Ascension: Time to Leave

Armodoxy for Today: Time to Leave

Today is the 40^th day after the Feast of Resurrection, or Easter. According to Scripture (Book of Acts) Jesus ascended to heaven on this day.

Three years earlier Jesus, while walking on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, met a couple of brothers. St. Matthew writes of the event:

Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee. He saw two brothers. They were Simon (his other name was Peter) and Andrew, his brother. They were putting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Follow Me. I will make you fish for men!” At once they left their nets and followed Him. Going from there, Jesus saw two other brothers. They were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were sitting in a boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them.  At once they left the boat and their father and followed Jesus. (Matthew 4:18f)

In the same manner, Jesus invited the other disciples – eight more – to follow him and learn – to become “fishers of men.”

Ascension Day is graduation day. The Disciples having learned and received training, are commissioned on this day by their teacher Jesus with these words, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)  Note that that it is the group of disciples commissioned, not everyone, not even everyone who lives in Jerusalem, but the twelve disciples less Judas.

The learning process is crowned by graduation. Of course, learning never ends, but the formal sit-down lectures – the parables and sermons – portion is finished. On graduation day, on Ascension day, the Disciples were commissioned and became Apostles, to apply their knowledge to the world.

There certainly is a comfort level that is found in maintaining the status quo. A classroom is a safe place where concepts can be challenged. argued, and debated, but those concepts are only concepts until they are put to practice.

We pray today by acknowledging that, Today the Disciples moved on, each to follow their own path. Whether to Rome, Antioch, India or Armenia, they were each commissioned with the same mission; to preach the Gospel and they left with the same assurance that Christ was with them, to the end of the ages. We ask you Lord, that we find inspiration for our own lives, to apply the lessons of love and harmony in our dealings with others, so that Christ never remain as a figure in a book, even if that book be the Bible, but that he is a living expression of faith in my life and the lives I touch. Amen.