Surely they would have had more to say to one another than a blessing and a command to share what they have learned. Even Yoda had more to say to Luke than "When gone am I, the last of the Jedi will you be. Pass on what you have learned." What other words or wishes would have passed between them?
Recently, a new song from Mumford and Sons has caught my ear. In this song, "Beloved," the songwriter is reflecting on his experience of being in the room when his grandmother had passed away. He is reflecting on that sense of loss, the grief that comes when someone you love dies.
But as I listen to the song, I hear it almost as a dialogue between Jesus and the disciples. I hear the disciples' confusion and lament in the opening verse with the words "Sit enthroned in white grandeur" and "How have I not made a note of every word/You ever said." They recognize this is among their last moments with Jesus here physically before them. Considering he was dead not all that long ago, I imagine their eyes see him enthroned whether he is physically sitting in a throne or not. And considering their own recognition of the times they failed to understand what he had been teaching him, the realization of all he was trying to show them dawning on them far too late, they probably wish they had been writing it down all along.
And then the chorus switches us over to Jesus:
Before you leaveMore than anything else, Jesus wants them to recognize that they have been loved. This lies at the heart of the message that he brought to them - love. God loves us and expects us to love each other.
You must know you are beloved
And before you leave
Remember I was with you
Beyond that, these disciples are his family. Beloved symbolizes a much deeper relationship than that of teacher and student, or even that of rabbi and disciple. If you learn nothing else, if you hear no other words than this, know that you are beloved. Do not forget who I am and all that I taught and showed you along the way.
"Are you afraid? However could you not be?"
One of Jesus' most common refrains to the disciples, particularly in his post-resurrection appearances, is the command to not be afraid. It is not that the disciples are particularly more fearful than any other group, but they have realized things few others had. It is death to look upon the face of God, and yet here is Jesus before them. Here is one that walks on water, that commands the storms to silence, that appears and shares a meal even though a few days ago he died. How could they not be afraid?
For me, the remainder of the song flows back and forth between words I imagine from Jesus and words I imagine from the disciples.
The disciples finally have come to recognize the light they had been unable to see clearly during Jesus' life. They certainly recognized that in Jesus something new, something special was happening. They surely recognized him as a holy man, perhaps like the prophets of old. But they have a difficult time recognizing him as divine, as the Son of God, as God, until we get to the end of the story.
Jesus will no longer hold the disciples back, but neither can they hold onto him any longer. Here in these moments, Jesus leaves them with a final command to go out and love others, to spread all that he has taught them. As much as they want him to stay, the disciples recognize that Jesus is going on ahead of them, but that his promises will be fulfilled.
And as they look into each others eyes as Jesus ascends, their eyes are full of tears, of promises, of power, of all the things they have meant to each other - students, teacher, friends, family, companions. All those emotions and thoughts mix together in a chaotic blend that shimmers with promise.
"And as you leave..."
Jesus leaves them behind with a promise. His promise is to remain with them in the form of the Holy Spirit which he will send to them. The Spirit will continue to guide and strengthen them just as Jesus had done when he lived with them. The Spirit will empower them to care for all of God's children, to make of all people's one people united in love.
"You must know that you are beloved..."
Jesus reaches out to us trying to draw us closer, showing us the depth of God's love for us. As we celebrate the Ascension this week, may we never forget that we are beloved, each and every one of us. And as we recognize that love, may the Spirit empower and encourage us to share that love out to all the people of God.