Introduction
Most people forgot about the Ascension of our Lord and Risen Saviour last Thursday. No wonder this Christian feast is described as forgotten feast!
Ascension Day is an oft-forgotten feast. It occurs during the week rather than on Sunday, though some congregations transfer the feast to Sunday. As a result, many people miss this feast and the great importance it has for the life of the church.
Beloved, it does not matter if you call yourself Christian. Do you know Jesus? There are a lot of people who think they do – but far too many of us are mistaken. That’s not a judgment; that’s a plain and simple fact. For example, when you ask people to give an adjective which describes the Savior, they often use words like; kind, gentle, caring, loving, compassionate, and accepting. Most certainly, Jesus was all of those things – but if those things are all you know of Jesus, then your picture isn’t complete.
Pharisees
There is another side to Jesus which isn’t touched upon in a list like that. Was Jesus always gentle? If you believe that, then watch out, because He could and did wield a whip and clean the crooks out of God’s house. Was the Savior always accepting? If you think that’s true, then you need to read the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. There, Jesus speaks words of condemnation toward the Pharisees. Here’s just a small sample of what He said: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are.” Matt. 23:13-15
How some see Jesus
So, I ask again, “Do you know Jesus?” More and more young people have formed their opinion of the Savior through the way He is shown in movies and denigrating sound bites generated by His critics. When they’re asked to describe the Lord of life, they can sum up their attitude toward the Savior of the world in one word: boring. If that’s really how they see Him, they’ve never really looked at Holy Scripture. There, some people described Him as being a Devil, a Liar, a Party-goer, a Friend of sinners, and an Insurrectionist, a rebel.
Malady
His church, His government, and the pillars of the community all thought He was too dangerous to let him live. So, how did Jesus go from being a Firebrand-Rabble-rouser to being a dull and dreary Pushover? I don’t know, but that’s the way it is for many who think they’ve got Jesus pegged.
Jesus is serious
Here’s another thing people think they know about Jesus. They think the Savior was always serious. Now that misconception is a little easier to explain. Jesus was born into this world as our Savior. His designated work was to perfectly fulfill the laws of God which we sinful humans had broken. His work was to resist all the temptations which Satan placed in front of Him. His duty was to bear our sins and take them to the cross. From the beginning of His earthly life to the moment He gave up the ghost on the cross of Calvary, Jesus had been destined to die. Every step He took, every breath He drew brought Him closer to the cross where He would be offered as a ransom for our salvation. It was a monumental undertaking, a task from which there was neither respite nor relief. Jesus was in the business of saving sinful souls. Little wonder people think of Him as always serious.
The eye of a needle
But He wasn’t. Indeed, nothing could be further from the truth. Living in a time before TV, radio or movies or social media, Jesus relied on His words to paint mental pictures for His listeners – mental pictures which could be humorous. An example of Jesus’ lighter side can be found in the tenth chapter of Mark. There Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Poor Theology
Over the years, a lot of preachers try to explain away that line, and explain away Jesus’ own joyful presentation by saying something like, “In ancient Jerusalem there is a small door in the city wall called ‘the needle’s eye.’ If a camel wished to go through that gate, he had to kneel down, divest himself of his burden and crawl through, unencumbered by his burdens. In a similar way, if we wish to enter the kingdom of heaven it will only be when we kneel down in humility and take off all that weighs us down.” Over the years that explanation, and I’ve watched as entire congregations nodded their heads in understanding and agreement.
Explanation
There are two problems with that perspective. First, it’s simply not true. In Jerusalem there’s no such door in the old city wall. There never has been. Did you get that? There isn’t now, and there never has been a door called “the needle’s eye.” But there’s a second problem. Those pastors say, “We’re supposed to kneel down like a camel and crawl through the gate.” Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, here’s the reality: camels don’t crawl. A camel may want to crawl with every fiber of its being; it may train to crawl like an Olympic athlete; it may even put crawling on its bucket list of things to do before it dies. But the reality is, camels don’t crawl. The way their front and behind legs are hinged, it is physically impossible for a camel to crawl. And as far as a camel divesting itself of its burdens so it may move forward – it’s ridiculous and along with being ridiculous, it’s bad theology. Camels don’t take off their burdens and people don’t remove their sins. It is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world; it is the blood of Jesus Christ which cleanses us from all our sin.
Gospel
Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed! If you do not know Him who has given His life for your salvation, today is the day He wishes to make your acquaintance. If He already is your Lord and Savior, He wishes to draw you closer to Him. The Feast of the Ascension does not mark the absence of our Lord, but His presence for us in a new and different way: through His gifts of Word and Sacrament.
Conclusion
By the Holy Spirit’s power, may every voice and every heart rejoice in the wonders of God’s great grace and the salvation won by our risen Redeemer. Grant this, Lord, to us all. Amen.