Sunday, 15th May, 2022
St. Mary Magdalene, Outwood & St. Anne’s, Wrenthorpe
Acts 11.1-18 & John 13:31-35
Not for the first time as a Lay Minister have I encountered virtually the same Gospel passage as ‘the last time I was here’, or thereabouts!
This is made possible within our three year lectionary, especially with similar narratives from the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Today, in John, we have an excerpt from what are referred to as the Farewell Discourses.
We encounter Jesus and His friends in The Upper Room, on Maundy Thursday, but this time without the foot-washing narrative.
The door closes on Judas.
Jesus speaking to the remaining Eleven with a sense of urgency, reminds them of what’s to come and how it will be different for them, how they will be apart from Jesus for a while.
This will be disconcerting for them, along with everything else that would happen that night.
However, John writes that now – in that moment – now is the time for “glorification” of God.
Jesus knows what is to come and He places himself firmly within a narrative that will reveal God’s glory, that will eventually show the sacrifice that is being made.
Regardless of the enormity of the immediate future, Jesus has concern for His friends – that know He is looking out for them.
And into all of this, to underline all that He had tried to teach them, Jesus offers a new commandment.
This isn’t the same as the commandment to love your neighbour as yourself.
This ‘new commandment’, although not new words, is a call to love in the same way that Jesus has loved.
As HE loved THEM, so they must LOVE also….
Love one another – as offering Himself once more as the prime example of Gods love for all, as Gods entire nature.
This love…. How is it to be?
As Jesus loved…?
There is surely no way we can be like that… is there?
Certainly not by our own merits and efforts.
His audience then were unable to understand what he was saying or asking, let alone able to form a sustainable plan for parish mission and evangelism! so what hope for us!
Jesus knows ‘His people’….. those of His flock…. They are the ordinary folk, fallible, human and real.
They yearned for justice, to be understood, and to know that the Kingdom of God really did include them.
So, what is the ‘love’ that was needed – then and now, and in the days to come?
Love is offered, experienced, encountered and revealed in a myriad of ways.
Do we need to be Christians to know this? Isn’t that we often hear?
So what did Jesus want the disciples to do?
What love were they commanded to share?
What would be different?
The Gospels are full of examples of the redemptive and liberating love of a God, that Jesus channels and radiates to those He meets.
And we try to emulate Jesus, we try to make sense of what we know to be our calling and our mission to one another – as hopeful, prayerful disciples.
We might hear these words of John – no longer in the Upper Room, but on this, another day, and wonder what we should do….
And maybe, if we were to hear them every Sunday…well, would that become tedious or would it always be a timely reminder – go on, love one another, whatever that might mean.
The passage from Acts depicts Peter endeavouring to be true to his Discipleship in Jesus, showing that Gods grace and salvation was for everyone – including the Gentiles; and that to diminish this or stand in the way of such transformation was to say “no” to God.
Who are we to do differently?
If being inclusive and embracing of all humanity still seems like the biggest challenge, even in this twenty first century, then imagine what it was like for Peter to make such claims?
All of early ‘Christianity’ was Jewish – the emergent church, its documents and scripture, the missionary voyages and works…. All of it is Jewish in its foundation.
Our understanding of life in the time of Jesus, and then afterwards, is of Jews living in a society that had become more Pharisaic, more rigidly focussed on the Law, in ways that were often too hard to live by.
Jesus saw this every day and He offered a different Way to God – a Right Way to God!
The remaining Apostles in their various Missions, would be constantly challenged in how to reconcile the new ways of Jesus and the former ways of the Law – not that one should supplant the other, but that all should be viewed and lived differently!
In this chapter of Acts, Peter is recounting events from his own memories, to the circumcised believers, as most of them were. Those to whom Peter was called to bear witness were still of the belief that circumcision was a requirement for believers, extending Jewish practices to the new following of Jesus.
Circumcision and food laws were aspects of Jewish, and indeed national, identity – critical anchor-points during turbulent times of occupation and later, war.
These were matters for continued discussion, and would return later on in Acts, as heated debate for the fledgling church.
Peter was revealing a path illuminated by the Holy Spirit – being called to the house of a Roman Gentile, having dreams in which food-taboos were challenged directly by the voice of God, and the clear dynamic of the Baptisms of Spirit and of water.
And then the baptism of his host family – Cornelius – that they might be saved – without becoming Jews first! Probably a bit much for Peter’s audience!
And thus, acknowledging that God seeks a relationship with all – Gentile and Jew, Jewish Gentile and non-Jewish Gentile – through the baptism of the Holy Spirit!
Luke, the author of Acts, believes this story to be so significant, it appears twice! Its original telling is in the previous chapter, and now Peter retells the story, as if to underline its importance to us, the reader.
Is this then a ‘new’ mission to the Gentiles…? No.
Does it signify a ‘failure’ of God’s main mission to Israel, or was it a continuation of the mission by reaching out to receptive non-Jews, when Israel so often turned aside.
Thus, God’s plan for the redemption of Israel succeeds through the repentance of a faithful remnant… the Jewish believers in Jesus, who changed everything!
We aren’t given ‘new commandments’ very often! That’s probably a good thing!
How would we respond if we were? How would it be received? Would it have to be accepted by all Christian churches, to be considered authentic? What if it was contrary to our modern views entirely?
Would it be an exciting opportunity, received purely in the Holy Spirit?
Do we trust in the Holy Spirit enough? Peter did.
So how then will we live this ‘New Commandment’, as disciples and as a Church?
Are we living that ‘New Commandment’ when we challenge those who would refuse justice and equity with God….?
When we include, and not exclude… when we remind ourselves and each other that Jesus is for all – regardless of whatever barriers seem to be in place!
Does that mean we have to always accept the most ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ views? Some people take longer to ‘get there’…. But how much longer?
There have been dark moments in Christian history where the actions of believers have caused suffering and pain, destroying the hope of the Gospels; repeatedly crucifying Jesus, and revealing absolutely nothing of a God that loves the created world.
Christian history, like all history, takes place in the past and the present, and there is still suffering, prejudice and oppression in the name of God, every day.
Yet there is light also. Kindness and generosity, self-giving and sacrifice; a more enlightened recognition of how worldly mechanisms cause disaster and mayhem, diminishing the justice and dignity of the many; and there is a hopefulness in solutions and efforts at reconciliation.
Something that all people can be a part of, is to listen to those who have been silenced or fail to have their voices heard: the victims, the disenfranchised and bullied, prisoners, and those who are just plain different….
These are the conversations about gender, sex, morality, relationships, war, nationality and economics. It’s a long list…!
And it’s the challenging stuff….. that yes, many Christians often find hard to hear and to discuss.
Those headline-grabbing issues that, we are told, will divide and polarise – attracting robust theological consideration; where one side speaks only of scripture, and the other of the modern age – each claiming a rightness with God and neither fully understanding how people live, day to day, without hope of recognition.
And in the middle?
Most people!
Perhaps hoping for realistic and moderate leadership….and dialogue.
Knowing there is a need for change, but also to acknowledge where we once were…. Identifying with a past – like the Jewish community and their identity based on certain laws.
And a need to listen… always that.
Like Jesus did. He heard them all – each and every one, in their poverty and infirmity, their difference and travails.
As must we – to love as He loved us!
In this consideration of difference, it is not for us to say who is or who is not to be accepted by God!
Not ever!
Jesus didn’t say to the poor – don’t worry, here’s some cash! Or to the sick, here is medicine based purely on ‘some-sort-of-science-or something’.
Jesus spoke of the Kingdom, of faith leading the changes they longed see, and of how God loved. Loved them.
To the so-called adulterous woman (I always wonder what happened to the man), He didn’t say “hmm lets have a discussion about morality because obviously you is a wrongun!”.
No, Jesus reached out to those who condemned her, with a self-reflection on their own sin and then – He didn’t condemn her either, but showed her love.
And so must we.
In the maelstrom of of all that this world signifies, does the Church have a voice that is heard?
Well it should! Christianity has much to offer any debate, which is still the argument for having bishops in the upper House of Parliament – to open up debate beyond the self-seeking and narrow lobbying.
It has a voice in the national debate on same-sex union, for example.
Consider its prayerful efforts to get people to sit down together, and open a space for all views and voices, with Living in Love and Faith.
Whatever your personal belief, the national church, within the broader faith dynamic, brings scripture, tradition and reason – and experience – to any conversation. But first it must listen and acknowledge differences.
Reconciling all the possible difference is a challenge beyond any single generation. We might want solutions now, and there is such a need to accommodate those wounded by poor governance. Yet
Christianity is in the long game, seeking to be heard but seeking to listen first.
If we want others to know about being Christian, to help bring them closer to God’s redemptive love, through the witness, mission and sacrifice of the resurrected Christ, then this is for us now.
Loving – listening – being open to the Spirit – bearing with one another – and then doing it all over, even when it seems to fail or feels painful.
And it isn’t just the big stuff we need to be attentive too, because we listen to each other on a daily basis, about anything and everything. Think of the mission you have here, to the community. We love as Christ loves when we sit with a stranger and a cuppa and share bits of our lives.
We are worthy of this task…. Aren’t we?
We are commanded to do it… because we are loved – our primary quality.
In prayer, sacrament and fellowship, we might hope to discern all the ways in which we can live this ‘New Commandment’!
Discipleship is possible for everyone, for before we were loving, we were loved!
And because of this, we can show the way to God who IS love!
That is the Gospel we proclaim.
And I commend it to you with all of my heart!
Amen.
Bibliography
Williams, J. (2011) Lectionary Reflections: Years A, B & C, SPCK, London
Williams, R. (2016) Being Disciples, SPCK, London
Wright, N.T. (2002) John for Everyone (Part 2), SPCK, London
Wright, N.T. (1992) The New Testament and the People of God, SPCK, London
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/13-may/faith/sunday-s-readings/5th-sunday-of-easter
Image depicts Peter’s vision in Acts chapter’s 10 & 11 – artist unknown