Easter 3B
image: “Apostle Peter Preaching” by Lorenzo Veneziano wikimedia
Luke 24:36b-48
Initial Thoughts
Earliest Christian art in the catacombs of Rome show meals of bread and fish, not bread and cup - makes for a messy (and smelly) communion
Bible Study
5th of 6 post resurrection stories in Luke 24 (Feasting on the Word, Year B, vol. 2)
Women and two "men" at the tomb (vv. 1-8)
The women's announcement to the eleven (vv. 9-11)
Peter's verification of the empty tomb (v. 12)
The road to Emmaus (vv. 13-32)
Gathering in Jerusalem (vv. 33-39)
Jesus and his followers in Bethany (vv. 50-53)
Right after Emmaus- very similar
Reveals himself
Eats
Teaches
Send Out
Post-resurrection Eucharistic meal?
John 21 and Luke 24- Emmaus?
Unlike Emmaus- the Eucharistic verbs are not used, nor is the meal shared
Perhaps not a Eucharistic meal, but proof of bodily resurrection because ghosts can’t eat food
Body, Spirit and Resurrection
The bodily resurrection was very important for both the early church (2 John 7, Origen, On First Principles, trans. G. W. Butterworth, slightly altered (Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1973), 5.) and modern Christians (one of the 5 fundamentals which define “Fundamentalism”)
Does the bodily resurrection matter to daily life today?
Four fold movement with response:
Jesus is revealed - fear
Fear is a part of life, despite being told 365 times in scripture not to fear - we do. The problem is not fear in and of itself, but we cannot let fear control us
The disciples are being controlled by fear - not going out to proclaim but gathering together
Jesus speaks, eats, invites them to challenge their fears and touch him - joy
Jesus breaks their fear by meeting them where they are, not through rebuke
Jesus teaches - minds are opened
Teaching comes after revelation and fellowship
See Jesus revealed, experience Jesus- then learn more - this is opposite of most of our churches which require new member classes, Sunday School and confirmation before one can truly experience full membership in the body of Christ (ok that is a little harsh, but you get what I am saying)
Jesus commands- up to you
As in many of the post-resurrection stories there is a “sending out”
Proclaim: Repentance, forgiveness of sins to all people
What does it mean to proclaim something in Jesus’ name (v.47)?
Does it mean to do it in the spirit of that person? That person’s name gives authority to what is being proclaimed
Does not seem to mean- you must believe in this certain doctrine or the proclamation is not true
What is the nature of this risen Jesus?
Real
Two actions reveal that Jesus is real.
Examination of hands and feet
Eating the fish
This is no figment of imagination or ghost.
Mysterious
This story must be seen alongside the Emmaus story, where Jesus is unrecognizable, but mysteriously both vanishes and is recognized at the breaking of the bread.
Resurrection gets meaning from Scripture
The study of the prophets and “all that has been said about me”
Scripture gets meaning from Resurrection
Mission of the disciples is to preach the good news of repentance and resurrection.
Resurrection happens through Repentance
Repentance only possible because of Resurrection
Thoughts and Questions
Does the bodily resurrection matter? John Crossan doesn’t think so (See John Dominic Crossan. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, Harper One, 2009.)
This “is a narrative that addresses theological questions that thoughtful people often ask when the chords of the “Hallelujah Chorus” have faded. What was the risen Jesus like? What is the meaning of resurrection? How is this Jesus present now?” (Charles Cousar, Texts for Preaching, p. 294) These are questions that the preacher must consider in preparation, and perhaps even ask in the midst of the sermon, but need not necessarily answer.
Jesus understands the disciples fear and concern. He meets them there and invites them to move through their fear by touching, tasting and seeing. How might we also meet people in their anxiety and invite them through it?
When we encounter fear and skepticism- how we respond? With “peace”?
What does it mean to proclaim something in Jesus’ name (v.47)?
Acts 3:12-19
Initial Thoughts
What does an Easter community look like?
Lectionary bounces through Acts, tiptoeing so as not to upset the Pentecost experience that is coming.
Last week was about the community of Acts 4:32-35
Next week goes to another Peter speech about Jesus.
Context
This passage is the middle of a scene in which Peter and John heal a man crippled since birth. Peter is speaking to the people who gathered after seeing Peter heal the man.
Bible Study
Aspects of an Easter Church (Greg Carey, Workingpreacher.org)
Not a solo operation - Peter may be speaking but he is not alone
Proclamation and Witness
Jesus is part of Israel’s larger history and our history
Proclamation includes both the prophetic (speaking truth) and the pastoral (invitation to healing)
Authority
Not by virtue of Peter’s preaching, or healing, or the crowds which had gathered- all this is possible because of Jesus
“His name itself has made this man strong,” Peter proclaims.
By what authority do churches serve?
Accusation and Invitation
Beware anti-Jewish messaging and address it head on (this is not one where you can “just read it”- you need to address this issue)
This is a passage about Jews talking to Jews - let us not forget that Peter denied and fled during the crucifixion and stands as guilty as those to whom he is speaking
Arguably- Peter is more culpable because he didn’t “act in ignorance”
The accusation from Peter is for us all- we have all crucified Christ
“Ah, Holy Jesus, How Hast Thou Offended” -Hymn - I Crucified thee
This is not an accusation against the Jews but against us all - when we remain silent while the innocent are killed, when we resort to violent means, when we don't love ourselves, neighbor or enemy - we are complicit in the power of crucifixion
BUT - the holy but of the Gospels - it isn’t too late! In resurrection God has declared that your worst sin (killing God) will not have the final word. God offers a new invitation- “come home, come home- all ye who are weary come home. Earnestly and Tenderly Jesus is calling- calling, O sinner home home”
Eternal God → Jesus of Nazareth → Resurrection → Transformation here and now.
Who is the church is opened even to those who crucified Jesus and if the killers of God are welcome-everyone is
Thoughts and Questions
What does the Easter church look like? How are we changed to be a community proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ?
Are we trying to do it alone or are we working with others in our community?
Are we celebrating all the things we have done or are we celebrating what God is doing through us?
Are all of our actions (both internal and external) a proclamation of the radical invitation to grace as exemplified in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Atonement is a tricky thing (which is why there are so many theories of atonement), but in the end God
1 John 3:1-7
Initial Thoughts
Opening words from the United Methodist Book of Worship liturgy for a Service of Death and Resurrection, p. 141.
No surprise that these words would be used as words of hope in a time of mourning, but in a way, using this reading at a funeral misses the point.
1 John is a “letter” about living in a community with Christ. It is very much rooted in this world, and how to live and act as followers of Christ.
Whereas Chapters 1 and 2 addresses the love of God and love of others, 1 John now turns to God’s love for us
Bible Study
Love and Light
These are the twin themes of 1 John that matter the most. God is light and God is love.
God is light, so we should remain in the light.
Remain in the truthful teaching of this particular community.
Other communities are focused on the wrong thing, and deny that Jesus is the Christ.
God is love, so we should love one another.
Remain in relationship with Jesus by loving each other as Jesus loved.
Remain in love, so that when he comes, you can be sure of his love.
Remaining in the light is of utmost importance, and the way to do that is to love one another.
For 1 John there is no separation between faith and action. Faith is lived out in action and action is the evidence of faith. The two are inseparable.
v. 3 Purity
This is not about promise rings, chastity, virginity and all the other gross theology that Christians have pedaled in the name of “purity”
“Basically, the process of purification rids people and their immediate environment of pollution.” Smith, D. M. (1991). First, Second, and Third John (p. 78). Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.
In other words - purity is about the personal and societal impact of sin (not seeing yourself or others as a child of God).
In this regard purity has as much to do with systemic and institutional evils (“pollution”, “obscenities”) such as racism, discrimination, inequity as it does with individual sin (decieving oneself into believing and actingin in a way that suggests you or anyone else is anything less than a beloved child of God).
Too often we focus on individual purity and ignore the systemic, institutional and ideological obscenities in our midst.
Purity is “necessary for coming to contact with God; see Is. 6:5-7” Michele Murray, “The First Letter of John”, Jewish Annotated New Testament, p. 522
God’s children.
Is the author here only talking about the early Christian community or about all people? This can drastically change the interpretation of the text- either we are talking about the universal love God has for the world and humanity or the special love God has for a particular group.
While I, Eric, would tend toward the former interpretation (universal worth) as opposed to the latter (elevated status), it is important to note that this is a description of a community which was (apparently) experiencing marginalization and persecution. “The community...has experienced social degradation...a similar feeling of communal ostracism has fueled both a sense of sectarianism and survival in African-Americans. Indeed it is a self-avowed self-affirmation against the judgments of the wider society that has enabled so many black Americans to succeed despite the hostility expressed and limitations imposed by explicit and implicit forms of racism.” Thomas Slater, True to Our Native Land, p. 506
In other words- we must remember that is a community fighting for its survival - not that dissimilar to the Hebrews of Exodus and Torah who are also described as God’s children and chosen (cf. Deuteronomy 14:1-2)
We are all children of God - this is the evidence of God's love, that God has created and called us as God’s children
Conflict: we do not recognize ourselves as children of God and “the world” does not recognize people as children of God
Right understanding of the nature of Jesus leads to right relationship with God, leads to right relationship with each other.
Just as Jesus saw himself and others as God’s children, so we too must see ourselves and others as God’s children
When we do not treat one another as children of God, we are deceiving ourselves and denying God’s great gift of love (i.e. that we are created and called as children of God)
Being a child of God is who we are- we can live into that reality or we can deceive ourselves and give into sin (denying God’s gift of love and not living in the way of Love)
Being a child of God means that you will live a particular way - the way of love.
Sin is acting out of motivation that is not of love.
“Christian Perfection,” is not about being mistake-free. It is about allowing the love of God to be the motivating factor in all you do.
“Only the children of God can speak authentically of God’s love, even as in human relationships only those who love and are loved can speak of love as an experienced reality rather than as an abstraction or an unfulfilled yearning.” Smith, D. M. (1991). First, Second, and Third John (pp. 79–80). Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.
Be sinless.
1 John 3:6 “Every person who remains in relationship to him does not sin. Any person who sins has not seen him or known him”
Seems to be a direct contradiction to 1 John 1:8 “If we claim, ‘We don’t have any sin,’ we deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
So, are we deceived if we claim to be without sin, or are those who abide in Christ sinless?
Tense suggests a habit of sinning. So is it okay to just sin at random times?
Some suggest while we are with Christ, it is impossible to sin, but we step out of relationship when we sin. So are we constantly stepping in and out of relationships like a bad boyfriend or are these the complex flows/messiness of being in relationship?
“There is a genuine tension, both within the text of 1 John and within the experience of the church, regarding the reality of sin on the one hand, and life as God's children on the other. What is clear is that the author will allow neither self-delusions of sinlessness nor a casual acceptance of sin within the lives of God's children.” (Brian Peterson, from Working Preacher)
Living in Christ is not a “one and done” proposition.
When we live in righteousness we live in Jesus and when we sin we are not living/abiding in Jesus.
V. 7 the one who does righteousness (who treats and loves themselves and others as children of God) are righteous - whether or not they do so in the name of Jesus. It seems one can unintentionally abide in Jesus.
Conversely, if someone claimed to be abiding in Jesus and does not act righteously (loving and treating themselves and others as children of God) they are not abiding in Jesus (1 John 2:9)
Thoughts and Questions
The grounding of who we are is in God’s love as revealed through Jesus. Everything we do as a Church and as Christians, must be read through the lens of the love of the Father. This is the only ground on which we can stand. Righteousness then, is living as a reflection of that love.
What exactly that will look like is still not known. It has been revealed to us. We have a glimpse of what it is to live in perfect love. That glimpse is Jesus Christ. We are called to do the same, but it has not been fully revealed. As people following Christ though, we are called to live it out as much as possible. We are called to be pure as Christ is pure. We are called to love as Christ loved, to forgive as Christ forgave, to invite as Christ invited. When we cease loving, we are no longer following Christ.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND GET IN TOUCH:
Thanks to our Psalms correspondent, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (psalmimmersion.com,@pomopsalmist). Thank you to Scott Fletcher for our voice bumpers, Dick Dale and the Del Tones for our Theme music (“Misirlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”), Paul and Storm (“Oh No”), and Bryan Odeen for our closing music.