“THE ASCENDED ONE FORGIVES YOU NOW”
Saint Mark 16: 14-20
The Feast of The Ascension of Our Lord: 30 May Anno Domini 2019
Father Jay Watson SSP
Pastors have been preaching on The Ascension for 2,000 years. You yourselves have heard a few sermons on This Feast Day. Homiliticians need to stop “preaching” about the day and its events and proclaim Christ and His Forgiveness for you.
Too many lectures and expositions about the physical movement of Jesus, the spatial and time dynamics and other true, yet a bit esoteric data about the Greek language and cloud typology. You’ve heard those sermons also…probably right here from this pulpit. A time and a place.
But, local versus illocal versus repletive versus mystical presence notwithstanding; it’s all about Salvation or damnation. Yes, Jesus is God and He is according to both natures—Human & Divine—omnipresent where and when He choses to be. But He is only “for you” where He appears in His Word. His Word is forgiveness and peace; absolution and succor. Not concepts, but declarations!
Man works for and deserves damnation. Man has death coming to him for his own efforts. Jesus works, perfectly, “for you,” Commandment keeping and He suffers and dies perfectly—loving the Father and your brothers—perfectly, “for you.” He is your “stand-in” sacrifice.
After His resurrection He appeared unto the “11.” His appearances, much like His modus operandi in Saint Luke’s Gospel, is one of Table Fellowship AND Teaching. That is, Word, AND SACRAMENT. Christ appeared at “meat,” that is, where food, bread and other sustenance, was provided for the body and soul. How does one ever upbraid Saint Thomas for not being there for the Easter Evening Meal when they themselves skip the Holy Mass for non-legitimate reasons? What about you?
After The ultimate Gospel, in The Flesh of The living yet still “pierced-One,” He still chastises The “11” for unbelief and hardness of heart. They had not believed the women on Easter morning and afternoon. Believe The Word when it is given you. Not the nuts and bolts of history, archeology, exegetical insight, and doctrinal “gotcha” points, but the loosing and soothing forgiveness: “Your sins are payed for by Jesus + and forgiven by Jesus—You are free!”
Jesus empowers His newly ordained Apostles to go into all the world. The King commissions The Church’s Ambassadors, and not so much the “so called” “Great Commission” of every believer. Saint Francis got it wrong. You need not sell everything you own and become a wandering mendicant. You need not leave your home, family, and community to traipse off into darkest Africa to “make disciples.” How have you been doing in simply telling those in your immediate circle about Jesus forgiving them and wanting them to come to a place like this to receive all of His life-giving gifts?
The “events,” barely alluded to by Saint Mark, Peter’s scribe, don’t talk much about the physical reality of what occurred on Olivet. Luke the
“investigative physician” gives the more detailed report.
There is no need for a vicar when the Priest is right there in person—visible and corporeal. There is no need for an ambassador if the King is to be seen, with the eyes, wherever where ever His Legate appears. There is no “in the stead” and “by the command” if The One making that Pronouncement does not send His “sent ones.” Christ rises from the “earth” that His restored “earth men” can go to the ends of it! He vanishes from sight into a cloud of Power, The Father’s “Right Hand of Majesty.” Now the crystal clear, sunny, warmth, of preaching, teaching, washing, and feeding by the Apostles. And by their appointed successors in Office. The great Eagle of God—The God/Man Christ, Ascends so that He might push all of His eaglets out of their comfortable nest, and be about their work—Which is His Work!
God’s Work is belief. Man’s work is rejection. Belief always leads to the Waters + of Rebirth, which is God’s washing and regenerating.
The soon to be “12” (again) performed great signs and wonders. So do all Christians. Signs, the sign of The + Cross, of your Baptisms, sustains you who believe. In that Holy + Name, your new name, the “old Adams” are cast out as surely as demons into Gadarene swine. You are daily baptized, in so far as you daily repent, strive to do better, pray the “Our Father,” and resist the evil one by The Word.
Jesus speaks through you, in your mouths, with a “new tongue.” He places His Word, His “proper work” of forgiveness, in your souls and hearts and minds. You speak the new language of the New Testament by His law of love—repentance and belief. Jesus works through you when He takes up serpents by Grace working faith and obedience in you. You confront unbelievers, entrapping mammon, and your own prideful self-justifying. You confess. He absolves.
Jesus has ascended to the throne of God. He fills all things. He is everywhere in His power and dominion. He has taken full possession of heaven, not heaven of Him. His miracles continued through the hands and voices of His Apostles as demonstrated in the Book of Acts. His giving and keeping, this day, continues in the miracles of His current batch of “sent ones.” The Ascension is for The Church and “for you.” You are now the “signs” that confirm the Word. You are the Baptized called and gathered to receive The Supper.
Invisible but still here. The flickering flame no longer apparent to weakened human eye, but still resting upon your heads and mine. Forgiven, Fed, and Saved.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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