Ascension of Jesus

Last Friday May 2, 119 torch bearers ran the Olympic Torch Relay in Hong Kong. To many local residents as well as mainland tourists, it was an emotional event. After decades of semi-colonialization, civil wars, Japanese invasion and cultural revolutions, China is, at long last, able to stand on her feet and host this global sports event in Beijing. She will demonstrate, under the close scrutiny of media all over the world, that she belongs to the global community. She is willing to and is capable of contributing her service in the building up of this global village. Her slogan: One World, One Dream. Therefore, this is also a golden opportunity for us Chinese to transcend nationalistic sentiments which we have been relying so much in the previous century.

Luke supplies us with the Ascension tradition. The event was supposed to have taken place 40 days after Jesus' resurrection (Acts 1:3) on Mount Olivet (Acts 1:12). This is the official position adopted by the church down the centuries. However, Luke 24 is not very clear about the timing. Probably, Luke wanted to leave it to the sequel. Mark 16:14-19 also talks about Jesus' ascension. But scholars generally hold that this part of the gospel was an appendix at a latter day. So, we cannot make use of it to cross check Acts. John and Matthew are silent, though hints of ascension can probably be read from them.
Let's consider Matthew. Today, we read of the last 5 verses of Matthew. It is worthwhile to quote them in full.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
And when they saw him they worshiped him; but some doubted.
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore 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 that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28:16-20)
Though Matthew does not explicitly state that Jesus left his 11 apostles behind on earth, where else can Jesus be to stay with them always until the end of time? Had Jesus ascended to heaven in Matthew, he would have ascended in Galilee, not in Mount Olivet outside Jerusalem in the south. I have no satisfactory hypothesis to harmony the two traditions. Again, I can only leave the matter to biblical scholars.
The main focus in the passage is rather the Great Commission. Jesus commissioned his apostles to make disciples of all nations until the end of the world. Baptise them and teach them to observe Jesus' commandment of love. Down the centuries, Christians have been called to become bearers of this torch of truth. We are, indeed, torch bearers of all stripes. There are the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, teachers and businessmen, athletes and entertainers, riders on horseback and sedentary on wheelchairs. This torch relay image is a very appropriate especially today.

My sweet Jesus, St. Paul taught us that we are athletes running a race to heaven. Our target is the laurel, the crowing glory of God. May we run this race wholeheartedly. Give us moments of rest to refresh our weary bodies so that we may continue ahead. Amen.