ASCENSION SUNDAY Cycle B

Homily for Ascension Sunday (Cycle B)

Based on Mk 16:15-20 (Gospel),  Acts 1:1-11 (First Reading) and Ep 1:17-23 (Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

ASCENSION

“Jesus … had been taken up from you into heaven” (Ac 1:11)

The gospel narrative for this Ascension Sunday is Mk 16:15-20., which is just a part of the long ending of Mk. 16:9-20. According to footnote ^c for Mk 16:9-20 in the Jerusalem Bible, it says: ‘although included in the canonically accepted scripture, it does not imply Marcan authorship; however it is an authentic relic of the first Christian generation (Henry Barclay Swete).”

Verse 15 says: And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim, the Good News to all creation.

The focus of this verse is on the Good News or gospel. Footnote ^a of Mk 1:1 gives us the etymology of the word ‘gospel’. It says: “Good_News. Old English ‘god-spel’, Greek euaggelion, hence Lat. evangelium.  The word is used in the NT to mean, not a book, but the Good News of salvation. Jesus being both its messenger and its message.”  

Parallel texts for verse 15 are the following:

a.       Mk 13:10 - …since the Good News must first be proclaimed to all the nations.

b.      Is 52:7 - How beautiful on the mountains, are the feet of one who brings good news,^f who heralds peace, brings happiness, proclaim salvation, and tells Zion, “Your God is king!”^g  Footnote ^f - says “The Book of Consolation is a ‘gospel’, good news, cf. Mk. 4:23+”,  while footnote ^g says “The return from exile ushers in a new age under the rule of not so much a human king as of Yahweh himself, ruler in Zion and over the entire world. This reign, foretold in Mi. 2:13; 4:7; Zp. 3:15; Jr 3:17; 8:19; Ezk. 20:33 (cf. 33:11f); Is. 43:15; 24:23; Ob 21; Zc 14:9, forms the subject of the Psalms of the Kingdom’ Ps 47;93;96;97;98;99. “

Indeed, the central message of the “gospel” or ‘good news” of salvation by Jesus Christ and his apostles was the coming of the kingdom of God here on earth, or the message that “Your God is king!”,

c.       Mt 28:18-20 - Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth had been given to me (v. 18) Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptize them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ^g (v. 19) and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time (v. 20).  Fotnote ^g  says “It may be that this formula, so far as the fullness of its expression is concerned, is a reflection of the liturgical usage established later in the primitive community. It will be remembered that Ac speaks of baptizing  ‘in the name of Jesus’,  cf. Ac. 1:5+. But whatever variation is formula, the underlying reality is the same.”

d.      Lk 24:47 - …and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

e.      Jn 20:21 - And he said to them again, “Peace be with you, ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’

f.        Col 1:23 - As long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the Good News, which you have heard, which has been preached to the whole human race,^l and which I, Paul, have become the servant. Footnote ^l- states that “Lit. ‘to all the nations under the sky’.”

Verse 16 says: He who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.

Verse 17 says: “These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues;^d” Footnote ^d says “Var. ‘new tongues’.”

Parallel texts for this verse are:

a.       Mt 10:1p - He summoned his twelve disciples,^a and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.  Footnote ^a  - says “Matthew supposes that the reader already knows about the choice of the Twelve; Mark and Luke mentions it expressly and distinguish the choice from the mission.”

b.      Ac 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you ⁱ and then you will be my witnesses ^j not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.’.^k Footnotes i, j, and k state that:

 ⁱ - The Holy Spirit is a favorite theme of Luke (Lk 4:1+); he talks mostly about the Holy Spirit as a Power, Lk 1:35; 24:49;Ac 1:8;10:38; Rm 15:13,19; 1 Co 2:4,5; 1 Th 1:5; Heb 2:4, sent  from God by Christ, Ac 2:38, to broadcast the Good News. 1. The Spirit gives the charismata, 1 Co 12:4f, that guarantee the message; the gift of tongues, Ac 2:4+, of miracles, 10:38, of prophecy, 11:27+; 20:23; 21:11, of wisdom, 6:3,5,10:2, the Spirit fives strength to proclaim Jesus as Messiah in spite of persecution 4:8,31; 5:32; 6:10;cf. Ph 1;19 and to bear witness to him, Mt. 10;20p; Jn 15:26; Ac 1:8; 2 Tm 1:7f,cf. following note; 3. The Spirit guides the Church in her major decisions: the  admission of pagans, Ac 8:29,40; 10:19,44-47; 11;12-16; 15:8, without obligation to observe the  Law, 15:28; Paul’s mission to the pagan worlds, 13:2f; 16:6-7; 19:1 (Western Text) cf. Mt. 3:16+,Ac also mentions the Spirit  as received in baptism and forgiving sins, 2:38, cf. Rm 5:5+.

^j – The primary functions of the apostles is to bear witness: not only to Christ’s resurrection, Lk. 24:48, Ac 2:32, 3:15, 4:33, 3:32, 24:48,13;31, 22:15, but also to the whole of is public life, Lk 1:21, Jn 15:27, Ac. 1:22, 10:39f.

^k- nothing can limit the apostolic mission, Is. 45:14+. The progress outlined here follows the geographical plan of Ac: Jerusalem was destined to receive the Good News, to be the centre from which it is now spreading, Lk, 2:38+.

c.       Ac 14:3 - Accordingly Paul and Barnabas stayed on for some time, preaching fearlessly for the Lord, and the Lord supported all they said about his gift of grace allowing signs and wonders to be performed by them.

Verse 18 says: they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison, they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.

Parallel texts for this verse are:

a.       Lk 10:19 - Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you.

b.      Ac 28:3-6 - Paul had collected a bundle of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a viper brought out by the heat attached itself to his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand they said to one another. ‘That man must be a murderer; he may have escaped the sea, but divine vengeance^a would not let him live’. However, he shook the creature off into the fire and came into no harm. Footnote a says: ^a - “Lit. ‘justice’, dike, the divine justice personified.”

c.       1 Tm 4:14 - You have in you a spiritual gift which was given to you when the prophets spoke and the body of elders laid their hands on you;^d do not let it lie unused. Footnote ^d says:   Lit. ‘a spiritual gift given by means of prophecy with imposition of hands by the body of elders’. The ‘imposition of hands’ can be the rite for transmitting grace or a charism, Heb 6:2, or it can be the gesture used when blessing, Mt 19:15, or curing, Mt 9:18p; 17; 28:8, or imparting the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, Ac 1:5+. It can also be the rite for consecrating a person for a particular public function, Ac 6:6; 13:3, as in this passage and 5:22+; 2 Tm 1:6. Since the day on which he received the imposition of hands, Timothy has had a permanent charism (‘grace-gift’) that consecrates him to his ministry. For the part played by the ‘prophets’, cf. 1Tm 1:18.

Verses 19 says that: And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place; and verse 20 says that: While they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.

Parallel texts for verse 19 is  1 Tm 3:16, which says that: Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed:  He ^c was made visible in the flesh, attested by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the pagans, believed in by  the world, taken up on glory.^d

Footnotes c and d are:  ^c- He, i.e. Christ: many authorities (e.g. Vulg.) read ‘It’, i.e. the mystery, cf. Col 2:3+. Paul is quoting part of an early Christian hymn, cf. 6:15-16; 2 Tm 2:11-13; Ph 2:6-11. Also cf. Ep 1:3-14; 5:14;  Col. 1:15-20; ^d- ‘attested (lit. ‘justified’) by the Spirit’: the holiness and divinity of Christ were proved by the fact that he rose in glory, cf. Rm 1:4+. ‘Taken up in glory’, i.e. at the ascension.

The First Reading for this Ascension Sunday is taken from Ac 1:1-11, or the first 11 verses of first chapter of Acts, consisting of an introduction, the last days of Jesus Christ on Earth and his ascension.

Who is Theophilus?  From “Bible Hub”  online ,  “Most excellent Theophilus” -  The term rendered "most excellent" (κράτιστε) denotes that the friend of Luke for whom nominally his Gospel was written was a man of high rank in the Roman world of that day. Nothing is known of his history. He was most likely, from Luke's connection with Antioch, a noble of that great and wealthy city, and may fairly be taken as a representative of that cultured thoughtful class for whom in a measure Evangelist Luke especially wrote. The title κράτιστε, by which the Theophilus is here addressed, we find several times applied to high Roman officials, such as Felix and Festus (Acts 23:26; Acts 24:3; Acts 26:25).

From executableoutlines.com – The book of Acts was written to "O Theophilus" - Ac 1:1.  (or the "most excellent Theophilus" of  Lk 1:3).  Theophilus means "loved of God”. The appellation "most excellent" suggests a government official - cf. Ac 23:26; 24:3; 26:25  Some have concluded that Theophilus was the magistrate who  heard Paul's case in Rome and that Acts (and Luke) was a legal brief in Paul's defense - ISBE, "Theophilus". Note that the honorific title "most excellent" was dropped, about which we will comment later. The abrupt ending of Acts prior to Paul's trial before Caesar lends support to the idea that it may have initially served as a “legal brief" in Paul's behalf - cf. Ac 28:30-31.        

Another explanation is that “THEOPHILUS  (the-of'-i-lus, Theophilos, "loved of God") is the one to whom Luke addressed his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles (compare Lk 1:3; Acts 1:1). It has been suggested that Theophilus is merely a generic term for all Christians, but the epithet "most excellent" implies it was applied by Luke to a definite person, probably a Roman official, whom he held in high respect. Theophilus may have been the presbyter who took part in sending the letter from the Corinthians to Paul, given in the "Acta Pauli" (compare Hennecke, Neutestamentliche Apokryphen, 378). There is also a magistrate Theophilus mentioned in the "Acts of James" as being converted by James on his way to India (compare Budge, The Contendings of the Apostles, II, 299), but these and other identifications, together with other attempts to trace out the further history of the original Theophilus, are without sufficient evidence for their establishment (compare also Knowling in The Expositor Greek Testament, II, 49-51). - C. M. Kerr of the NETBible, ( International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)).

In verse 3 of this narrative from Acts, it says that Jesus appeared for 40 days and the apostles were told about the kingdom of God. Indeed, the kingdom of God is the principal message of Jesus Christ and is the good news or gospel of salvation that are to be broadcasted Christ’s followers.

Verse 5 mentions about John’s water baptism and the Christian Holy Spirit baptism. Footnote e of this verse also mentions water baptism and the giving of the Holy Spirit through the imposition of hands (sacrament of confirmation). It also mentions that certain groups of early Christians were administering John’s baptism side by side with the Christian sacraments of water baptism and confirmation (refer to Acts 19:3).

Verses 6 and 7 talks about the apostles’ question to Jesus Christ whether he will already restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus Christ’s answer was that it is not for them to know the times and dates.

Verses 9 - 11  are what concerns us because these talk about the ascension. These say:   As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud^l took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them, and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who had been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus^m will come back in the same wayⁿ as you have seen him go there.’

Footnotes ^l for verse 9 states that: The cloud is part of theophanies in O.T., Ex 13:22+, and in NT, Lk 9:34-35p. In particular, Dn 7:13, it marks the coming, or parousia, of the Son of Man, Mt 24:30+; v. 11 of this passage; cf. 1 Th 4:17+; Rv 1:7; 14:14-16. Footnotes m and n for verse 11 states that:   ^m –“ Thus the Western Text. Text Rec. ‘this Jesus who had been taken up from you into heaven’; ⁿ – “The glorious coming, the parousia, see notes on Mt 24 and Lk 17:22-37; 21:5-33.”

Parallel texts for these are:

a.       Lk 24:50-51 - Then he took them as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven.^l Footnote l  says “Omitted ‘and was carried up to heaven’.”

b.      Jn 20:17 - Jesus said to her, ‘’Do not cling to me,^f because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers,^g and tell them: I am ascending to my Father^h and your Father, to my God and your God. Footnotes f g and h  state that:

^f - Mary has fallen at the feet of Jesus to embrace them, cf. Mt. 28:9.

^g- Var. ‘my brothers’.

^h - This assertion does not contradict the account of Ac 1:3f. Christ ‘went up’ to the Father, that is to say, his body entered into glory, Jn 3:13; 6:62; Ep 4:10; 1 Tm 3:16; Heb 4:14; 6:19f; 9:24; 1 P 3:22; cf. Ac 2:33+, 36+, on the day he rose from the tomb, Jn 20:17; Lk 24:51. The significance of the ‘ascension’, 40 days later, Ac 1:2f,9-11, is that the time of earthly companionship is over, that he is now ‘seated at the right hand of God’ and will not return before his final coming (the parousia).

c.       Rm 10:6 - But the righteousness that comes from faith says this:^c Do not tell yourself you have to bring Christ down - as in the text: Who will go up to heaven? Footnote c states that  - The argument is odd at first reading, because the passage of Dt is certainly an eulogy of the righteousness of the Law. But Paul sees in this text, which sums up the whole Law in the precept of love and the ‘circumcision of the heart’, Dt 30:6,16,20, a presentiment of the new law. The ‘word of faith’, uttered and effective by the spirit of Christ, 8:2,14, is deeper in the heart and sweeter in the mouth than the  ‘word of the Law’ could be.

d.      Ep 4:8-10 -  It was said that he would: When he ascended to the height, he captured prisoners, he gave gifts to men.^d When it says ‘he ascended’, what can it mean if not the he descended^e right down to the lower regions of the earth?^f Footnotes for these are:

^d - Following rabbinic practice Paul quotes this text for the sake of two phrases: ‘he ascended’ vv. 9-10, and ‘he gave gifts’ v. 11, which he interprets as the ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Spirit.

^e - Add (Vulg.) ‘first of all’.

^f -  Lit. ‘into the lower part of the earth’. The most appropriate interpretation is that ‘the earth’ is itself the ‘lower region’ to which Christ descended to give ‘ the gifts’ to mankind, and Paul’s argument is that these gifts can only be from the one who ‘ascended’. But the phrase can be taken to mean the subterranean kingdom of the dead, Nb 16:33f, to which Christ descended before the resurrection, 1 P 3:19f.

e.      1 P 3:22 - …who has entered into heaven and is at God’s right hand,^l now that he has made the angels and Dominions and Powers his subjects. Footnote l states that: - Add (Vulg.) ‘submitting to death so that we might have eternal life’.

f.        Lk 24:4 - As they stood there not knowing what to think, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side.

g.       Ac 3:20 - …and so that the Lord may send the time of comfort.^m Then he will send you the Christ he has predestined, that is Jesusⁿ Footnotes for this are:

^m - The epoch coincides with that of Christ’s coming and of ‘the restoration of all things’, cf. 1:7+; Rm2:6+; a period which, as the apostles thought, would see the re-establishment of the kingdom in Israel, Ac 1:6-7. Repentance and conversion hasten its coming, cf. 2 P 3:12.

ⁿ - Or ‘Jesus who has been appointed Christ for you’, cf. 2:36+. When the time comes, Christ who became King Messiah though his resurrection will return to establish his kingdom forever and to make all creation new,  v. 21, cf. Rm 8:19+.

h.      Zec 14:4 - On that day, his feet will rest on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem from the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, forming a huge gorge; half the Mount will recede northwards, the other half southwards.

The second reading for this Sunday is from Ep 1:17-23. The verses from this text that has direct bearing to Ascension Sunday are verses 19-23 which say that: “and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work  in Christ when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power or Dominion,^t or any other name that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.

which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation. ^u”