Lifting Up His Hands, He Blessed Them

Scripture Lessons: Psalm 93 and Luke 24: 44-53 Sermon Title: Lifting Up His Hands, He Blessed Them Preached on May 13, 2018 Today is a significant day on the Church Calendar as well as the family calendar. I hope you remembered that today is Mother’s Day, but in addition to today being Mother’s Day, today is also Ascension Sunday, and what we just read from the New Testament book of Luke, is how Jesus said “goodbye” to his disciples as he ascended into heaven. We read: “Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.” It sounds as though no one remembered exactly how he blessed them – what kind of blessing it was – just that as he said goodbye, as he was carried up into heaven, he wasn’t leaving them with one last instruction, one last piece of advice, but with one last blessing. I’ve known people who left me with a blessing. One is a man named Jim Hodges. He was the chair of the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee who interviewed me for my first position as a pastor. It was Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church out in Lilburn, and after the committee that Jim chaired interviewed me and picked me out of the bunch, I was honored to serve that church by preaching about once a month and trying my best to be a pastor while making a whole lot of mistakes. And there were plenty of mistakes. One Sunday, moving through the liturgy, I skipped right over the children’s sermon. On occasion I’d ask everyone to stand when they were supposed to sit down. Regardless, every Sunday I preached I’d give the benediction, would walk out of the sanctuary by the center aisle, and as I walked, to my left there was Jim Hodges giving me a “thumbs up” as though I had done a great job. I had served that church for about two years when Jim was diagnosed with lung cancer. I went to visit him – and those visits were like many where I was the one being comforted rather than providing the comfort. For a long time, I watched him fight, but finally, the doctor told him he was near the end. He called and told me. The next day I walked into his hospital room. His wife Carol left to give us privacy, and I asked Jim if he was scared. His answer: “I’m not sure Carol has a good understanding of the heating and air maintenance contract. Other than that, I just don’t quite know what I’ll do when I see him.” “See who Jim?” I asked. He kind of stared off and said, “Will I laugh? Will I cry? When I see Jesus, I don’t know quite what I’ll do.” In the next day or two, stuck in his hospital bed, he took a picture of his thumb, had Carol get it developed, and gave it to me. It’s framed and on my desk. Jim telling me that, regardless of how I’m actually doing, he thinks I’m doing just fine. Now, that’s a blessing, isn’t it? But not everyone says goodbye with a blessing. Today is Mother’s Day, and ideally, what we celebrate today are our mothers who loved us and blessed us, but not everybody’s mother was like that. Some mothers are abusive. Others neglectful. At the very least, I think most of us have felt at one time or another as though our mother’s love language were “criticism” rather than praise. Do you know what I mean? Maybe it was your wedding day. You were about to walk down the aisle, and your mama came to see you. “You look beautiful honey, but I can’t help thinking, if you just would have lost 5 more pounds.” On the day of graduation, maybe you remember, that there were plenty of mothers who just cried. Out of joy or pride, they couldn’t even speak, but maybe yours could: “Congratulations,” she said, “But I can’t help but wish you had graduated with honors like your friend Peter. Isn’t he a smart one.” Last week I heard from a little league baseball coach. A good friend of mine named Davis. And Davis told me that at the coach’s training they were presented with an interesting finding. That when polled a majority of major league baseball players, when asked the question, “What is your worst memory of sports from your childhood,” a majority of players say, “The ride home from the game.” Most parents want their children to succeed. Most mothers want their children to be successful, but too many of us believe that for our children, the road to success and independence is paved by criticism and advice rather than blessing. As a preacher I’ve received my fair share of critique. It hasn’t all been thumbs ups, that’s for sure. In my third year of seminary, the development office sent a group of us to Jacksonville, Florida to promote the school. I was proud to have been asked to go and rode down with the group. Stayed with my mother’s cousin who lives down there. I preached at this Presbyterian Church and as the congregation left I received many handshakes and encouraging words, but the last man in the line. I remember he was wearing a three-piece suit. “What year are you in the seminary?” he asked. “I’m in my third-year sir.” I answered. “Nearly three years?” he said, “Well, they should have taught you something better than that by now.” And he was on to something. But men in three piece suits, mothers and all the rest of us; we need to remember, that as Jesus ascended into heaven he didn’t say to his disciples: You’ve been a Christian for how long now? You sure ought to be doing it better by now. That’s not how it ends. Those aren’t the last words – the last words are a blessing. A blessing from God to you, because regardless of what your mother said or failed to say – the words you heard in your baptism are trustworthy and true: “You are mine,” says the Lord, “My beloved, and with you I am well pleased.” Too often we Christians walk around like we’ve just been to the dentist: I should be better, I should do better. I should floss more, but today we remember the truth – that as the Lord ascended into heaven, he left giving an imperfect group of disciples his blessing – and today it’s no different for me or you. Consider how the service ends. This service today and every service here ends with a reminder of the main thing: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you. We leave this place as those disciples left Bethany – knowing that the Lord Ascended into heaven giving us his blessing and that matter because you can’t change until you know you’re worth it. You can’t be redeemed until you believe that you’re worthy of redemption. You can’t be saved until you know it in your heart – that you are worth saving. No mother is perfect. None of us had the mother that said everything we need to hear. And those of us who are mothers today will take comfort in this truth as well: we all have to allow Christ to fill in what others left empty, to heal what others broke or left broken. So, these are good words to end on and these are good words to remember: May the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and give you peace, and give you peace. Amen.