Why this difference? Perhaps because the Lord's Resurrection, after His descent into Hades, was a passage from Hades into Paradise. There was no place to set earthly witnesses there. The Patriarchs and Prophets who had departed from earthly life had to be its witnesses. But the Lord's Ascension, as a passage from earth to heaven, could naturally have the Apostles as witnesses, standing on earth and looking toward heaven.
Moreover, it was enough to see the Risen One after the Resurrection in order to bear witness to the Resurrection itself. But the ascent of earth-born flesh into heaven had to be seen in the very act, so that afterward it might be witnessed.
Can earth-born flesh ascend into heaven, fleshly reason will say? We answer: there is no need to speculate about the possibility of the deed when the deed itself was seen and witnessed by men who did not refuse to die for the truth of this testimony. "While they were looking on, He was taken up."
But did the Lord show His Ascension only to convince unbelievers? Without doubt, He did so also to encourage believers. "If then you were raised with Christ," says the Apostle. Let us add: if you have seen Him ascending into heaven and desire to share in this new triumph of His, "seek the things above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Col 3:1-2).
What does it mean to "set your mind on things above"? Is it not true that this is not sufficiently clear? If you do not understand it, then, whether you wish it or not, you must also admit that you do not do it. That is, you do not set your mind on things above. For one who does a thing already knows the work that he does.
If you do not set your mind on things above, then you will not ascend to the things above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. But if you do not ascend there, where Christ is at the right hand of God, then think, earth-born man, what will become of you. When the visible heaven and earth pass away, and outside Christ's heavenly Kingdom nothing remains except Hades, where will you remain? When the earth beneath you collapses and Hades opens, there is no other means of salvation than to cling with all your strength to the things above. We must learn to set our mind on things above, not on earthly things.
Learn to set the mind. Let no one be frightened by this demand. Let no one think that he is being subjected to the many difficulties joined to acquiring what on earth is called wisdom. Among these must be counted even the means of worldly wisdom: many teachers contradicting one another, and many books. Often they act upon the eye and the mind only like harmful dust.
Do not be afraid. Learning to be wise according to the Gospel is not the same as learning worldly wisdom. Heavenly-mindedness does not depend so much on external means. It does not require so many aids, and it is not surrounded by so many difficulties as worldly wisdom. Yet it also makes use of external means, does not reject aids, and is not exempt from difficulties of its own kind.
The Apostle who wrote to us the command to set our mind on things above used the means and aids of earthly wisdom, having been educated at the feet of the learned Gamaliel. But afterward he rejected all this, and his other advantages as well, as vanity and refuse for the surpassing knowledge of Christ Jesus, and that he might gain Christ (Phil 3:7-8). Therefore he rose higher in heavenly-mindedness while he was rejecting the means and aids of earthly wisdom.
The other Apostles learned only to mend fishermen's nets, not to untangle bookish speculations. Yet this did not prevent them from advancing in heavenly-mindedness for themselves, and from becoming teachers of it even for the wise. So it was also after the Apostles. Basil the Great acquired the wisdom of Athens and gave it as a handmaid to the wisdom of the Gospel. Arsenius, also great, possessed Hellenic and Roman learning, yet found himself sufficiently ignorant, and an uneducated Egyptian elder sufficiently knowledgeable, to learn from him the beginnings of spiritual wisdom.
Thus heavenly-mindedness, though still high even for the wise, is at the same time simple enough for babes. For You, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to babes" (Mt 11:25).
What, then, does it mean to set the mind on things above? I repeat: if you do not understand this, it is clear that you do not do it. And if you do not set your mind on things above, there is no doubt that you set your mind on earthly things. Consequently, you already know this.
What do you do when you set your mind on earthly things? For example, what do you do when you apply your mind to becoming rich? You desire wealth. You often think about it. You devise means for acquiring and increasing it. In deed, you use these means. Whatever you do, you do with the intention of acquiring and increasing wealth. You place your well-being in the possession of wealth.
From this example one may say generally that to set one's mind on earthly things means to desire earthly things, think about earthly things, do earthly things, intend earthly things, and place well-being in earthly things. Change the object, and it becomes clear what it means to set the mind on things above. It means to desire what is above, that is, heavenly, or otherwise spiritual and divine. It means to think about heavenly things, to do heavenly things, or, according to the Gospel saying, "to do the works of God" (Jn 6:28). It means to have heavenly things as one's intention, and to place blessedness in heavenly things.
How difficult, some will think. In order to have heavenly things in thoughts, desires, and deeds, an earthly man must change deeds, desires, and even thoughts themselves. I do not dispute that this is necessary, nor that it is not entirely easy. But what is to be done? To ascend to the height is harder than to fall into the abyss. Is it better, then, to fall into the abyss?
It is difficult to set the mind on things above. But is it not difficult to set the mind on earthly things as well? For example, is the kind of wisdom adopted by a covetous man easy for him? He labors day and night. He deprives himself of food and rest. Sometimes he leaves his home. He withdraws from those dear to his heart. He crosses the land. He ventures onto the sea. He descends into the depths of the earth. He is tormented now by hunger for acquisition, now by care to preserve, now by fear of possible loss, or despair over actual loss.
If the thought of becoming rich with a corruptible treasure on earth, for a short time, forces a man to endure such difficulties, is the thought of acquiring the heavenly treasure, incorruptible and forever, not worth the struggle?
It is difficult for an earthly man to set his mind on things above. Yet even a grain of wheat, buried in the earth at your feet, sets its mind on things above in its own way. It splits open. It breaks upward through the earth as a shoot, struggling against the earth's weight and its own. It grows higher and higher. Striving constantly upward, it blossoms and bears fruit. Do you really think that less power is given to an earthly man than to a grain of wheat, to rise into the higher region according to his nature?
It is difficult for an earthly man to set his mind on things above. But are you entirely earthly, O man? Is that properly man which is taken from the earth and returns to the earth? Is this not only your garment, or, if you prefer, your prison? But you yourself, the true man, are the breath of life that proceeded from the mouth of God Himself, according to what was spoken: "He breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul" (Gen 2:7).
Therefore, if it is difficult for you as an earthly being, is it not easy for you as a heavenly being to set your mind on things above? Is it difficult for fire to go upward, where its natural region is? Is it difficult for a stone to fall to the earth, where it was born? Is it difficult for the human spirit to strive toward the things above and draw near to the Most High?
If the fall of the old Adam turned man's striving away from the things above toward the things below and the nethermost regions, has not the Resurrection and Ascension of the new Adam, the God-man Jesus Christ, turned this striving back to its original direction with double strength? Has it not set up a ladder to heaven? Has not the descent of the Holy Spirit kindled in mankind a spiritually burning fire, which naturally goes upward and draws upward that in which it dwells?
After this, is it still difficult to set the mind on things above, even if for this it is necessary to change deeds, desires, and thoughts?
But how can we leave earthly deeds, desires, and thoughts, when earthly things surround us and when earthly things are necessary for earthly life? Observe yourself. See how you leave heavenly things for earthly-mindedness, and you will find a very simple way to leave earthly things for heavenly things.
You shorten for yourself the time of works of piety, so that you may have more time for worldly affairs. Sometimes you go to the temple of God, while still thinking about what occupies you in your house. Even when you stand bodily in the temple of prayer, your thought sometimes goes where earthly-mindedness draws it, or where the passion ruling in you draws it. Even your spiritual exercises are damaged by earthly memories that come in the midst of them.
Act in the opposite way. Do the works necessary for earthly life, but try not to extend them beyond necessity. As far as possible, free yourself from this servitude into the freedom of works of piety. Not only when you stand before God in the temple should you hold back your thought from straying toward earthly things. Outside the temple also, when necessity makes you deal with earthly things, draw your thought and desire away from them and raise them to heaven and to God.
When you go to a worldly task, remember God and ask His blessing and help. When you enter into rest from this task, remember God and thank Him for help in labor and for the gift of rest. Thus one can join spiritual-mindedness to every earthly occupation that is not contrary to the law of God. In this way, so to speak, one can turn everything earthly and visible into what is heavenly and spiritual.
"When you look upon the sun," Saint Macarius teaches, "seek the true Sun, for you are blind. When you stretch your gaze toward the light, turn from there with your eyes to your soul, and see whether you have in it the true and good Light, that is, the Lord" (Homily 33).
May the light of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten us. May His Spirit strengthen us. May following His word and His life raise each of us to heavenly-mindedness on earth, and through this to the blessed vision of Him in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Amen.
THEOSIS