Jesus said: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
-Matthew 28:19, 20
… When they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”… Jesus told them: “… 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.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
-Acts of the Apostles 1:6-11
I have a difficult time understanding the Ascension. I wonder why Jesus would spend three years with his disciples, die, come back to life, then just leave again. So I had the following conversation with my guardian angel Ralph.
“Ralph,” I said, “I don’t understand Jesus at all. He became one of us, taught a lot, performed so many miracles. Then He let Himself get tortured and killed. But He rose from the dead to come back to the disciples. He was alive… but not exactly the same as before. He talked with His disciples, performed more miracles and ate fish. Then left again. He ascended into heaven. Why? Where is He now?”
“Right.” Ralph said, “You would have been that guy earlier who asked Jesus before He ascended if He was going to restore the Kingdom to Israel before He left.”
“And,” Ralph added: “Richard, you would have been one of those men on the hillside just staring up into heaven, with your mouth wide open, wondering ‘What’s going on?’”
“Yeah,” I said. “Jesus was supposed to fix everything. But He didn’t.”
Ralph just looked at me. And let me think about it a little bit.
Then he said: “You know, Richard, Christmas. Miracles. Good Friday. Easter. The Ascension. They weren’t just events.” He let me think about it some more. “Jesus wasn’t just a wonderful, inspiring, caring, grandfather or uncle who came for a visit, made everybody feel good, fixed a lot of things …. and then… it was like you took him to the airport and waved goodbye to him as he took off.”
“You humans are real slow to get it, Richard! You thought that Jesus came to make everything all right and would never leave… or at least would continue to do so long distance after He left. Right?”
“Jesus didn’t come to restore the Kingdom to Israel. He came to restore YOU to the Kingdom of Heaven…. So YOU would restore the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth… as it is in Heaven. That is your job.”
“But I’m not Jesus. I’m not God,” I protested.
“Right.” Ralph affirmed. “But you are far more than you think you are. You are not just a human animal like a dog or chimpanzee. Like Jesus, you too are the child of God. You bear His name. You bear His Spirit. And because of that, you are like Jesus. AND, like Jesus, you too can teach, heal, and work miracles.”
“What did Jesus promise as He was telling the disciples goodbye?” Ralph asked.
“That He would send His Holy Spirit.” I replied. “And that they were to be His witness in Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth.”
“So get off your behind and go witness.” Ralph said. “But don’t just talk about Jesus. BE Jesus for people who are hungry, lonely, lost, scared, miserable, desperate. YOU BE Jesus’ arms and wrap a lonely old woman in the love of your arms and your loving presence like He does you. BE Jesus’ hands for the guy on the street who is hungry. Feed him: feed him not only with bread but with Bread. BE Jesus’ ears to the refugee who is scared, lost, or bewildered. BE Jesus’ lips and fill the ears of someone whose mother is dying with the words of hope and love that they long to hear. BE Jesus and confront politicians who are harming the people they are supposed to serve!”
“You want Jesus in this life? You want Jesus to fix things down there on earth?” Ralph asked. “The big surprise about the ascension is that it may have looked like Jesus’ physical body left, and so it did. But He is right here right now. In you. Jesus wants you to bring Him, to be Him, down here on Earth. He wants you to fix things down here on earth.”
When I started to protest Ralph shushed me.
“You want Jesus to bring the Kingdom of God to Earth?” Ralph asked. “Jesus wants YOU to do that. He’ll help you. But You have to confront the Herods and Pilates of your time. You run for political office.”
“And,” he added: “be ready to die for it. But if you die for it, know that your death will not be in vain… nor will it be the end of you.”
“All of things of Jesus’ life,” Ralph said, “His Incarnation. Christmas. Miracles. Good Friday. Easter. Ascension. Those were not just events. They are a new life. A new way of being.”
“Now your job is to do what Jesus’ disciples did: stay together, pray, sing glorious songs, rely on the Holy Spirit whom you have already received! Be a witness to that new life to the ends of the Earth!”
Then Ralph was quiet … like he didn’t have anything more to say to me. He just looked at me and smiled.
“I know what I need to do.” I said. “Thank you.”
“Bless you.” he replied. “And, remember that Jesus is with you always, as He said He would be. Bless you. Now go get with it!”
Musical Reflection - Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence - Caitelen
Lord Jesus, please give me strength and courage to do your will and to bring your kingdom here on Earth as it is in heaven. Amen
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