Wednesday Word . . . The Feast of the Ascension
Tomorrow marks 40 days after Easter and is celebrated in the Church as the Feast of the Ascension. There is only one place in scripture where this event is told in this way – 40 days after Easter – and that is in Acts 1:1-11. It’s in this section of Acts where we are told Jesus appeared to his disciples over the course of 40 days before ascending to heaven.
One of my favorite images from scripture comes from Acts 1:9-11a:
When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up to toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you sand looking up toward heaven?"
I have this image of the disciples standing around, looking up to the sky, and saying, “Well, NOW what??”
But then these two angels show up and ask why they are standing there looking up. Only then does it all sink in, spurring the disciples to action. From that moment on the disciples devoted themselves to prayer, to proclaiming the gospel, and to living their lives not simply as followers of Christ but as leaders. This is what Jesus was preparing them for and this is the role they take on.
I wonder how similar we are to the disciples at this point. We come to church and lift our eyes heavenward as we worship and pray, but do we ever stand here looking up to heaven and wonder, “Now what?”
The Feast of the Ascension makes clear that we have work to do. It’s not our job to stand here looking up to heaven. It’s our job to get to work praying and proclaiming the good news of the gospel.
It’s never too late to start working for the gospel, but if you wait for a couple of angels to show up on your doorstep, you just might miss the opportunity.
Blessings,
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