May 28^th, 2006

Ascension Sunday Acts 1: 1 -11 Psalm 47 Ephesians 4: 1-13 Mark 16 :15-20

1. A mother put her little son to bed. Now Billy you are growing up and you have to learn to sleep in your own bed. But Mummy, I am afraid to sleep all alone here. Don’t worry said his mother, God is looking after you. Ah, Mummy but I want God who has some SKIN ! It is nice to know that God is looking after us, but we want a God we can touch and see and hear and feel, - or as Billy put it, a God with Skin.

The Apostles must have felt the same thing as Billy. Jesus had been with them for three years. He had chosen them. They had failed at times. They betrayed him, denied him, ran away when the going got tough. But Jesus continued to be faithful to them. Now he was going back to the Father. He had told them that unless he went, they would not receive the Holy Spirit, the Advocate. The Advocate would give them courage in time of difficulties and wisdom to know what to do. Ah, but the Apostles would still like to have a “God with Skin.” And so after Jesus had ascended into heaven, they still stand gazing up, until the angels have to shoo them away, “Men of Galilee why do you stand looking up to heaven.”

2. Ascension Sunday seems to be like Union Station at Toronto or Penn Station New York. There is a whole set of goings and comings and baggage to attend to.

a. Who is going? Jesus is. Jesus is going as we say in the Creed to sit at the right hand of the Father. As in the case of the Cross, Jesus is going of his own free will. “It is mine to take and mine to lay down.” Now in the fullness of time, having accomplished his purpose in obedience to the Father, Jesus will ascend in the company of the angels. As he ascends the same Angels are messengers to the Apostles to get on with the task that has been entrusted to them by Jesus. The task is to go out to the whole world beginning in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is symbolic starting point for those who follow Christ. It is also symbolic for the followers of Christ who had Jewish roots.

It was here that Abraham brought Isaac to be sacrificed.

it was here that Melchisedech both priest and King of (Jeru)Salem offered bread and wine after Abraham’s victory.

it was this city that Jesus wept over.

it was here that the True, High Priest Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice.

b. Who is going? The Apostles are. They are to start in Jerusalem but are commanded to go through Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. This command is also the Mission Statement and Keynote of the entire book of the Acts of the Apostles. All the actions, all the journeys are seen in the light of this verse: Acts. 1:8.

Peter goes from Jaffa to Caesarea to preach to the Centurion and his family

Philip preaches in Samaria to the Ethiopian Official.

Paul goes with Barnabas to Asia Minor, Macedonia and Greece. And although Peter claims to be the originator of the Mission to the Gentiles, Paul will move the centre of the apostolate from Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria. His Missionary journeys to the Jews in the Disaspora will start and end in Antioch.

3. And of course who would go on a journey without baggage ? - some that we would carry with us and others that we would discard. St. Paul in the letter to the Ephesians tells us to put on the armour, the baggage of humility and gentleness, of unity and peace. The reason being that we are one in the worship of One God, united in One Spirit, one in baptism and faith.

And so the baggage we have to jettison, to get rid of, is the baggage of self centredness and gossip which destroys our brothers and sisters and the unity which helps us to mature as Children of God.

4. The Gospel today was probably not the one used by Mark. In fact Scholars tell us that Mark’s gospel ended with vs 8. And the extra verses tagged on were by the Disciples of Mark as they pt the finishing touches, the editing of his Gospel. All through the Gospel Mark is at pains to show that Jesus was not a magician, a performer of extraordinary acts. Each time a cure or healing is done, Mark is at pains to show Jesus telling the one cured: God and tell no one.

Now we have Jesus telling us that no harm will befall us if

we pick up serpents

drink deadly drinks

cast out demons.

There are none of these that we will do or even hope to do as a part of our ministry. However there is one that we are invited to do and it should be a test to see if we are truly doing the Work of the Kingdom. This ministry of healing. The Word of God natural heals and cures and as we proclaim it, we must be open to the fact that we are ministers of healing. This is something we are reluctant to do, because most of us think it is too flamboyant or flashy. Nonetheless, we are called to be healers of those in pain, suffering and sickness.

Appendix

5. Turandot

Puccini was a great composer who lived from 1858 -1924. Among the famous operas he composed, were Tosca, La Boheme, Madame Butterfly. It was at this time that he found out that he had cancer, but he was fascinated with the story of an Oriental Princess who had a “cold heart”. Puccini started the opera, not knowing whether he could complete it. He managed to write the first two Acts, and started on the third and final act when he grew even more seriously ill. He managed to write all but the two final scenes. However, before he died in 1924, he made the Disciples in his School promise him that they would complete the Opera and write the two final scenes.

One of his most famous pupils was the conductor Toscanini. And two years after Puccini died, Toscanini conducted Turandot (the name of the Ice Princess) in La Scala in Milan.

The opera went beautifully, until Toscanini came to the end of the part written by Puccini. He stopped the music, put down the baton, turned to the audience, and announced, 'Thus far the master wrote, but he died.' There was a long pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini picked up the baton, turned to the audience and, with tears in his eyes, announced, 'But his disciples finished his work.' The opera closed to thunderous applause, and to a permanent place in the annals of great works.

Jesus too started the Kingdom of God, but even as he started it, he knew that it would be the Disciples that would bring it to fruition . “You will sow but others will reap” is what he taught them. Now like Toscanini we have to complete the “Opus Dei” – the work that God has entrusted to us. We have only just begun.