“The Feast of the Ascension was on Thursday (40 days after the Resurrection).  If we lived in continental Europe we would have had the day off work to celebrate but as we didn’t we are marking it today.  The Ascension is not recorded in 3 of the 4 gospels but Luke gives us two versions: with one (the one we hear this morning, Luke 24:44-53) Luke brings his gospel to an end and with the other he opens the book of the Acts of the Apostles. The Ascension is a moment for the followers of Jesus to look back at his ministry, death and resurrection and begin to make sense of all they have learnt and experienced as Jesus “opens their minds to understand”.  In order that, when they receive “power from on high” they will be able to continue Christ’s work in the world.  The Ascension is the bridge between Christ’s ministry in Jesus of Nazareth and Christ’s ministry in the church on earth, in you and me.  It leaves a Jesus shaped hole in the world into which we are sent to bring good news, healing, justice, forgiveness reconciliation and well-being.   We worry, of course, that we are not up to the task and we are not.  But in this short passage we are told that we will be given all that we need for this ministry: we will be given one another; we will be given the strength and wisdom of God’s spirit; and, perhaps most importantly, we will be given repentance and the forgiveness of sins because we will get it wrong until we get it right.  In the account given in Acts we are also given some helpful angelic messengers who ask us “why are you standing still looking up into heaven?”  In other words, the world has need of you, go on, get on with it!

At the end of Acts chapter 15 Paul decides to visit his fellow Christians in places he knew but he is prevented from doing so.  Instead, in Acts 16:9-15, he is sent somewhere new.  He believes that he is going to the men in Macedonia but it is the women who respond to his preaching.  The work of God leads him to unexpected people in unexpected places, the outcomes are equally uncertain, some positive some not so and he will not always be able to see his efforts bearing fruit.

This morning, in John 5:1-9, Jesus’ efforts also have mixed results when he heals a paralysed man in Bethsaida.  The man offers no thanks and shows not signs of faith.  He will go on to blame Jesus when he is reprimanded by the religious authorities.  The man’s paralysis is more than physical. His situation has left him apathetic and despairing.  When asked if he wants to be made well, he blames others for his condition.  He took no responsibility before he could walk and he continues to take none once healed.  We too are often paralysed.  We are not confident that our actions can make a difference. Perhaps we are afraid that we may be rejected or that our efforts will fail, that embracing healing and wholeness will also involve embracing change and uncertainty.  But, despite our reticence, our recklessly generous God continues to ask us “do you want to made well?”