The Ascension of the Lord

Lectionary: 58

Then Jesus approached and said to them,

“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,

In conversation with a psych patient in the hospital, I was reminded of the loneliness of Americans. Believing as we do, that by some mysterious process every individual will know what is best for themself, and will consistently choose that best; and that, in any case, no one can decide for someone else; we leave a lot of people isolated, alone, and desperate. Many cannot handle the distress and suffer mental illness. Some kill themselves.

As the patient explained his plan to be happy in solitude, I said, “But we’re still here!” There was no room for us in his plan -- but we’re still here. And he – like it or not -- has to deal with us.

Our faith tells us, when Jesus rose from the dead, “He conquered death. Death has no more power over him.”  (Romans 6:9)

But we like death; we use it frequently to take care of troublesome persons. Criminals, the unwanted unborn, enemies, and ourselves. We have developed elaborate ways to destroy one another, ranging from nuclear weapons to medically assisted suicide. Here in the United States, for a small sum, you can buy a handgun and kill obnoxious people. (They’re most often used by white men on themselves.) We also have an intellectual infrastructure to justify our use of death, from just war theory to equal rights for women.

When Jesus conquered death, he dismantled the entire operation;

We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God.

The power Jesus claims in today’s gospel is that power to remain in our lives despite death. He doesn’t go away even when we crucify him. It is a simple power, like gravity, which controls so much of our lives although we usually forget about it. Jesus has authority to remain with us in good times and bad, whether we want him or not. He has promised, “I will be with you,” and he intends to keep that promise.

Filled with his Spirit, we do as the Lord does. And so, the Apostle adds, “...you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.”

Dead to sin, we remain here for one another. “Making disciples of all nations” begins with presenting ourselves to people wherever they might be. We come as evangelists and preachers, as nurses and doctors, as teachers and counselors. We come as friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers to honor the dignity of every person. We are powerful because we are present, clear-eyed, attentive, alert and alive. Living stones held in place by the gravity of God's love, we remain where God has sent us, a blessing to the nations.