Word to the Wise
Sunday, May 28, 2017 - The Ascension of the Lord - A (note)
[Acts 1:1-11; Eph 1:17-23; Matt 28:16-20]SUNDAY, MAY 28, 2017. THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD [Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20] May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call... [Ephesians] When I visited the Holy Land in 1988, one of the sites on the trip was the place from which tradition says the Lord ascended into heaven. There is a rock with an indentation in it which the guide assured us was the mark of Jesus' foot! The gospels are not so detailed in their accounts. Only Mark and Luke speak of the actual ascent and they use a vague term meaning, "taken up." The general thrust is not the event of the Ascension but what would come after it. The Letter to the Ephesians, quoted above, captures the essence, even though written many years later, as were the gospels. The mission of the disciples (and our mission) would be enabled by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Jesus' mission ended with the Ascension and the time of the Spirit would begin. It is time for "enlightened hearts" to preach the hope of his call. If we recall the second scripture from last Sunday, we are exhorted to always be ready to give a reason for our hope. The feast of the Ascension is not so much an ending as it is a beginning. We will celebrate the coming of that Spirit soon. However, our work has already begun for each of us with our baptism. Get moving! AMEN
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