2620AFC051526 – What are YOU lookin’ at? ← PODCAST LINK 😀
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Matthew 28:16-20 – 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Acts 1:10-11 – 10 While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward 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.”
Psalm 47:8 –
8 God is king over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
Ephesians 1:17-21 – 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
May Peace always be with you and may God bless you, Belovéd! We are so close to Pentecost! That is when the Church became the ἐκκλησία – the ecclesia – founded on the Living Corner Stone, and the building up by the living stones that were the Apostles. Today, though, we celebrate The Ascension – the “regular day” for that was this past Thursday, the 14th of May. It is such an important event that the Church often (usually?) transfers the celebration to this Sunday which is also the Seventh Sunday of Easter. The Key Verses for today are longer than usual because the content is so rich! I don’t want to miss a word of the Good News that is in them! a quick note on housekeeping though.
I have settled on a solution to this problem about emails getting snagged by SPAM filters. I’m going to buy a business email address that will allow me to send bulk emails – I think. I’m a genuine novice about this sort of thing, so I might mess it up, but here is the impact for you: IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE RECEIVING AN EMAIL OF EACH ALOHA FRIDAY POST, you will have to send a subscription request. When I have all this resolved (hopefully with a little help from my friends), you will receive the messages (if you have requested a subscription) from [email protected] every Tuesday and Friday. Each message will have an “unsubscribe link” (required by law!) and some other information that goes along with a subscription service. There will also be a Subscription “page” on the website at www./aloha-friday.org where you – and people you refer – can sign up. Our email list has shrunk over the past 5 years through attrition, but I’d like to build it up again through referrals. That’s the state of things for now. Let’s talk about Ascension!
In my “calendar of significant events,” this usually holds top place. I can think of nothing in Scripture that means more to me than Luke’s description of the Ascension in Acts 1:6-11 especially the last verse 11, which says:“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” I’ve addressed this before. The very idea that this SAME Jesus is coming back “in clouds of glory” (See also Luke 21:25-27 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-19) is often more than I can get my head around. And yet, Jesus himself had told the disciples that “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? (↔ Music Link) When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” (John 14:2-3) I find I am in full agreement with the Psalmist when he said, “Such knowledge is beyond me, far too lofty for me to reach.” (Psalm 139:6) And yet, Adelphos, I cannot recall ever being lonely because he is with me wherever I am. Like I said last week, there is no place I can be that God is not already there. Yes. I am never lonely.
e begin with the underlined words in our first Key Verse – When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. How should we understand that? The majority of the commentators I researched say, “On first seeing him, some were unsure it was actually Jesus.” His appearance had changed subtly – perhaps a bit of a shimmer? – and his voice was somehow “larger” so that some of the traits of familiarity had been altered. The Ascension is mentioned in Mark, Luke, John, and Acts of the Apostles, but not in the Gospel of Matthew. There are some interesting parallels and antithetical parallels in these accounts. I show them to you here so we can be aware of their content:
THE ASCENSION IN OTHER PASSAGES
Matthew 28:16 – 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. Although Jesus’ Ascension is not specifically mentioned, this instruction is given on a mountain in Galilee. One might wonder why Galilee was mentioned here and Bethany and possibly Jerusalem in other passages. This map shows a triangular area outlined in red which is called the “Evangelical Triangle,” an area where Jesus concentrated much of his ministry in the region of Galilee. There is a purple star in the approximate location of Mount Arbel which is a very high mountain with steep cliffs near the western shores of the Sea of Galilee. Many scholars believe this is the mountain referred to in this passage. It is a place that has a commanding view of the entire sea of Galilee and the surrounding countryside. It is believed that this is where Jesus spoke The Great Commission – 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. – to the Apostles and other Disciples. Seeing the “Big Picture” from there probably made quite an impression.
Mark 16:14-20 – Jesus Commissions the Disciples
14 Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.* 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
The Ascension of Jesus
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
*V. 14 – This passage is part of what is called “The Longer Ending” of the Gospel of Mark. Other ancient manuscripts include the following additional words for verse 14: And they excused themselves, saying, “This age of lawlessness and unbelief is under Satan, who does not allow the truth and power of God to prevail over the unclean things of the spirits. Therefore reveal your righteousness now”—thus they spoke to Christ. And Christ replied to them, “The term of years of Satan’s power has been fulfilled, but other terrible things draw near. And for those who have sinned I was handed over to death, that they may return to the truth and sin no more, that they may inherit the spiritual and imperishable glory of righteousness that is in heaven.”
Luke 24:50-53 – 50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany*, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into Heaven. 52 And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God. * Bethany is located on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about 2 miles from Jerusalem.
John 20:17 – 17 Jesus said to her [Mary Magdalene], “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus addresses the 11 Apostles at table – perhaps in the Cenacle, the Upper Room where they met for the Last Supper.
In the Gospel of Luke, he meets them where they are gathered together listening to the story about his appearance to two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus. He leads them from there to a place near Bethany, and goes away from that place in a cloud entering Heaven.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells Mary of Magdala that he is going to his Father. “I have not yet ascended to the Father.” He‘s got other things to do and places to go before his Ascension. That’s why he cannot stay and comfort Mary. He’s going to take care of a few final things before taking his place at the right hand of God the Father because God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. Although Jesus is enthroned on High with God the Father and with the Holy Spirit and is accompanied by the Blesséd Virgin Mary, he still tells us, And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We can recall that “the end of the age” is the current Age, the Age of the Church.
And so Adelphos, at what or at whom are we looking? Are we looking at the Evangelization Triangle to see if we missed anything in Jesus’ teachings? Remember, that Triangle is famous for the “Woe to the Cities” passage in Matthew 11:20–24 where Jesus condemned Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for failing to repent despite witnessing the majority of his miracles. Have we failed to repent? Are we gazing out from the heights of Mount Arbel and the vast expanse of our commission given to us by Jesus through Apostolic Tradition? Are we looking for the Signs and Wonders that precede Jesus’ final return – snake handlers, poison-drinkers, healing hands? Are we watching the Temple Mount where his feet will first touch?
Are we looking at Scripture throughout the Bible that tells us we can look for Jesus in every person we meet if we will only look “with the eyes of your hearts enlightened, (↔ Music Link) you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.”? Are we looking for evidence of his Divine Attributes such as Perfect Integrity, Endless Mercy, Everlasting Love, Eternal Salvation, Immutable Justice, Irreproachable Wisdom, and Incomparable Grace? If so, WHERE!? If we see him, will we have doubt? Or are we looking at Jesus in you, Jesus in me, Jesus in the mirror, Jesus in the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, the marginalized, the sinners? ARE WE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER to see if we are helping each other look for HIM? And while we look, dare we believe that “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”? Well, do we? What are YOU lookin’ at?
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Lovingly dedicated to Mr. Michael Cruz, a friend, a mentor, a fellow teacher for Jesus and his Disciples.
