Reflection by Alice Youlden
Scripture scholarship tells us that Mark 16:15-20, Jesus commissions the eleven and ascends to heaven, is an addition to the original text. Someone, or a group of someones, must have felt the need to add these verses, perhaps in response to concerns of a later time. So, can these verses speak to us today?
The text states Jesus was taken up to heaven. Images of Jesus disappearing into clouds above the earth abound throughout history. The writers of the text were influenced by ancient cosmology. Heaven was above, the domain of the gods, and earth, was the place of humans, but the two were connected, both were part of the same cosmos. I guess the most we can say is that the human Jesus, and the resurrected Jesus who appeared to his followers was removed from human sight and entered his messianic glory at God’s right hand.
When I reflect on the Ascension of Jesus, I always wonder how the disciples must have felt. Were they scared of being on their own without Jesus’ guidance, were they apprehensive about their ability to carry on Jesus’ mission? I can only imagine their feelings. I buried my dad last month; he was 95 and it feels like there is a great void in my life. Yet, in conversations with friends and family I am gradually realising that he is here, not bodily, but in spirit, deep within the essence of my being, and those of my children and grandchildren. He taught me to love learning and music. He was a man of integrity who always looked out for others and treated everyone with respect and kindness. So, I move forward in my life, nurturing what he taught, recalling his words and actions. This life experience enriches my wonderings about the Ascension and how the disciples must have felt.
In verses 15-18 in Mark, Jesus’ followers are instructed to take the good news to all. They have been left with some particular gifts to do so. Not gifts like my father left me. I’m not sure how helpful speaking in tongues or the ability to pick up snakes and drink poison and be unharmed would be today, but I guess the core message is about the triumph of the risen Lord, the cosmos is filled with the Lord’s resurrected presence, Jesus is God, still here, present since the beginning of time with power over nature. Jesus has not abandoned humanity, far from it. Through his spirit he is present in the world, he is active in a new way through every age. Hopefully the gifts my dad left us will filter down through generations.
We may not have to wrangle snakes or drink poison, but we will have to face difficult times and it is good to remember that Jesus’ spirit is still with us. Whatever the origin and purpose of these additional verses they are recognised as part of the Catholic Canon of Scripture and that is a good enough reason for me to continue to wonder and reflect on Jesus’ message, and, as a member of his Church on earth, to share in his mission.
