The Second Sunday of Easter - 15 April 2012
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
I John 1:1 – 2:2
St. John 20:19-31
Background: The Paschal Candle
At the Great Vigil of Easter a large candle is inscribed, blessed, and lit from the new fire. Carried into the darkened Church to a simple sung response of “the Light of Christ – Thanks be to God” the Paschal Candle then symbolizes the light of Christ in the resurrection. It is known throughout the Church, but it is mostly used in the liturgical churches of the West. When it is inscribed, the following words and symbols are used: “Christ, yesterday and today (+), the beginning (A) and the ending (W). To Christ belongs all time (2) and all the ages, (0); to Christ belongs glory and dominion (1) now and forever (2). Amen.” The candle stays lighted throughout the entirety of Eastertide, and is lit again at baptisms, and funerals.
Acts 4:32-35
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 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.
What we have here is idealized memory of two separate institutions. The first is the idealized Christian Community that held “all in common”. This was not a unique Christian ideal since it reflects the values of the ideal Greek community as well. The second institution is the idealized Hebrew community which is memorialized in Deuteronomy 15:4, “There shall be no poor among you.” The intervening cause, however, is not only Christian, but also an Easter ideal that arises out of the apostles’ testimony to the resurrection of Jesus.
Breaking open Acts:
- What are your thoughts about the Christian sharing in the reading?
- How about the Old Testament ideal of no one being poor in the community?
- How do you share your wealth?
Psalm 133 Ecce, quam bonum!
Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!
It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,
Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.
For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.
This is, I think, one of the most beautiful of the psalms. Its overarching them is the meeting of heaven and earth with the verb form coming down repeated over and over again to emphasize that directionality. The oil comes down on the beard, the beard comes down over the robe, and the dew comes down from Mt. Hermon. The psalmist wants us to be attentive to the happiness that comes from living in a fruitful land. He signals this with an imperative “look”, and then two adverbial “how” which emphasize the words “good” and “pleasant”. The second to the last verse has an implausible thought, however, for the “dew of Hermon” would not be falling on the hills of Zion. Robert Alter emends the verse to read: “Like Hermon’s dew that comes down on the parched mountains. The word for “parched” sounds very much like “Zion”.
Breaking open Psalm 133
- What does unity look like to you?
- What comes down from the Lord to you?
- How is your faith like a garden?
1 John 1:1-2:2
We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-- we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
There is a presupposition in this reading that the hearer will have had some passing acquaintance with the Gospel of John. There is the initial “We declare to you what was from the beginning” which evokes John’s “In the beginning was the Word.” Also there is an emphasis on the necessity of “witness” as there is in the book of John as well. Like the Gospel, this author speaks of the witness of Jesus as “the light” which is contrasted to the darkness all about. The theme of darkness leads into a conversation on sin, and our “blindness” to sin – If we say that we have no sin… This is contrasted with the notion of confession and its subsequent blessings of forgiveness and cleansing. In the final paragraph, addressed to the little children (the reader and the believer) (a term associated with the Gospel) we again are warned against sin. The author describes Jesus as an advocate, a word usually associated with the Holy Spirit. Indeed in St John 14:16, the Spirit is described as another Paraclete (literally, the one who stands next to you) in distinction from the Paraclete and advocate who is Jesus. This advocate is also the victim, the atoning sacrifice “for our sins” and the author stretches it further, “but also for the whole world.”
Breaking open I John
- How is Christ a light in your life and world?
- How is Christ the beginning of new things for you?
- How does Jesus “stand beside you”?
John 20:19-31
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
In his book The Formation of the Resurrection Narratives, Reginald Fuller describes the expansion of the narrative from the first simple exposition in I Corinthians 15:4-7, then to the abrupt ending in Mark, the several appearances in Matthew and Luke, and finally the multitude of appearances in John, which seem to end in chapter 20, but are continued in an appendix in chapter 21. This reading is from the material just prior to the appendix. There are two appearances. The first is to the disciples without Thomas, and the second is the appearance with Thomas present as well. The first appearance of the Resurrection One takes place on Easter Day in John, and it is an appearance of a spiritual Christ who can avoid and disregard the locked doors of the room. The outstanding verse in this appearance is Jesus breath that is blown upon them (the gift of the Spirit) and the imperatives about the forgiveness of sins.
The second appearance, with Thomas present, takes place a week later, but on Sunday – a recurrent Easter theme. This appearance was intended to culminate the Easter experience in John. In this scene we see a contrast to the scene with Mary Magdalene, where Jesus instructs her not to touch him. Here Thomas is invited to touch him. John’s device of having the “doubter” express the quintessence of the Easter faith, “My Lord, and my God!” is the complete expression, not voiced by any others in the Gospel.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- What kind of image of Jesus do you have in these appearances?
- Is there a message of forgiveness in this reading?
- How do you deal with doubt?
After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; 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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