[As noted earlier in the week, my written meditations are focused upon the Feast of the Ascension rather than the reading for this coming Sunday.]

Ascension: Gospel Reading, Luke 24:44-53

I wonder if, when Luke penned the account of our Lord’s Ascension in his gospel, that he had any clue he would take up his pen again and describe the same event a second time. First, Luke gives the gospel account in chapter 24. The second time around comes in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Of course it is the same event recorded by the same author and really it is not as if one is pitted against the other, rather there is the matter of perspective. But in today’s reading, I think it important to see what (or Who) goes up and what (or who) comes down.

Jesus has reassured His followers that their Hebrew Scriptures surely testify of Him, and that the Spirit who has inspired the writers of the Word from the outset will be THE gift to them from the Living Word who is soon to depart. Well, physically anyway. I love 24:50. Jesus lifts His hands and blesses His dear friends. Don’t you see the Lord, when our pastors lift their hands to bless us on any given Sunday? Christ forgives us in absolution through the pastor’s voice. He feeds us His own body and blood at His altar in the pastor’s “waiting of tables,” and Jesus blesses us through the words and lifted hands of our dear pastors as well. It is, I think, a moment when the disciples probably would have wanted to move forward, a bit closer to their Savior and friend. 

Jesus however has a different route to travel. “While He  blessed them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (24:51). The next phrase in our passage? “And they worshiped Him…” (v. 52a). You see they didn’t draw closer to Jesus at His blessing because, at least in this instance, the Father had another plan. No, Jesus went up. And I only assume the disciples went “down.” Down in worship. Down in awe and amazement. Down after all this, in love. Jesus left them in Bethany. And the Acts tells us that He will come in like manner when the Father says, “Now You can go and draw a bit closer once again.” While I am looking forward to that marvelous moment, the moment of His final return, I actually want to watch the disciples here at Bethany just a bit longer. And perhaps take something away from their good-bye to the Savior. He is heaven-bound to a place where no man has ever been. He is there still and all we have and all the power and promise we hold comes to us from the fact that He is risen and ascended to that place at the Father’s right hand. Yes as He has gone up, I can only go down. But my descent is a joyful one, a worshipful one. How about yours?