This blog provides a meditation on the Episcopal daily readings along with a headline from world news:

“CHINA WILL DOMINATE WORLD”-ECONOMIST 

THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST

Hebrews 2:5-18

5 Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6But someone has testified somewhere,

‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them,

or mortals, that you care for them?

7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;

you have crowned them with glory and honour,

8   subjecting all things under their feet.’

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, 9but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12saying,

‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’

13And again,

‘I will put my trust in him.’

And again,

‘Here am I and the children whom God has given me.’

14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

the intelligence of the victim

The writer to Hebrew has modes of argument which are unfamiliar to modern minds, but his/her conclusions are always challenging, as here:

1. Jesus is a pioneer of humanity in that God has given him authority over all the elements of the universe. One day his followers will share this authority.
2. The pioneer is also the victim, sharing the suffering of his brothers and sisters, making his own life an offering to God, in which his followers can share.
3. Jesus’ death and resurrection is a victory over evil whose power rests on the fear of death. His followers share the victory.

The guiding principle is that where the pioneer has gone, others may safely follow. The extreme humanism of this author, that is, his high hopes for the destiny of humanity under God, is challenging to our culture of scepticism about human possibilities. We may say, the author didn’t know about Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot. But perhaps he/ she understood enough about suffering and we don’t understand enough about Jesus. In any case it’s vital to see that for this writer the authenticity of Jesus as pioneer rests on his full humanity, including his subjection to suffering and death. This is a humanism which issues from what Rene Girard calls “the intelligence of the victim.” The doctrine of the Ascension of Jesus Christ is not that we should grovel before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but that we should cease to grovel before earthly Kings and Lords; and in solidarity with all human victims, follow Jesus towards our own royalty.

Matthew 28:16-20

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

St.Francis: teach not impose

For Matthew Jesus’ universal authority is not imposed on humanity: people must be persuaded through the witness of his followers. Nor is it an authority which demands mere obedience to the whim of the ruler. Jesus wants active followers, that is, people who choose to obey his teachings, which are a matter of record and can be made known.

When the ultimate ruler is so careful of the free will of his people, it is always a profound betrayal of him when the church imposes or tries to impose its own ways on unwilling people, as it has done in the past and still does today. This leads not only to resentment against the church but also to genuine confusion because all issues become questions of authority rather than moral discernment.

The church’s job is to make disciples by communicating the story of Jesus and his teachings, so that people may choose to be disciples of the astonishingly patient universal Lord, who continues to walk with his people.