Fifth Sunday of Easter - Hearts Burning Within

The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for the Easter season

Today’s Readings

We continue the Easter season focus of the last 3 Sundays of Easter: putting faith into action. Themes for today include
* Need to bridge tensions between conflicting views or groups within the church
* Need to adapt apostolic ministry to ever changing challenges of the world
* Priesthood of the church in liturgy and life
* True meaning of Christ’s “departure” – in order to be ever present with his community at all times in all places

Acts 6:1-7

Acts 1:8 lays out the program for this book: you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses 1. in Jerusalem, and 2. in all Judea and Samaria, 3. and to the ends of the earth.
Chps 2-7 mission in Jerusalem 2:14-8:3
Chp 8-9 Judea and Samaria 8:4-9:45
The rest of the book 10:1ff Gentile mission

Last week’s reading was the finale of Peter’s impassioned Pentecost sermon and the extraordinary response to it: 3000 converts in a single day! The last several Sunday readings from Acts have emphasized the growth of the church. Here we witness the tension that can often accompany such growth.

The tensions in Acts are centered around two distinct cultural groups: the Hellenists and the Hebrews. The Hellenists are Jews who come from a Greek background. Perhaps they grew up in the diaspora community in Alexandria, Egypt or elsewhere. They grew up with Greek language and customs. Now they’re living in Palestine, surrounded by Hebrews. The Hebrews have grown up in the Jewish homeland, speaking Aramaic and living Jewish customs. These two cultures are widely diverse – very little in common! They don’t understand one another linguistically or culturally.

In today’s reading, the Hellenists feel that their widows are not being taken care of as well as the Hebrew widows. They feel marginalized and discriminated against by their own religious community.

The solution to the problem was to choose a set of men from the Greek background, to raise up leadership from within the affected group. Verse 5 gives a list of all Greek names; these Greek men understood the problem and the population and they were best suited to solve that problem. There were seven of them – a number which denotes perfection in the Bible.

The apostles laid hands on them. This should not be interpreted as ordination as we understand it today – that was a much later development. Likewise, even though the text uses the word diakonia, this isn’t really the diaconate as the church would later develop it.

The Greek word diakonia is used 3 times in this passage, and is translated differently each time. The translation is underlined:
Verse 1 daily distribution – a distribution of alms
Verse 2 serve – distribution of food, “attend tables”
Verse 4 ministry of the word – evangelization, teaching and prayer
The point is, It’s all “diakonia” whether it’s distributing alms, making sure people are fed, or praying and teaching.

Acts chapter 2 gave us a picture of an early church community that was utopian in nature: everyone shared and got along and everyone was provided for. Today’s reading balances that picture with a more human reality. Here we see what really happens when a group of diverse people begin to live a communal life: differences arise, misunderstandings abound, and everyone has an opinion. But the story models for us how we can resolve such a situation. What stands out to me is that The Twelve call everyone together and state the grievances. The leadership don’t allow it to run as an undercurrent of murmurings.

They also look to Scripture for models on how to proceed and they find a model in Moses. In Exodus 18, Moses was overwhelmed by the demands of moderating disputes and so he takes his father-in-law’s advice and appoints people to help him. Jewish custom would later develop to always appoint seven men as local judges. So they are reaching into their own tradition to craft a solution to a problem that the tradition had never encountered. They are being faithful to the tradition while at the same time expanding it for a new age.

Have you ever visited or lived in a foreign country? Or even watched a movie or read a book about another culture? How can this help you appreciate the early church tensions described in the Acts story today?

What groups feel discriminated against and marginalized in the church today?

1 Peter 2:4-9

Read the background and overview of this book in the Second Sunday of Easter.

There’s a lot of imagery in this passage. It’s not so much a linear progression of thought as it is a rich tapestry of related themes and images.

The author of this document assumes familiarity with the Old Testament. Here are the various passages that are drawn from in today’s reading: Exodus 19:5-6; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14, 28:16, 43:20-21; Malachi 3:17

Verses 1-10 of chapter 2 focus on the responsibilities of the Christian vocation. Verses 1-3 tell us we are to live as God’s children and verses 4-10 talk about a new household of God.

In verse 9, the author takes four titles that were traditionally privileges of Israelites and now applies them as privileges of Christians:
Chosen race (drawn from Isaiah 43:20)
Royal priesthood (Exodus 19:5-6)
Holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6)
People of God (Isaiah 43:21, Malachi 3:17)

What images in this passage speak to you and why?

Do you identify with any of the titles in verse 9? Why or why not?

In verse 5 the author mentions spiritual sacrifices. What sacrifices are you called to make and how are you offering them to God through Jesus?

John 14:1-12

Throughout Easter the Gospel reading comes primarily from the book of John. The passage today begins the lengthy “farewell discourse” spanning chapters 14 through 17. It was common for a patriarch in ancient times to issue a farewell address prior to his death. In it, he would give instructions to his people and also appoint his successor(s). Moses did this in Deuteronomy 31-33. In this passage, verses 1-4 talk about eschatology (what happens at the end of time) and verses 5-12 address Christology (who Jesus was/is).

Verses 1-4 are normally interpreted as Jesus leaving at the Ascension and returning at his 2nd coming at the end of time. But John’s gospel almost always functions on multiple levels of interpretation. Another way to interpret this is to say that his leaving was the crucifixion and the return was the resurrection. We could also say the leaving was the Ascension and the return was the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Verses 5-12 talk about who Jesus is. Typical of John’s gospel, there are some who hear and try to understand at a very literal level. Remember the woman at the well – Jesus talked about water and she understood at the literal level and asked for the water so that she wouldn’t have to keep coming back to the well. In the passage today, Jesus says the disciples know the way where he is going. Thomas understands on the literal level – we don’t know we’re you’re taking off to, so how can we know the way?! Jesus’ response is to assert his deity – he uses the Greek phrase ego eimi I AM. This is the same phrase used in the Greek Old Testament to translate the name YHWH. Jesus himself is The Way.

The phrase “the way” is used three times in this passage. The literal understanding is the path one takes to arrive at a place. The use of it in Jewish Wisdom literature refers to the manner of living. “The way” was an early Christian euphemism for their way of life – for Christianity. Only by living life in conformity with Jesus can one hope to arrive at God.

So then Philip pipes up that all Jesus needs to do is show them the Father. In Exodus 33:18, Moses asked to see God’s glory, a physical manifestation of God’s presence. Which is, of course, what Jesus is! Philip uses the word “enough.” Interestingly, this Greek word is used only twice in John’s gospel, both times by Philip. In chapter 6, Jesus tests this same Philip, asking him to feed the 5,000. Philip responds that even 200 days’ wages would not be enough to feed everyone. In this passage, Philip tells Jesus what would be enough. In both cases, the “enough” is Jesus himself.

In verse 9 Jesus says “whoever sees me has seen the Father.” Who in your life is a sign of God for you? For whom are you an expression of God?

How is Jesus The Way for you? How is Jesus Enough for you?

Questions to ponder

What groups feel discriminated against and marginalized in the church today?

What images in 1 Peter 2 speak to you and why?

Do you identify with any of the titles in 1 Peter 2:9? Why or why not?

What sacrifices are you called to make and how are you offering them to God through Jesus?

Who in your life is a sign of God for you? For whom are you an expression of God?