It's Okay to Doubt
May 21: The Ascension of the Lord
Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke1 and Acts of the Apostles. Acts is kind of a sequel. The strange thing is, this opening passage seems to contradict the ending of Luke.
The last chapter covers Jesus’ resurrection, His appearance on the road to Emmaus, His appearance to the disciples in the upper room, and the Ascension itself, all in just 53 verses. The way it’s written, it sounds like the Resurrection and Ascension all happened in one day.
Here’s the thing: Luke fits on one scroll. As he was coming to the end, he was basically the Plan Ahead meme…
That’s why Acts starts with the Ascension. Luke wants to clarify to Theophilus what actually happened. Which is what we’re reading today!
Reading 1
Acts 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”
Even though they’ve spent 40 days with Jesus after resurrection, the disciples still wonder if Jesus is the Earthly Messiah who will defeat the Romans and take over Israel.
So He clarifies, again, that it’s not going to be like that. Instead, He wants them to be His witnesses, to spread the Good News all over the world. And for one final miracle, Jesus ascends into Heaven.
And they just stare up at him, like a bunch of goobers, so God has to send an angel almost immediately.
It’s time to get to work!
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
As I said on Friday, “God mounts his throne” has been seen as a reference to Jesus Ascension since the early Church.
On the road to Emmaus,2 among other times and places, Jesus “interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures.” It makes me wonder if all of the typology we study ultimately came from conversations with Jesus Himself.
Reading 2
Eph 1:17-23
Brothers and sisters: May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might, which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.
Similar to what I wrote above, Paul is asking for a Spirit of Wisdom, so that we can understand the hope and glory that lays ahead. The Apostles had direct access to Jesus in person; we have recourse to the Holy Spirit.
So, this is a good passage to pray over before any Bible study, or serious reading of scripture. We don’t want to just recite the creed, we want to understand these things we believe.
Alleluia
Mt 28:19a, 20b
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
These are the last lines of Matthew, and they bookend the closing lines of the first chapter:3 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
He wasn’t just with us during His time on Earth. He’s always with us, even know, and on until the end of time.
Gospel
Mt 28:16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. 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, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
“But they doubted” could be translated as “but some doubted,” which kinda makes more sense. That verb occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Matthew 14:31: “O ye of little faith.” It doesn’t really mean total disbelief; it’s really more like saying you don’t believe enough.
And although Luke doesn’t use the same wording, this goes along with what he wrote in the first reading. Despite everything they’ve seen and done, the Apostles still harbor doubts. It’s part of the human condition.
Still, they carry on, teaching Jesus’ commands and spreading the Good News. Because just like everyone has doubts, those doubts will go away when you act. Move ahead, behave as though you believe, and the faith will come.
Obviously.