Seventh Sunday of Easter
The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, Until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about God's Kingdom. Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, "Don't depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?"
He said to them, "It isn't for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth."
When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, Who also said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky."
For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is a great King over all the earth. He subdues nations under us, And peoples under our feet.
Sing praises to God! Sing praises! Sing praises to our King! Sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with understanding.
God reigns over the nations. God sits on his holy throne. The princes of the peoples are gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God. He is greatly exalted!
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might Which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, Which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them. When they saw him, they bowed down to him; but some doubted. Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
The apostles stand gazing upward as Jesus disappears into the clouds, and there's something almost comical about this moment. Here they are, necks craned skyward, until heavenly messengers essentially tell them to stop gawking and get to work. This scene captures something deeply human about how we sometimes respond to mystery—we freeze, we stare, we wait for something more dramatic when God has already given us what we need.
Notice the beautiful tension in these readings. Jesus ascends to sit at the right hand of the Father, far above all earthly powers, yet promises to remain with us always. The disciples receive the most impossible commission imaginable—make disciples of all nations—while being told to wait for the Spirit's power. Paul speaks of Christ's cosmic authority while describing the Church as his very body, present and active in the world.
This paradox plays out in our daily lives constantly. We're called to participate in God's enormous mission while living ordinary Wednesday afternoons. We're commissioned to be witnesses "to the uttermost parts of the earth" while changing diapers, attending meetings, or caring for aging parents. The same Spirit that empowered the apostles moves through our small acts of love and faithfulness.
The movement here is from gazing upward to looking outward—from wondering about divine timing to embracing our role as Christ's presence in the world. When the disciples ask about restoring Israel's kingdom, Jesus redirects them toward a much larger vision. God's kingdom isn't confined to their expectations or timeline.
What emerges is an invitation to live with both cosmic perspective and intimate presence—knowing that our daily choices participate in Christ's reign while trusting that he walks alongside us in the mundane moments.
Where might we be gazing upward when God is calling us to look around? How does knowing Christ's authority change how we approach ordinary challenges?