Feast of the Ascension

Festival of the Ascension (at St. Paul's, Moline) May 17, 2012 Seeing Unbelief Then; Blind Faith Now Mark 16:14-20 Dear friends, Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen… Then [after the Ascension] the disciples went out and preached everywhere. (Mark 16:14,20) Think of these Apostles. They saw and heard the evidence: the empty tomb, the reports. But they didn't get it. They saw, but they didn't see. Think also of the Mary Magdalene and the Emmaus disciples. Jesus did let them see Him until He wanted them to see and then He was went away. Ascension is when Jesus went away and hid Himself from sight. And this made all the difference. For years the disciples could see Jesus, yet they stumbled around: “Could you explain this again?” “We don't have enough bread.” “You'll never die, Jesus!” But now after Jesus hides Himself, they joyfully trust Him and understand His purpose. He taught them to see Him when they wouldn't able to see Him anymore. He taught them to trust Him and to find Him in His Sacraments and Word. Our faith is also blind. We cannot see Him, but we see Him where He has hidden Himself. He no longer hides Himself in tongue speaking or snake handling or faith healing. Instead He does hide Himself until the end of time in preaching and Baptism: Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. (Mark 16:15-16) But our selfish hearts want to see and see results and see results. This is why some desparately see validation by speaking in tongues. This is an obvious (yet popular) symptom of those who want faith and sight like Doubting Thomas. He refused to believe word of Jesus' victory over death. He wanted to see Him in the flesh. But we Lutherans aren't immune from wanting to see Jesus where He isn't to be found. We are tempted to see Jesus in statistical results. We are tempted to find our health in growing schools and churches with lots of young people. No, dear friends, turn and look at your Savior. See His cross that saves with blood. Bathe in your Baptism every morning as you confess your evil thoughts and ways and turn to die and rise in your dead and risen Savior. And then come and receive His body and blood. He's risen from the grave! He's gone up to heaven! And now He's here! In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.