The Ascension of the Lord on the Mount
of Olives evokes a memory that Jesus vanished out of the sight of Cleopas and
the other disciple in Emmaus. It was the evening of the Resurrection of the
Lord when the risen Lord vanished out of their sight after breaking the bread
(Luke 24:30-32).
The Lucan narrative of the journey of
Cleopas and the other disciples from Jerusalem to Emmaus with the risen Jesus
on the day of the Resurrection (Luke24:13-35) seems to hold a key to understand
the meaning of Ascension, as the sudden disappearance of the risen Jesus’ body
in Emmaus and the Ascension of the risen Jesus do not seem to be independent
events.
The physical presence of the risen Jesus
vanished as soon as these two disciples recognized the man, who walked with
them and taught the meaning of the death and the resurrection of Jesus, on the way to Emmaus, was the risen Jesus
himself (Luke 24:31). I believe that this fact on the evening of the day of the
Resurrection is very important to be noted to understand the meaning of the
Ascension of the Lord.
The fact that the two disciples’
recognition of the risen Christ and the disappearance of the physical presence
of the object of their recognition, the risen Christ, is significant not only
theologically but also psychologically. It is because, the vanishing of the physical
presence of the risen Christ suggests
that the disciples have become able to recognize the permanently enduring presence
of Christ regardless of his physical presence.
Given how analogous the narrative flow of the Lucan Gospel story on the
two disciples’ journey to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and the narrative flow of the
Eastertide Sunday Gospel stories leading to Ascension (John 20:1-9; John 20:
19-31; Luke 24:13-35;John 10:1-10; John 14:1-12; John 14:15-21; Matthew
28:16-20), it is clear that the Gospel readings
during the Eastertide leads us to an enlightenment at the point of
Ascension, as the road to Emmaus led Cleopas and the other disciples to their
enlightenment. And, what we have become enlightened to at the
point of Ascension is the truth that Jesus is indeed Emmanuel, which means “God
with us”, as his psychological nature is to be with us as the permanently
enduring parakletos, which literally means “calling to be beside”, both in
flesh and in spirit. To put this truth
in light of John Bowlby’s and Mary Ainsworth’s psychological theories of
attachment (emotional bonding with affection),
Jesus’ Emmanuel parakletos
nature is the bottom life for our secure attachment to God, who Himself is the parakletos through Jesus Christ, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The narrative flow of these Eastertide
Gospel readings from the Resurrection Sunday until Ascension suggests how we
have come to understand the meaning of Jesus’ death and the resurrection,
projected in the way the disciples gradually come to understand this meaning in
these Gospel narratives. And, this
pattern of our understanding is succinctly found in Luke 24:13-35, the Third
Sunday of Easter Gospel reading, which changes the tone of the Eastertide
Gospel reading from the first two Sundays to the tone of the rest of the
Eastertide Gospel readings.
As we have kept listening to Jesus
explaining the salvific meaning of his death and the resurrection, through
these Gospel readings, we have naturally come to understand the meaning of his
Ascension.
Jesus does not have to be with us in
flesh when we have reached a certain level of understanding of the meaning of
his presence. This point of enlightenment also enables us to understand why his
name is “Emmanuel”, God is with us. In fact, Matthew’s Gospel tells that Jesus
is the divine being to be with us (Matthew 1:23) in its very first chapter.
And, in the very last chapter, Matthew’s Gospel reaffirms this Emmanuel identity
of Jesus in Matthew 28:20. This Emmanuel
meaning is persistent and permanent regardless of the condition of Jesus.
This is why Jesus in flesh is the first parakletos and the Holy Spirit is the
second (another) parakletos. Both of them came from the Father, as Jesus
has told. And the Holy Spirit is a
vehicle, through which Jesus comes to us and remains with us far more
intimately. In Catholic theology,
another vehicle, though which Jesus comes to us, is the Sacrament of the
Eucharist.
Recognizing the permanent presence of
Emmanuel parakletos with us, until the end of time, till Parousia, we have
no reason to suffer from insecurity over the absence of Jesus’ physical
appearance. As long as we have
established secure emotional attachment with Jesus by deepening his Emanuel parakletos messianic nature, through the
Eastertide Sunday Gospel readings, we know that he is always with us even his
physical presence become absent with his Ascension. In fact, Cleopas and the other disciples’
were no longer insecure when Jesus vanished out of their sight, because they
began to realize the meaning of Emmanuel the parakletos a bit ahead of the Ascension of the Lord.
The meaning of Jesus’ Ascension is
two-fold. One is that our faith is mature enough to begin understanding the
Paschal Mystery and the messianic quality of Jesus, even without the physical
presence of him. The other is that the physical
absence of Jesus makes it impossible for the disciples to experience the second
parakletos, as Jesus indicated in
John 16:7.
One important factor is that Jesus can
be more intimately with us through the Holy Spirit, because his presence with
us is no longer affected by time, space, distance, and physical factors. Even
though Jesus’ resurrected body could transcend physical barriers, as he entered
into the firmly locked Upper Room after his resurrection, coming to us in the
Holy Spirit enables him to be with us in a more perfect manner. Through the
Holy Spirit, upon his Ascension, Jesus can enter not only into our bodies but
also deep in our hearts and souls feely. If he still had his body, he would not
be with us in such a deeply intimate manner. This is also meaning behind Jesus’
statement in John 16:7.
As we now understand this two-fold meaning
of the Ascension of the Lord, in light of the Paschal Mystery and the messianic
quality of Jesus, we remain confident that Jesus is the Emmanuel parakletos, in flesh or in spirit -
visible or invisible – no matter what form he may be.
Now, we can also understand that Jesus’
physical disappearance in Emmaus on the day of his Resurrection alludes to the
Ascension of the Lord on the Mount of Olives. Both of these events are marked
with our substantial growth in faith and enlightenment projected in the
disciples in respective Gospel narratives.
As we have become enlightened enough for
Jesus to return to the Father without worries for us, we are ready to embark on
our missions upon receiving the Holy Spirit to be empowered, guided, and
comforted. And, we are to give a new life to the Church, as we are the body of
the Church.
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