Easter 5
1st John 4:7-21
Acts 8:26-38
(prayer)
In the early days of the Christian movement - that is the very beginnings of the church of Jesus - the Risen Christ (following that first Easter), the original disciples of Jesus of Jesus fostered a community that practiced welcome and hospitality.
Three weeks ago, we read from Acts, chapter four:
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul... There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
This was really just an extension of the normal practices within the wider Hebrew culture. In places, like the book of Deuteronomy, the Torah prescribed that ‘walking in the ways of God’, ‘loving God’, included ‘defending the cause’ of the most vulnerable: the orphans, the widows.
However, the early Christian movement grew quickly. The book of Acts notes that day by day, the Lord added to their number (Acts 2:47).
And it was growing beyond its roots in Galilee and Judea. Hebrew Christians - from beyond the traditional lands of Israel - became part of this new expression of faith. These people were sometimes called “Hellenistic Jews” because they lived out in the greek-speaking world.
There is a story (also in Acts) that there were accusations of favouritism on behalf of the disciples - the concern was that they were not paying enough attention to the needy among the Hellenistic believers (cf. Acts 6).
Their defence - they didn’t have time to look after everyone. The bible isn’t clear whether the favouritism claims were justified or if there was unmet needs among the Judean widows as well.
Their defence - they didn’t have time to look after everyone. The bible isn’t clear whether the favouritism claims were justified or if there was unmet needs among the Judean widows as well.
Many organizations desire to grow - but that creates problems of increased needs - good problems usually not to be ignored.
And so the immediate solution was to ‘add staff’ - the group of the twelve apostles would be expanded to include seven more to help meet the needs of the whole community. And these would be chosen from among the Hellenistic believers: Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus.
In this story, we are witnessing, the broadening base of Jesus’ church. Not only was this new faith expression and Way of life for those who walked the land that Jesus walked, it was also for all who were born into his faith tradition. Actually, that is not quite true, because the seventh new leader (Nicolaus) was not born Jewish - he was a convert to Judaism.
The circle is widening.
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And it widens still in the passage we heard from Acts 8 this morning.
One of those seven new Hellenistic leaders, Philip was travelling the wilderness road between Jerusalem and Gaza.
Along the way, he met a man from Ethiopia: like Nicolaus, this person may have been a convert to Judaism. Or he may have simply been someone intrigued by the Hebrew culture and religion. We are told that he had been in Jerusalem to worship and was returning home.
Along the way, he met a man from Ethiopia: like Nicolaus, this person may have been a convert to Judaism. Or he may have simply been someone intrigued by the Hebrew culture and religion. We are told that he had been in Jerusalem to worship and was returning home.
Acts 8 does not give us this man’s name, describing him as a court official of Queen Candace of Ethiopia.
Acts 8 also takes the time to tell us that this person was a eunuch. It is the most common noun used in the passage. “Eunuch” usually refers to a man who has been castrated, but sometimes includes those who are impotent or have chosen celibacy. It was not unheard of in biblical times for monarchs to have eunuchs serve in their courts - the thinking being that because they would have not genetic legacy, they could be very loyal; as well, it was thought that they could perform important duties without sexual desires clouding their judgement.
Acts 8 also takes the time to tell us that this person was a eunuch. It is the most common noun used in the passage. “Eunuch” usually refers to a man who has been castrated, but sometimes includes those who are impotent or have chosen celibacy. It was not unheard of in biblical times for monarchs to have eunuchs serve in their courts - the thinking being that because they would have not genetic legacy, they could be very loyal; as well, it was thought that they could perform important duties without sexual desires clouding their judgement.
It is unclear how welcome the convert from Ethiopia might have been at the Temple - there is a law in Deuteronomy (23:1) that excludes men with no testicles or penises from the Temple. I can’t say for sure if that old rule was rigidly enforced or if anyone was checking at the door.
We cannot say anything for sure about the background of the man that Philip met on the wilderness road, but it is significant that he is foreign, that he is (at most) a convert to Judaism, and that his full participation within the worship life of his chosen faith might have be limited.
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As you heard, when Philip meets him, the Ethiopian is reading from the scroll of Isaiah. They begin to talk about the text. Here’s what the Ethiopian and Philip read:
52:13See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. 14Just
as there were many who were astonished at him — so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals — 15so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. Who has believed what we have heard? 53:1And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. 4Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. 9They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. 11Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
as there were many who were astonished at him — so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals — 15so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. Who has believed what we have heard? 53:1And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. 4Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. 9They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. 11Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
As you can well imagine that the Servant Songs in Isaiah (particularly the fourth servant song which is referred to in Acts 8) held special meaning for the early Christians - because they saw their story of Jesus’ final days described in these ancient words. These parts of Isaiah provide Philip with the opportunity to tell his travelling companion about his new found faith in Jesus as the Christ - one who suffered and redeems just like this character in Isaiah.
The impact on the court official is deeply spiritual - he wants to be part of the same hope and promise that envelopes Philip.
Look, here is water.
Why not baptism me, right now?
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The circle of Christ’s church widens again - from Galilee to Judea to the Hebrew people living abroad to jewish converts and now to those who might have been barred from the worship of God.
All along the way, there were arguments to be made as to why the new person knocking on the
door of faith should remain outside. But when confronted with the suffering servant’s conviction that faith in the radical welcome and grace of God is stronger than the experience of tribulation and stronger than the fear of change, all of the whys become why nots.
door of faith should remain outside. But when confronted with the suffering servant’s conviction that faith in the radical welcome and grace of God is stronger than the experience of tribulation and stronger than the fear of change, all of the whys become why nots.
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As a 21st century Christian who believes in the welcome and grace of God, I am constantly having to defend myself against the reputation of some within the wider family of Christ - who continue to argue for reasons why to exlude.
People ask me all the time, why do lots of United Churches support equal rights for people of all sexual orientations when other churches will argue that this is contrary to faith.
It is not a new kind of discrepancy. Over the last 100 years, other ministers have been asked the same question when it came to issues of gendre and racial equality. Sadly, my faith tradition has been (and is) often on the forefront of the opposition to the equality of people under the law - because, I have to argue, that some Christians believe that we are not all children of God in the same way.
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One of the facebook pages I like is called the NALT Christains Project. NALT, N-A-L-T, stands for Not All Like That.
There are those of us, who try to reflect the evolving attitude that we see in the life of the early
church.
church.
Why should we expand our welcome? Why not?
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Next week, we will read about the next part of that evolution in Acts - an expansion of early Christianity that will have perhaps the greatest impact on its future.
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The results of this widening welcome is seen in some of the last letters of the New Testament to be written.
We also heard this morning from what is - for some - a very familiar passage from the letter of First John: God is love.
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I am somewhat leery of language of “love” because it can seem too distant. I know that is ironic, given that at its roots, love is all about connection - but when we speak of it as a noun, it can sometimes lose its vibrancy. As a verb, it is still very relational, but as a noun - it can become theoretical. Ironically, if we are not careful, “love” can become a thing of the mind, not the heart.
And so, I suggest that when we read about the ‘concept of love’ in the New Testament that we think instead about ‘self-less compassion’. For me, compassion is a less distant word. It is
And so, I suggest that when we read about the ‘concept of love’ in the New Testament that we think instead about ‘self-less compassion’. For me, compassion is a less distant word. It is
hard to say you are compassionate at a theoretical level.
God is compassion. If we have compassion for one another, God lives in us and God’s compassion becomes part of us.
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I believe (like the author of First John) that we cannot love God and hate each other. We cannot know God if we are uncompassionate to others - by our actions or inactions.
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So much of the violence and destruction in our world is because there is a lack of compassion for the dignity of each soul.
It has long been known by military commanders that the most effective soldiers are the ones who are able to dehumanize their enemies - to see the opponent as less worthy and therefore, justifiably, excluded from compassion.
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Our news channels and website are filled with dehumanizing messages.
We label people. We see them only from the outside. We fail to acknowledge the hope within the chaos.
We label people. We see them only from the outside. We fail to acknowledge the hope within the chaos.
Thank God for cell phones and dash cameras. I might still fear the prospect George Orwell’s Big Brother to a degree, I am coming to see that positive implications of the fact that we are more easily held accountable for our actions in a social media world. Over time, we might become a more honest people; we might actually become more mindful of the degree of compassion we show in the moment, rather than the amount of regret we are forced to express
afterwards.
afterwards.
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The call to be compassionate is not new. It is old and wise. And it is exalted by God.
Why should we live this way?
Why not?
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Let us pray:
Loving God, may we faithfully proclaim your good news until all are welcomed into the new life you so generously give. Amen.
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