Ascension Day Reflection: 14 May 2015
ASCENSION DAY REFLECTION 2015
Church of the Ascension, Mt. of
Olives
Augusta Victoria Hospital Campus
Jerusalem
The Rev. Carrie B. Smith
Grace and peace to you from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
 |
| Lutheran Church of the Ascension Mt of Olives, Jerusalem Photo by Carrie Smith |
On Ascension
Day, I really feel a kinship with those disciples who stood staring into the
sky, watching Jesus as he disappeared out of their sight. I can very well
imagine the confusion they must have felt, after faithfully following Jesus all
the way out as far as Bethany, only to see him lift his hands and be carried off
on a cloud. Honestly, the disciples had already endured the passion of the
cross, the darkness of the three days, and the shock and surprise of Easter
morning. They had already experienced his confusing post-resurrection
appearances —walking through locked doors, allowing people to feel his hands
and his side, and making himself known in the breaking of bread, for example.
And now,
just as they were getting used to the new reality, in which Jesus could walk out
of the tomb and walk with them once again—he was gone. Just when they thought
they understood the world, things changed once again.
I especially
resonate with this confusion now that I am living in Jerusalem. Just when I
think I know how to get somewhere, the bus numbers change, or the roads are
closed for a festival or a protest. Just when I’ve learned where to buy that
cheese I particularly like, the store closes. Just when I think I understand
the ongoing conflict between the peoples in the holy land, I hear another
story, or meet a new friend, or experience one more new piece of the puzzle.
Just when I think I understand Jerusalem, everything changes.
For forty
days, we’ve been getting used to the news of the resurrection, proclaiming
“Alleluia, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed, Alleluia!” So it’s
understandable that we, like the disciples, may feel confused about the
Ascension. We may wonder what the big deal is about this festival (besides the
fact that this one includes baptisms, bratwursts, and beer!) Why would we celebrate
the absence of the one we proclaim as
our crucified and risen Lord and Savior?
But it turns
out that what we celebrate on Ascension Day is not the absence of Jesus from
the earth, but the presence of Jesus in
us. We celebrate that now Jesus is free from the bounds of time and space, so
he is able to be everywhere at once. At the communion table we receive his
presence in the bread and the wine. On Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the
Holy Spirit. And on this day, we celebrate that Christ is present through us,
his disciples, the ones who are called the Church.
Jesus is
ascended into heaven, and yes, this is a big change. But because everything has
changed, because Jesus is not here, the Church can be here. Because the body of Jesus has been carried up on a
cloud, we can be the Body of Christ in every place. For, as Jesus said, “repentance
and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations,
beginning from Jerusalem.
After all,
if we are always looking up into the sky, we aren’t seeing the rest of God’s creation.
If we’re always trying to see Jesus where he was last, we aren’t seeing him in
our neighbor. If we’re always stuck here on the mountain, watching for his
return, we aren’t seeing the places in the world which still need the Good News
of the cross and of the resurrection. Ironically, as long as we are staring
after Jesus, the church can’t be the church.
And so on
this Day of Ascension, our confusion makes way for our joy, and we will not
stay on the mountain staring into the skies. We will not mourn his absence. We
will rejoice that Jesus is no longer here, because now he is everywhere—through
us, his holy church, and through the mission we share. Amen.
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