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Readings (click here for full text of the readings): Children flop on the grass regularly. They daydream at times, if given the chance, and sometimes when it is not particularly convenient, like when looking for their missing shoe…Some people might consider that laziness. I confess that I still love gazing into the infinite, on my back, lying in the grass next to my garden. Sounds of birds and the wind in the pines next door and the gentle buzz of bees…scents of newly turned soil and nasturtiums…a dog barking occasionally. A child giggling…Blue sky, cloudless or cloud-filled, it makes no difference. Daydreaming or meditating, who knows. Lying there goes against my sense of a needing to accomplish something, like weeding or deadheading or turning the compost heap. There is a time for being, and being in awe of what is beyond our sight is part of our faith. What must the disciples been thinking as they saw Jesus ascending into the clouds on Ascension Day? Acceptance of the unexplainable was part of life in those days. Being a magician was profitable. The disciples were used to seeing Jesus perform miracles. So what was this levitation stunt? Our readings this morning give us a post-Ascension perspective. Today, we did not read from the Luke and Mark Gospels about the Ascension. Yet here we are, in the reading from Acts, with the disciples, after Jesus was seemingly lost to them, again. We know from the Easter readings that the disciples were baffled by the Resurrection, by the empty tomb. Even though they saw the tomb, they did not understand. They did not remember Jesus’ words. They were anguished by their loss, and perhaps disheartened or terrified by any thoughts of their future. We know that they lived in fear of the Jews. And then came the post-Resurrection appearances. How comforting those must have been, if still a bit confusing. For forty days, for quite a while, the disciples were taught and comforted by their teacher, their friend. He had returned. How could they have known they would lose him again? Yet, again, he is gone, gone from the sight of those watching. How could they have known what would come next? Our Gospel reading is a continuation of the Last Discourse, placed in the final chapters of John. Remember that this Discourse, through its placement, comes after the footwashing, after Judas’ departure on his way to betrayal, and while the disciples are gathered in the Upper Room. Our reading contains some of the final lines of the Discourse, and part of it is actually a prayer, Jesus’ last prayer for his disciples. In offering this prayer, Jesus speaks from a perspective which is nearly post-Resurrection, while the disciples occupy a time which is before the crucifixion. In these few lines, the evangelist gathers up many of Jesus’ messages to believers and to non-believers. Every verse contains echoes from elsewhere in John’s Gospel. When Jesus speaks of being in God’s presence as He had been before the world began, we are reminded of the opening words, “In the beginning was the Word”. The first few lines of this prayer serve to orient the listener, to orient us, to help us realize that even though Jesus refers to “the Son”, the reference is to Christ himself. The disciples are the “them”. We are also “them”. We are humanity, both then and now. We are those citizens of the world who might have thought that Jesus deserved death, because He blasphemed, because He questioned, because He healed on the Sabbath, because He disturbed the peace. The world thought that Jesus deserved death. God thought that He deserved the Resurrection. Over and over again, in this reading, Jesus uses the word “glorify”. How can death “glorify” anything? Yet in Jesus’ death, there is victory, and there is life eternal. We may show honor and respect by our obedience. Glorification may also be a result of obedience. Jesus told his disciples earlier in the evening, “love one another as I have loved you”. And he reminded them that if the disciples truly love Him, they will be obedient. Glorification comes from loving obedience and careful attention to those teachings, the commandments of Jesus. Jesus reminded his listeners “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”. He does not say, “If you fail to keep them, you will die.” There is no speaking softly and carrying a big stick. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus was obedient to God in finishing the work that was his to do. He glorified God through his loving obedience, and the quality of his work is obvious in the ways of loved and served and taught those given to Jesus by God. The “those” include us. When we were growing up, how many times did we hear that ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’? The word give occurs even more than glorify in this passage. We want to “give” to one another. “Giving” may wrack up points in heaven, or at least makes those we give to feel indebted to us. Does being in someone’s debt give us a warm feeling? Do we conscientiously always try to return the favor as soon as possible because we don’t want anyone to have control over us? As a culture, we prize being “in control”. The “giver” has a great deal of control in any situation. I can’t tell you how much angst that creates in the nursing home where I serve. In a society which stresses self-sufficiency, independence is a priceless commodity. Toddlers are encouraged to learn it at an early age, sometimes at a cost to all around them. Who has not seen a tantrum when the task is beyond the skill of the performer? Self-reliance is valued above group effort. I work with people who lament the fact that they need help to wash their face or stand up straight or roll over in bed or pull on their own socks. Their frustrations, their tantrums come in the form of depression or anger or wordless withdrawl. Yet, over and over again in today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about all that he has been given by God, and what has happened since the gifts appeared. What has Jesus done? He has made God’s name known to the disciples. In other words, the power and the reality that is contained in the name “God” has been revealed to the disciples in the flesh and bone presence of the man standing in front of them. Jesus, using the words that were given by God, has taught the disciples. Jesus has given them God’s words, and the words, the teachings, have been accepted. As a result of Jesus’ ministry, the disciples have glorified Jesus, just as Jesus has been glorified by God. But before all this glorification happened, Jesus had to be receptive. Jesus had to receive both the gift and the ministry from God. Jesus had to let God be in control and decide what the world needed. Jesus accepted the choice of letting God call the shots. God was in control as the ‘giver’, but Jesus was not passive. Jesus chose to accept, to enter into the relationship with God and with us that would eventually change the world. Reminiscient of Abraham, of Moses, of Ezekiel, of Isaiah, of Mary. All said “yes” to answering God’s call, to receiving God’s call. All entered into life-changing relationships with God in being willing to receive what God gave them. The call came from God, but the choice was theirs. Residents in the nursing home, particularly in sub-acute or the rehabilitation unit, have the greatest difficulty accepting the fact that they may need assistance, if only temporarily. They won’t use the call bell because they don’t want to bother anyone. They won’t ask someone for pain medications, even if they are prescribed, because it might inconvenience the nurse to get them. They cannot accept their own fragility, their own need, and they cannot relinquish control of the situation. Yet in relinquishing that control, they allow others to offer their gifts, to exercise their ministry, whether it’s mopping a floor or adjusting a pillow; assuaging thirst with a cool drink or easing their pain. Healing comes in many forms in rehab. Having the grace to receive, making the choice to receive what others can offer, can speed the healing. Giving and receiving is all about relationship. Giving and receiving is about control, and the perception of what and where the need is. The giver may be in control, of how much, how often, to whom, and may try to dictate the result. I pray that as givers, that is not our sense of Souper Supper Saturdays. Did God dictate to Jesus exactly what was to be done and where and by whom? Did God tell Jesus whom to heal, whom to let die, who to feed, who to liberate? I would argue that Jesus wrestled with discernment, with trying to find a direction for his ministry, just as you and I do. In order for God to be incarnate, I would argue that Jesus did not have all the answers. I would argue that Jesus cried and pondered and rejoiced and laughed. I can believe in the glory of God because of the humanity of Christ, because I know that when our hearts break, so does the heart of God. I can believe in the glory of God because Jesus said ‘yes’ to God’s gift. I can gaze into the heavens on a day when the sun’s rays pierce the clouds and shafts of sunlight beam down, or is it up? I can gaze into the heavens next to my garden, and believe without a doubt in God’s glory as Creator. I can believe in the humanity of the Son and rejoice. I can celebrate in the presence of Holy Spirit as the wind moves through the pines and the rustles the leaves. I can give thanks for the gift to us, and glorify God.
Thanks be to God. Amen..
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