - one God coming to us, relating to us – showing us how to relate to one another. Rowan Williams tells us that each of the three divine persons seeks not to gain pride of place, no hierarchy if you will but instead they yield to each other giving place to others so all can be fully what they are. A model for us of respecting and embracing difference inviting us to participate together.
Ascension Sunday, this little forgotten Holy Day of the Christian Church does just that. It opens the scriptures to our minds – now that we have been made ready. Look, Jesus tells us, look at the Old Testament, the Psalms, all the familiar stories. Use that hindsight to see it fresh, to give it new life and an added depth of meaning. The new does not replace the old yet expands on it calling us to more and hinting that even as we no longer see Jesus, the best is yet to be seen.
As a church, our two biggest celebrations are Easter and Christmas. God born into our world – bursting in as a tiny baby, coming in flesh to live with and for us taking on all things human. And then defeating even death to come to us again – resurrected on Easter morning. So where is Jesus today? How do we skip over ascension – are we listening to that calling voice? How are we pulled into the story?
Jesus spins us into the future of the church pushing us out into the world with a vision of what The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth can and will be. Empowering us by abiding in and with us - now and later. No matter where or when we are, the Holy Spirit has come, is coming, will come. The beautiful mystery of our God is not only of Christmas and Easter where we are spectators watching God doing for us. We are not just watching a race but active participants lovingly picked up and carried at times, trained and nurtured at others, but always empowered.
Normally track is an individual sport or maybe a small grouping, but this metaphor can’t live up to the team we are on. Imagine a relay where when you are weak there is always someone who can pick up and give you rest. Envision a new dimension that has blessings and gifts to ensure all are nurtured and the weak never grow weary. A baton that is never dropped because our eyes are not in some clouds but on each other – every brother and sister with a valued place. Everyone individually and uniquely a part but mysteriously melded together in God’s love.
That abiding love permeates our bodies, our souls and journeys with us into the world. Yes, Jesus ascends into heaven – not abandoning us but God coming to us in a way we are only now prepared for because Jesus lived among us. Jason Byassee writes, “Jesus body is amazing. It walks through walls, it eats fish, it is on the altar, it is in your neighbor (especially the one you do not like), it is in the next needy person you see, it is in the mirror.”
We tend to be people of concrete ideas so Jesus came to help us make more sense of this mystery of God with us. To bring us fleshy, human Jesus and leave us with wisdom – Sophia, the Holy Spirit. It is no mistake that the church is referred to as the body of Christ. This Spirit leaps, dances and burns within us to spread the joy of worshipping together. When others see our body – the church and each of us individually, they should see God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit in action. Jesus hasn’t disappeared from the world. God is not in the clouds but here, now visible in the actions we partake – God in and through us. Stay in this place joyously praising God until the Holy Spirit ignites in your heart – then my friends, pick up the baton and run the race set before you. Share the love of Jesus that abides in you and welcome the world into the mystery, the gift of our faith. Love is an action - Praise Jesus continually. Jesus did not leave with a formula for success or even an Amen. Jesus ascended mid-blessing. Ascension is empowering, God ever with us – a cause to celebrate how we have been blessed, loved – how steadfast is our God. That final blessing of Jesus continues in us – carrying on, carrying the love of God to the world. Amen.
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