May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing to you, O Lord. Amen.
Many of us might be familiar with the following true story:
In 1666, a great fire levelled London. A famous architect was commissioned to rebuild St Paul's Cathedral. One day as the architect was inspecting the site, he observed three bricklayers working very hard. He asked the first bricklayer, "What are you doing?" to which the bricklayer replied, "I'm a bricklayer. I'm working hard laying bricks to feed my family." The second bricklayer, responded, "I'm a builder. I'm building a wall." However, the third bricklayer, the most productive of the three and the future leader of the group, responded with a spark in his eyes, "I'm a cathedral builder. I'm building a great cathedral to The Almighty." His passion and dedication were palpable.
The story of the three bricklayers working on the exact same wall, doing the exact same work, but with quite different perspectives has no doubt fascinated many people over the years. The story has been quoted numerous times in management books and elsewhere to highlight the importance of having a vision.
Having a vision impacts, one's effectiveness and dedication to work. Maybe, that is the reason why God has sprinkled his vision for humanity all over the pages of the bible.
We find that every story in the bible has to say something of eternal significance when we dare to look beyond the obvious meaning of the text. Even though the story of each bible character takes place in a specific context, at a specific time, in an everyday life situation, there is often a greater significance to it – giving us a deeper understanding of the character of God.
The readings today certainly fall into that category. Both Luke's gospel as well as the passage from Acts, give us the obvious facts: Jesus rose from the dead. He appeared to several people to confirm that he is very much alive before ascending to heaven. However, beyond the obvious facts, we also see in Luke's gospel how Jesus deals with doubts, confusion, and emotional scars, which seem to make it impossible to trust and have faith in God.
After the encounter with Jesus on the Emmaus road, the two followers of Christ went straight back to Jerusalem. They found the eleven disciples and told them all what happened and how they recognized Jesus at the breaking of the bread. While they were still talking about this, Jesus appeared to them saying "Peace be with you". In other words, after the turmoil of the unfair trial, the trauma of the crucifixion of their beloved teacher, andthe confusion over the empty tomb, the first word they hear from Jesus is PEACE. Peace be with you. Indeed, they desperately needed peace amid this emotional storm.
We read that the disciples were startled and frightened. Jesus however, does not rebuke them or belittle them for their feelings. Instead, we see him respond gently and very kindly, "Why are you troubled? Why do doubts arise in your mind?" Yet, before the disciples can answer or come up with a test to disperse their doubts, Jesus himself gives them solid proof. He stretches out his hands and feet to show them his wounds. He asks them to physically touch and inspect his wounds. That in itself is quite astonishing. I doubt, that any of us would approve of someone touching our wounds – (neither physical nor emotional wounds....)
Interestingly, Luke tells us that they still did not believe it. They could not believe it because of joy and amazement. Is it not striking, that sometimes we doubt as humans because the news we receive is just too marvellous, too wonderful, too exciting to embrace? Jesus however, once again takes a step towards healing their unspoken emotions and eats a piece of fish in front of their very eyes. Finally, all their doubts dissolve.
From this, we learn that Jesus dealt very gently and patiently with the obstacles in the hearts and minds of his disciples. He first dealt with their doubt because it had become a barrier; a barrier that stopped them short of understanding the deeper meaning behind what was happening.
Then, Luke tells us, that Jesus opened up their minds so that they could understand Scripture. Jesus helped them make sense of the past days, weeks, and even years by relating specific events to the Scriptures. No doubt, that the disciples had heard and perhaps even read these passages many times before. Yet, only when Jesus opened their minds, were they able to embrace it in its fullest sense. Once they had embraced the truth, they were ready to receive:
The message and Jesus' teaching are not new at all. He simply refines what he had told them many times before. A bit like the teacher who revises the entire semester's material to help his students prepare for the big test due in a few weeks.
As time passed, it was time for Jesus to ascend to heaven. However, before doing so, he took them with him. It was important, that they witness how he ascends into heaven: not just waving good-bye and disappearing all of a sudden, but stretching out his hands and ascending while blessing them. Suddenly, two men appeared. Presumably, they were angels. They confirmed, that this same Jesus would return to earth one day the very way he ascended into heaven. Amazingly, Jesus' farewell did not cause sadness in the disciples' hearts. On the contrary, they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. They were continually in the temple blessing God. This is actually quite remarkable.
How come, that the disciples were able to do that? I believe that the reason lies in their fresh and deeper understanding of God's vision. As Jesus opened Scriptures to them, the disciples finally understood that Jesus' suffering and subsequent departure to heaven are not the end of the story. They understood now that his victory over death is permanent and that his reign over the earth and the establishing of his eternal kingdom are the end goal.
Even though they did not understand every detail of God's plan, the disciples sensed that Jesus was not going away to stay aloof to what is happening on earth or to his beloved followers. They took Jesus' word, that there would be a new, transformed way of collaboration, love, and intimacy between Jesus and his followers. Jesus would continue to guide his Church to the completion of God's vision.
And in fact, there are many events described in the New Testament which prove this understanding to be right. One example would be the Apostle Paul's encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus which dramatically led to his conversion. In Acts 9:4 Jesus confronts Paul about his plan to jail followers of Christ and asks "Why are you persecuting me?", implying that whatever is done to his followers moves and affects Jesus very deeply.
The disciples sensed that Jesus might be in heaven but that he would always be with them. They believed that scenes of a final judgment and reign of Jesus over the entire world like described in the book of Daniel were not just mere words but that that they foretold a reality that they were not able to grasp in its fullest sense yet. This fresh sense of God's overall vision for humanity must have thrilled them and helped them wait patiently for the promised Holy Spirit and await further instructions cheerfully.
Ascension Day holds therefore great meaning for the Church. It marks the day where Jesus kicked off a new era of collaboration and intimacy between God and his children. Ascension Day reminds us about the big picture vision and the role we (that is the Church of Christ) are to play here on earth to bring about that vision.
In John 15:15, Jesus said I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
This verse communicates the depth of Christ's relationship with his Church. The Church is not just merely receiving a step-by-step instruction manual and executing its master's command without further thought. Much rather, Jesus calls us his disciples "friends" and invites us to collaborate with him.
Interestingly, it is a kind of friendship and collaboration that deliberately leaves room for the Church to learn, to grow, and to discover aspects of God's overall vision in a fresh way. This room for learning, growth, and discoveries is perhaps best seen in the early life of the Church. It took the disciples and therefore the early Church some time to figure out, that Jesus' commission to go out to the ends of the earth not only involved reaching out to Jews but meant reaching out to non-believers too.
Even though many centuries have passed since the first disciples walked this earth, the mission of the Church has not changed. We are still the children of God. As Jesus' Church, we still collaborate with God and gain more understanding regarding his vision for humanity as we use the opportunities He provides for the Church through the working of the Holy Spirit.
For us too, Christs' departure is not an occasion for sadness, because we know that it is not a final farewell. Even though it is not for us to know the exact time and date of his return, we remain assured that he will certainly return in glory and that we will sit with him in heaven and rejoice as he reigns over the world. In the meantime, like the first disciples, we too are called to be living stones – precious bricks in the marvellous cathedral Jesus is building, and to be agents of Jesus that bring in more precious bricks to finish the amazing work.
As Peter puts it (1 Peter 2:4-5):
As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
As we celebrate Jesus' Ascension today, I earnestly pray that God would impress in each of our hearts the importance of being bricklayers – not bricklayers that lay bricks to feed their family or build a mere wall – but bricklayers that build a living cathedral in collaboration with Christ.
May Jesus encourage and heal those of us who carry around the burden of emotional and physical scars,
may he remind us, that there is nothing common about life for the precious children of God,
and may he fill us with obedience, excitement and praise as we follow the Holy Spirit's guidance and seize every opportunity that God provides to be His witnesses in this world.
Amen.
Archana Jacob