To enable the faithful to participate in the celebration of Jesus’ Ascension to heaven, the solemnity is held in the Philippines on Sunday (the Seventh Sunday of Easter) instead of exactly on the 40th day after Easter. The departure of Jesus from the company of His followers does not mean separation or abandonment; He remains with His own even to the end of the world with all power in heaven and on Earth (Matthew 28:16-20).
Last appearance
Matthew does not speak explicitly of the ascension of the risen Jesus, but only of His last appearance, the end of His visible presence among His disciples. This final appearance is placed by the evangelist “in Galilee,” where Jesus began His ministry (4:13). “Galilee of the Gentiles” on the border to the pagan world, thus underlining the continuity between the ministry of Jesus and the mission of the apostles to the world. It took place on a mountain, just as Jesus proclaimed the charter of the kingdom of heaven on a mountain (5:1ff) and taught the crowds from a mountain side on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Recapitulating the resurrection appearances of Jesus, our gospel scene on Jesus’ initiative is intended to allow the disciples to see, recognize and worship Him. More than the other evangelists, Matthew places much emphasis on the respect owed the Lord as He narrates 10 such instances of prostrations and acts of homage (2:2.8.11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9.17). Like other theophanies manifesting the divine, the appearance of Jesus resurrected was not so obvious as to exclude all doubts (Mark 16:8; Luke 24:11; John 20:25). For the followers of Jesus, faith in Him must also still overcome uncertainty and reservation.
Make disciples of all nations
Recognition and worship include mission. As Jesus was transfigured on a mountain witnessed by Peter, James and John with the glory that would be His at the end of His exodus (17:1ff), He now declares on a mountain that all power in heaven and on Earth has been given Him by God. On the mountain in the desert the devil tempted Him to seize power for Himself (4:8-10), which He refused to do adhering to His fundamental option that God alone should be worshipped and served. Faithful to God, cosmic dominion is now His as foretold of the Son of Man, a term Jesus used in referring to Himself (26:63-64, quoting Daniel 7:13).
This absolute and universal sovereignty of Jesus demands that all nations be invited and given the opportunity to follow Him. Discipleship begins with baptism in the name of Jesus, i.e. belonging to Him and adhering to His gospel way. This act of faith in Jesus has at its heart believing in and entering into communion with the God He revealed: the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, this kind of faith entails concretely keeping His commandments. Faith translated into action and life is imitation of Jesus who wants only that God’s will be done (6:10; 26:39), and for whom fidelity to the will of His heavenly Father is the basis of true communion with him (12:50), not merely spouting “Lord, Lord” (7:21).
Alálaong bagá, as at the Transfiguration, the disciples must come down from the mountain of life-changing encounter with the Lord. Now they must get beyond the boundaries of Galilee and go to all nations. They are to teach all peoples the faith in Jesus, a way of life they must live first. Fidelity to His commandments is taught by, through and in keeping them, not just repeating the words of Jesus. Spreading by example Jesus’ way of life calls for sensitivity and creativity whereby like “the scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven” the evangelizing disciples know how to draw new and old things from the measure they have received (13:52), according to the times and the cultures and needs of the other peoples. And this daunting task of making disciples of all nations and of evangelization by example is not left entirely to the means of the disciples. The mission is on the premise of the promised presence of Jesus: “I am with you always.” This last saying of Jesus in Matthew fulfills all His other promises, echoing the prophecy in the name given Him at the beginning: Emmanuel—God is with us (1:23).
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