The Sixth Sunday of Easter - 13 May 2012
Acts
10:44-48
Psalm
98
I
John 5:1-6
St.
John 15:9-17
Background: The Holy
Spirit
This Spirit of God is an active presence in the Creation Narrative,
where she “broods over the face of the deep,” and is also present in a great
deal of the psalter where the Spirit is the actual breath of life. Psalm 104:29-30 puts it well:
When
you hide your face, they panic.
Take away
their breath, they perish
and
return to the dust.m
Send
forth your spirit, they are created
and you
renew the face of the earth.
As the language about the relationship between the Father and the Son
developed in the Pauline letters, and later in the evangelists, the notions of
the Trinity began to be discussed, only to become a topic of disagreement that
is settled in the Nicene Creed, and then unsettled in the seventh century CE
with the discussions about the filioque (that
the Spirit proceeds from the Father and
the Son) a phrase added in the West but repudiated in the East. It is an argument that has everything to do
with the inadequacy of the Latin vocabulary to translate the theological
insights of the East’s Greek. John sees
the Spirit active in the forgiveness of sins, the Church, and Baptism (cf. John
20). In the churches that flow out of
the Reformation, the work of the Spirit is also seen in the sanctification of
the individual.
Acts 10:44-48
While Peter was still
speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised
believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy
Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking
in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone withhold the
water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we
have?" So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then
they
invited him to stay for several days.
These verses document the beginning of the missionary effort outside of
Palestine amongst the Gentiles. In a way
this scene is a parallel of the scene in Jerusalem on Pentecost, when the
Spirit is poured out upon the apostles, and the gift of tongues is present
among them. Here we have the same thing,
as the God-fearers (Jews who had accepted Judaism) are astonished (a code word
in Luke for belief) that the Spirit is given to both Jew and Gentile. What is interesting is that we see the early
language about baptism in the name of
Jesus Christ. The gift of the Spirit
here precedes the baptism, while in later developments the two will be combined
into a single action.
Breaking
open Acts:
- In what ways have you been astonished by Jesus?
- Where and when were you baptized?
- Do you remember anything about it?
Psalm 98 Cantate Domino
Sing to the LORD a new
song, *
for he has done
marvelous things.
With his right hand and
his holy arm *
has he won for himself
the victory.
The LORD has made known
his victory; *
his righteousness has
he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
He remembers his mercy
and faithfulness to
the house of Israel, *
and all the ends of the
earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the
LORD, all you lands; *
lift up your voice,
rejoice, and sing.
Sing to the LORD with
the harp, *
with the harp and the
voice of song.
With trumpets and the
sound of the horn *
shout with joy before
the King, the LORD.
Let the sea make a
noise and all that is in it, *
the lands and those who
dwell therein.
Let the rivers clap
their hands, *
and let the hills ring
out with joy before the LORD,
when he comes to judge
the earth.
In righteousness shall
he judge the world *
and the peoples with
equity.
Although the psalmist declares this to be “a new song”, it, like Psalm
96, is a reweaving of older elements into a new composition. In the second verse there is mention of a
victory, and we wonder whether or not this is a general “victory” over the
enemies of Israel, or something else.
More than likely, this is a very ancient near eastern victory over the
chaos and darkness, as in the first chapter of Genesis. This cosmic nature is evident in the further
verses which are more global in character.
The string and wind orchestra which are mentioned in verse 6 along with
the human voices in verse 5 soon give way to a larger orchestra of seas,
rivers, and hills, all of which sing before the Lord. It is the world he judges in righteousness,
not just the kingdom of Israel and Judah.
Breaking
open Psalm 98
- Does your life in Christ have a “new song”? What is it like?
- What victories has God given you?
- What defeats have you overcome?
1 John 5:1-6
Everyone who believes
that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the
parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when
we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we
obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is
born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the
world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one who
came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the
water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit
is the truth.
The author continues his discussion on the relationship of faith and
love. John argues that we know the love
of God in keeping the commandments. Here
we ought to keep in mind the great summary of the Law – Love the Lord your God…love your neighbor as you love yourself. Love is found in the commandments through
this relationship with both God, neighbor, and
self. John then focuses in on the love
of Jesus and his relationship to this world by referencing both his baptism in
the Jordan, and his death on the cross – This
is the one who came by water and blood.
What binds this all together is the Spirit who breathes this truth into
our hearts.
Breaking
open I John
- Who is your neighbor, and how do you love him or her?
- How do you love yourself?
- How do you love God?
John 15:9-17
Jesus said to his
disciples, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my
love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have
kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things
to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
"This
is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has
greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my
friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer,
because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called
you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from
my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and
bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you
ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one
another."
If
it is love that binds the Father and the Son into a relationship, it is also
that same love that is offered to humankind as a place within which humans can
relate to both the Father and the Son.
John sees Jesus as the model of this love that binds us to God and
neighbor. It is actions that describe
and evidence this love. There is an
interesting vocabulary that embraces this thought: love, lay down one’s life, friends, made known to you, choose and I
will choose, you are appointed, bear fruit. John wants to convince us of
our Easter duty – the duty to love.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- What are the important commandments to you?
- How have you “laid down your life” for someone else?
- How do you bear fruit?
After
breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as
surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we,
loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which
exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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