FIRST READING ACTS 3:12-19 / Luke 24:36-49
The beginning of our passage really is rather humorous the way Peter addresses the people that have just witnessed him healing a beggar in the street.
“Hey! You Israelites! Why do you wonder at this . . . Why are you staring at us? As though we ourselves made this man walk?”
Peter KNOWS what he is seeing: as usual the people are getting it all wrong – they are looking for a HUMAN leader / miracle worker – some charismatic leader. And wouldn’t it have been easy for ol’ Peter to CLAIM at least SOME role in this! To say, “What the heck. Sharing in some of the glory here wouldn’t be the worst thing. I mean I’ve done my part in making this all happen haven’t I?”
But notice that he doesn’t even refer to himself as the healer but rather says “why are you looking at US” – not, “Why are you looking at ME?” (Even though he, of course, was the instrument of the healing.)
Perhaps Peter has been reading his Torah – Remember what happened to Moses in the desert? When he got “dramatic” and “grand-standed just a bit and hit the stone twice and didn’t speak the words exactly as God had instructed him? It wound up costing him the reward of entering the Promised Land – what would have been the very culmination and affirmation of his entire life’s work!
Or maybe Peter has just listened well to the “humility part” of what Jesus had to say during their time together. Or simply watching how HE – the very Son of God – carried himself in EVERY situation. Even in the midst of whores, and tax collectors and cheats – even in the midst of pompous, dogmatic and “pharasitic” “religious” people.
But note – that even though Peter is humble, that doesn’t mean he isn’t concise and direct. Peter doesn’t mince a single word! Rather he tells them the truth straight up – even to his and the other disciples potential detriment! In fact, you have to wonder if James, John and Andrew and the others were looking at him kind of sideways as he made these statements: “Easy there bro – you trying to get us killed!”
“It is the God of our ancestors who glorified this Jesus! Whom you betrayed and handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he [Yes – he – even Pilot!] had decided to release him! But YOU rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, [A murderer of all people!] That’s right – you killed the very Author of life, whom God then raised from the dead. To THIS we are witnesses! We watched you do the whole thing – you can’t deny it!”
Gulp. Surely the others ARE wondering, “Uh Peter, where exactly are you going with all this?” But they soon find out – as Peter then clarifies that their sin and disobedience was actually used by God to effect HIS purposes!
“But listen, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through the prophets – throughout the scriptures – that his Messiah would suffer. And since you have unwittingly been the instruments of that suffering, repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out too.”
And we are told that through this moment – and many others in the first days of the church – that, “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
So Peter’s very direct speech – offered in honest and compelling humility – resulted in the conversion of thousands in those first few weeks of the early church. But was it really Peter’s direct speech in truth and humility that did it? Or did the truth spoken in love and humility actually create the environment that ALLOWED the Holy Spirit to enter in and do HIS work?
Well, of course, it is the latter – because we ourselves are not the actual grace that is needed to bring others to the Father through the life death and resurrection of Jesus – we are only the MEANS – the instruments – and as instruments we need to know that if we don’t genuinely offer ourselves in humility and truth then God cannot – and will not – work His Holy will out through us.
Many churches makes this mistake by putting a very charismatic leader at the helm who eventually becomes far too much of the focus themselves. He or she is energetic, dynamic and entertaining – and almost always exceedingly adept at making the congregation feel good about themselves.
If the associate minister, who isn’t all that great a speaker, is preaching that week (and people know it) then the sanctuary is a lot less full – and it becomes pretty clear that everyone is coming more for that individual and not so much what the individual is supposed to be pointing to – which is the salvation that can only come though Jesus the Christ – the very Son of God!
Equally distracting (in the modern church) to the ONLY real message of the Gospel (Christ crucified for us) are endless programs and events that, just like the charismatic leader, so often come to supplant a genuine teaching and seeking of the Word itself. And in so doing also become more of “the thing” itself! Not so much that which plugs people into the singular Truth of the Gospel as that which distracts and takes the very place of the Gospel.
In large “successful” churches this seems rampant – indeed look at all the protestant congregations that are now becoming “Community churches,” where the real focus seems to be more on having a nice place to “belong.” A sort of country club where we all do nice things for one another because it’s good for humanity and human beings are supposed to be “nice” to one another. Very much like what evangelist Tony Campello’s son has recently started – churches without Jesus.
A facebook post from a fellow Presbyterian music director this week said and I quote: “Loving your enemies is so much easier when you realize loving them FEELS so much better then hating them.” Well yeah, that’s true – it does. But doesn’t he seem like he’s implying that that’s the REASON to do it?
It seems to me that somewhere along the line Christ and the very difficult and condemning (and yes CONVICTING) words of the Gospel, have been thrown out with the bathwater so that we could all “FEEL better” about ourselves? Neo-orthodoxy? Apart from God we are nothing? Who needs that? No one WANTS to hear that! Let’s just bury this little matter of sin under the carpet. Don’t you think we’ll get more members that way?
Well, this is one seeking, stumbling, fallen, sinner that would rather be authentic and true to scripture – and focused on what Jesus has done and is doing for you and me – than any winning formulae for “success” as defined by numbers and giving and yes – even “good works.” And God forbid “better numbers.”
For if we are burying Jesus in our attempts to succeed by some new definition of the Great Commandment – if we can’t stand fully in the truth of the Gospel – then let’s just not stand at all. For to do so is to distract and to deflect and to hide the only REAL message of our faith – which is Jesus the Christ – the Son of God – and him crucified, dead and buried . . . And THEN resurrected on the third day.
And our scripture makes it clear – the only way we will ever begin a genuine personal relationship with this crucified and resurrected Jesus is through humility and truth telling – which ultimately provides the right state of the heart for the indwelling presence of the promised Holy Spirit.
Of course as Presbyterians, we tend to give the Holy Spirit short shrift – and you have to wonder why? Our theological ancestors sure seem to get it – and if you read any of the Gospels upon which the core of our faith rest you can’t help but get an understanding of the importance of allowing room for the Spirit to work. Listen to Jesus’ words concerning the power and the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit that are found in the single book of John alone:
John 14: 15-17
“If you love Me, keep[a] My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 15:26
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:13-17
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”
And again from John 14:12-14 in which Jesus makes his most extraordinary promise to the Disciples as the Spirit declares what is his to us:
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask[a] anything in My name, I will do it.
And then finally we have our New Testament Scripture for today – Jesus’ last words to the Disciples found in
LUKE 24:36-49.
36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.[a] 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb .[b] 43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise[c] from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem[d]until you are endued with power from on high.” This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
So if we are witnesses, endued with power of the Holy Spirit from on high, what is required of us?
Well, the Old Testament book of Micah keeps it pretty simple and gives us a very good place to start: “Do justice – love mercy – walk humbly.”
The New Testament, however, takes it a bit further and says that before we can really keep the law in this way successfully we must Repent and be Redeemed. That if we aren’t “justified” (that is set in right alignment” with God like words and characters properly aligned on a page) then this will never be possible!
No – it takes a holiness – a divine guidance – that can only be imparted by the Holy Spirit. And that holiness will only come and dwell with us only when we have created the right environment in which he CAN dwell – one of humility, truth and (I would add thirdly) as evidenced by Peter’s words: compassionate forgiveness.
For genuine forgiveness is the wings on which ALL things are made possible – even the salvation of mankind as it was extended from Christ’s dry and thirsty lips upon a brutal Roman Cross. “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.” As spoken by He who bore our sins not because we deserved it – we don’t deserve it at all – but because his Love for us was so great that he was prepared to die eternally if it was the only way he could have saved us.
So yes, just like the sinners in the streets of Jerusalem in those early days who had crucified the very son of God – and just like the Disciples that sat at his feet and sought to live out his truth – we are witnesses. Who are called in humility and truth and forgiveness to create spaces and places for the Holy Spirit to come and do his work.
Which isn’t so much work at all in the end . . . For if God IS for us . . . Who can ever really be against us . . . What could possibly stand in our way? A small flood? A high mortgage? Other members who don’t always see things as we do? An indifferent world more distracted from the truth than it has ever been?
Really? Do any of us think THOSE things are bigger than God?
So let us count it JOY to do His bidding . . . Let us trust that he truly is with us – in ALL things . . . And most especially now.
– Stuart Revercomb
