The summit, where people used to worship God
peter_asirvatham@yahoo.co.in

Reading the Bible is a different experience for me since my return from The Holy Lands last year. My mind's projector starts whirring images of places every time I come across the names of places I visited in Egypt, Israel and Jordan.

Being a member of an Anglican (Tamil) Church, we celebrated our Lord's Ascension and the Day of Pentecost some weeks ago. On these days my mind's projector was playing scenes from our visit to The Chapel of Ascension on The Mount of Olives and, Jerusalem. The study of our Lord's Ascension in the gospels is interesting. Among the evangelists only Mark and Luke talk about Jesus' Ascension. The evangelist Matthew ends his gospel with The Great Commission on a (nameless) mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28: 16-20). The evangelist John ends his gospel where our Lord reinstated Peter by the shores of The Sea of Galilee (John 21: 15-25).

In the gospel of Mark, the evangelist writes that Jesus was "taken up into heaven" without mentioning the place from where our Lord ascended (Mark 16: 9-20). In the Luke's gospel the evangelist Luke, who is known for investigative and accurate reporting gives a sketchy report of our Lord's ascension. He writes "When [Jesus] had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. (Luke 24:50-51)

However, it is in the opening verses of the book of Acts that we read in some detail of our Lord's ascension. Yet, it is not clear or conclusive from where exactly our Lord ascended to heaven. We draw an inference from Acts 1: 12 where it reads that the disciples, after his ascension returned to Jerusalem from "the hill called the Mount of Olives."

One of the questions that repeated itself in my mind on my pilgrimage was, "Could this be the exact place where our Lord was born? or crucified?" and so on and so forth.

The Chapel of Ascension on The Mount of Olives is located on the summit of the mountain. There, on a small piece of rock, under the dome of the chapel is what is believed to be the site from where our Lord ascended to heaven. "Could this be the spot from where our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven?" was a question that came to mind that morning. The answer I have now is: Very likely, yes.

A few days ago, I was reading the account of King David fleeing the capital, from possible danger when his son Absalom declared himself king at Hebron and, planned to move to Jerusalem to seize power (2 Samuel 15). King David's flight from Jerusalem was eastward. He and his household crossed the Kidron Valley (v.23) and ascended The Mount of Olives (v.30) weeping, with his head covered. Now, here is the clincher. 2 Samuel 15: 32 says, "When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God..."

Now, isn't that amazing? "the summit (of The Mount of Olives), where people used to worship God"! What a privilege it was to touch the spot of our Lord's Ascension.

My prayer is that I revisit The Holy Lands again. God willing.