"Ascension" Luke 1:57-79

​As many of you know, instead of following the Reformed Common Lectionary, a 3-year rotation of scriptures that include a psalm, OT and NT reading, and gospel, Renaissance follows the Narrative Lectionary-a 4-year rotation of readings that seek to tell the story of God’s people starting with the OT in the fall and NT in the winter and Spring. I love the focus on story. God’s story. The people’s story. Our story. What I don’t love about the NL is that except for Christmas, it doesn’t follow the liturgical calendar. So on a day like today, Ascension Sunday, the scripture doesn’t tell the ascension narrative. But after Wednesday’s Bible study where we dug deep into the scripture for today, I can see how it comes full circle. 
Ascension Day (which is actually a Thursday) commemorates the bodily ascension of Jesus into heaven after walking the earth for 40 days following his resurrection. It celebrates that Jesus, God Incarnate, who in human form was born for us, lived for us and died for us, who was resurrected for us, now sits in heaven on the right hand of the Creator, advocating for us, praying for us, reining in power over us. And what does that mean for us?
Let’s first hear from today’s scripture, Luke 1:68-79 but I’m backing it up a little just to give us the full context of the story.
Scripture Reading   Luke 1:57-79
57 When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy. 58 Her neighbors and relatives celebrated with her because they had heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy.59 On the eighth day, it came time to circumcise the child. They wanted to name him Zechariah because that was his father’s name. 60 But his mother replied, “No, his name will be John.”
61 They said to her, “None of your relatives have that name.”62 Then they began gesturing to his father to see what he wanted to call him.
63 After asking for a tablet, he surprised everyone by writing, “His name is John.” 64 At that moment, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God.
65 All their neighbors were filled with awe, and everyone throughout the Judean highlands talked about what had happened. 66 All who heard about this considered it carefully. They said, “What then will this child be?” Indeed, the Lord’s power was with him.
67 John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied,
68 “Bless the Lord God of Israel
    because he has come to help and has delivered his people.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house,
70     just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago.


71 He has brought salvation from our enemies
    and from the power of all those who hate us.
72 He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
    and remembered his holy covenant,
73         the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham.
He has granted 74 that we would be rescued
        from the power of our enemies
    so that we could serve him without fear,
75         in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes,
            for as long as we live.
76 You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.
77 You will tell his people how to be saved
    through the forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of our God’s deep compassion,
    the dawn from heaven will break upon us,
79     to give light to those who are sitting in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
        to guide us on the path of peace.”
 
This is the Word of our Lord.
       Thanks be to God.
 
The first question Phyllis asked us during our Bible study was this: “How would you raise a child like John?”
We talked about John’s role of preparing the way of the Lord. Of the symbolism of wilderness. We talked about the Holy Spirit. How it was in Zechariah to announce the ministry of John and how it came to the people after Jesus’ ascension. 
 
But the question I kept coming back to was Phyllis’s: If you were Zechariah, how would you raise a child like John?
I can’t help but think of John’s death. 
Executed by the state. Beheaded for proclaiming that there is one that is mightier. For announcing that these powers are destructible and weak. But the one who is coming is all powerful.
 
Did Zechariah know or could he predict that this son of us, whose announcement rendered him mute until he affirmed the work of the Holy by naming him John, did he know? 
I think he did. And maybe that’s why he protested in the beginning. 
 
Remember who Zechariah was. A priest in the middle of occupied territory. A Jew of authority seeking to be faithful, leading others, comforting those oppressed and hungry for justice, when putting no idol before God meant you already weren’t bowing to Caesar. 
Yeah, I think he knew what was in store for John. And I think that’s why the first time he opens his mouth in months his message is one of liberation:
68 “Bless the Lord God of Israel
    because he has come to help and has delivered his people.”
 
How would you raise a child like John?
 
I’d want to shelter him and protect him. I’d want to hide him from God. 
 
I wonder if he pulled from the depths of his tradition. Remembering. He had months of silence to think and pray. 
Did he pull on the story of Hannah, who had also been barren, taunted for it, but who gives what she’s prayed for the most, her child, Samuel, back to God when he is weaned from the breast.
Did Zechariah call on the psalms of the people who had been waiting for liberation. Who were hungry and thirsty? Who were desperate. And who testified to God’s deliverance?
 
71 He has brought salvation from our enemies [Zechariah proclaims]
    and from the power of all those who hate us.
72 He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors”
 
Zechariah the priest preaches: 
He has granted 74 that we would be rescued
        from the power of our enemies
    so that we could serve him without fear,
75         in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes,
            for as long as we live.”
 
Zechariah, who heard the cries of his people, preached liberation from oppression.
And He set John free to do the work of God.
 
And so Jesus was born, and baptized by John, and began his ministry to set the captives free. And he too was executed by the state for daring to proclaim a message that turned power on its head, who said the reign of God is more powerful than any Caesar. 
But the powers didn’t bury him, he couldn’t be shackled and broke the chains that tried to bind him. And rose from the dead. 
And ascended into heaven. 
 
The question remains, though, what does that mean for us?
For those of us still here on this earth fighting for liberation, seeking justice, ministering to the poor, those in prison, the widow and the orphan? The refugee and the immigrant. The abused and addicted. 
 
[1]There is a story in the works of Abba Sayah. Admittedly it’s a pretty shaky story when it comes to reality but there is no doubt whatsoever that it’s true. 
As the gospels tell us, after forty days of resurrection appearances, Jesus knew it was time to leave his disciples – his mother, his brothers and sisters, all his companions in the Way. It was hard to say goodbye, but he knew that the time had come. After all, he was the Truth and we humans can only take so much of that. 
So, Jesus called them all together on the mountain top, and made his farewells. It was a tearful moment. Mary was crying. John was crying. Jesus was crying. Even Peter, the immovable rock, was reaching for his handkerchief. 
They knew that Jesus had said he would always be with them. But they also knew it wasn't going to be the same. There would be no more breakfasts by the seashore, no more late-night discussions around the campfire, no more unexpected jugs of wine…and so they wept.
Jesus was sad too, but he was glad to be returning to his Father, and he knew it was all part of the plan. And so, he began to ascend. 
As Abba Sayah told the story, as Jesus began to rise, slowly and gracefully into the air, John just couldn't bear it. He grabbed hold of Jesus' right leg and refused to let go.
"John?" said Jesus “What are you doing?”
And John shouted back, 
"If you won't stay with us, then I'm coming too." 
Jesus calmly continued to rise, hoping that John would let go. But he didn’t. And then, to make matters worse, Mary suddenly jumped up and grabbed hold of Jesus' other leg. 
"I'm coming too," she shouted. 
By now, Jesus’ big exit had obviously been ruined, but he looked up into heaven, and called out: 
"Okay, Father... what do I do now?" And a voice came out of the clouds, deep and loud like the rumbling of thunder in the distance. 
"Ascend!" the voice said.
"Ascend?" Jesus asked
"Ascend!" the voice replied.
So, Jesus continued to rise through the air, with John and Mary holding on until they too were lifted off the ground. But the other disciples couldn’t bear to be left behind either, so they too jumped on board…and within moments there was this pyramid of people hanging in the middle of the sky. Jesus at the top. John and Mary next. The other apostles hanging on below. Quite a sight, if anyone had been watching...
And then - what was this? Suddenly all kinds of people were appearing out of nowhere…friends and neighbors from around Galilee, people who’d heard Jesus’ stories, people whom he had healed, people who just knew that he was something special…Young and old, - men, women, children, Jews and Gentiles…a huge crowd – and they too refused to be left behind…So, they made a grab for the last pair of ankles and hung on for dear life. One way and another there was quite a kerfuffle -people squealing “Wait for me” -then startled yelps as they felt themselves seized by the ankle -and above it all the voice of God calling out, “Ascend!" 
But all of a sudden, from the bottom of the pyramid, there came the voice of a small child. 
"Wait!” he shrilled, “I've lost my dog! Wait for me” 
"I can't wait," Jesus called back, "I don't know how this thing works."
But the little boy wasn't going to be left behind, and he was determined his dog was coming with him. So, still holding on with one hand, he grabbed hold of a tree with the other, and held on with all his might. 
For a moment, the whole pyramid stopped dead in the air - Jesus pulling upwards, and the little boy holding on to the tree, scanning the horizon for his lost dog. But Jesus couldn't stop. The ascension had begun, and God was pulling him back up to heaven. 
At first it looked as if the tree would uproot itself. But then the tree held on, and it started to pull the ground up with it. Sort of like when you pull a rug up in the middle, the soil itself started moving up into the sky. And hundreds of miles away, where the soil met the oceans, the oceans held on. And where the oceans met the shores, the shores held on. All of it held on, like there was no tomorrow. 
Jesus DID ascend to heaven, He went back to his natural habitat, living permanently in the presence of God’s endless love and care and wholeness and laughter. But, as Abba Sayah tells it, he pulled all of creation – the whole kit and caboodle – everything that ever was or is or ever will be – he pulled it all up into heaven with him. 
There's a sense in which we can think about the Ascension as “Christmas backwards”. At Christmas, we concentrate on Jesus coming to earth to transform us with the presence of God. At Ascension, we focus instead on Jesus taking earth back with him into heaven…
Whichever way you look at it, the work of Jesus was to transform us and the world we live in by infusing everything with the presence of God. Heaven meets earth; earth is drawn into heaven. 
That’s where we've been ever since.”
 
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Mother of us all. Amen.


[1] https://thevicarofhogsmeade.blogspot.com/2011/06/story-for-ascension.html?fbclid=IwAR2sbrV4NIDba9ckZGVIdZJPlaUaOfVy2VR1ZfcCSSlHprZaCztefDe_sbA
http://goodinparts.blogspot.com/2016/05/