Scripture: Luke 24:50-53
Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, where he lifted his hands and blessed them. As he blessed them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem overwhelmed with joy. And they were continuously in the temple praising God.
Thought for the Day: This is the same Ascension Day text that I used yesterday, but it’s interesting how Luke’s Gospel, though written by the same person as Acts, tells it a bit differently. The two stories overlap in the post-resurrection period, including the Ascension. In Acts, it uses the verb Poreuomai, which means to depart. Here in Luke’s Gospel, the word is Anaphero, which means to carry up or lift up. It is a passive verb, like the word raised in the resurrection story. It implies that Jesus did not lift himself, but God did. As I have shared before, this has some interesting implications in Trinitarian theology — isn’t Jesus the same as God some will ask? Nonetheless, there is this interesting in between time that is described differently in Luke and Acts. As you see here, the disciples were celebrating during this period of waiting, but in Acts, it appears more somber as they slipped away to an upper room where they discussed the replacement of Judas. And to even complicate things a bit more, it appears as if the Ascension happened on the same day as the resurrection in Luke’s Gospel, but 40 days later in Acts. It’s interesting how we have two different tellings from the same author. Some scholars, including Fred Craddock, suggest that Luke 24 is a description of an Easter Worship Service. A single day celebration from sunrise at the tomb to sunset on the hillside (from Resurrection to Ascension). We must always remember that the Gospels were written to specific communities in the 1st Century, not for the purpose of Bible study or scholarly papers or the basis of a preacher’s sermon in the 21st Century. These writings helped to shape specific communities in the ways of Jesus. These were not historians, but creative liturgists and teachers who hoped their communities would better reflect Jesus Christ to the world.
Prayer: Continue to inspire people, O Lord, in the work of shaping and transforming your people. We want to do more than talk about Jesus. We desire above all things to make real his love first life to others. Amen.
THIS SUNDAY
