The Third Sunday of Easter - 22 April 2012
Acts 3:12-19
Psalm 4
I John 3:1-7
St. Luke 24:36b-48
Background – The Epistles of John
There are three “epistles” of John, the first of which, I John, does not follow the traditional form of an epistle or letter. Tradition holds that all three were written by the Apostle John, although most commentators agree that the epistles were written in the “tradition” of the Gospel, if not by the author of the Gospel. The situation is similar in all three of the letters. A schismatic crisis has troubled the churches that are the intended recipients of I John, and the IInd and IIIrd epistles address the same problem as well. The latter two are addressed to specific congregations at some distance from the central church, and are written by “the presbyter”. In the Gospel of John, the implicit problem addressed is “the Jews”, namely the struggle of the early Christians with the Synagogue and the rabbinic system (which was just emerging). Likewise the realized eschatology, the “present nature” of Christ’s redemption in the Gospel is not a feature of the epistles. What is an issue is division among the “John Communities” to whom these letters are addressed. One group felt that the life of Jesus set up a moral code that was to be followed by Christians, while the other group depended on the faith aspect of their relationship to Jesus, not their following the life examples of Jesus.
Acts 3:12-19
When Peter saw the astonishment of those who had seen the lame man healed, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
"And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out."
Here we have a miracle story, a miracle performed by Peter, which is interrupted by a quick and concise restatement of the proclamation of the Apostles about Jesus. Peter (or most likely Luke) assigns to Jesus the titles of the Hebrew Scriptures, and also assigns to him the Messiah’s role as a sufferer. In his conclusion, Peter/Luke appeals to their knowledge of the prophets, but also makes them aware of the “ignorance” and of the opportunity to repent and to turn to God, who had directed the “glorification of Jesus.” It appears that the sign of the healing becomes also a sign of potential healing for those who rejected the role and status of Jesus as the Messiah.
Breaking open Acts:
- What does this miracle by Peter say about him?
- What is Peter’s essential message to his audience?
- What would repentance be for his hearers?
Psalm 4 Cum invocarem
Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
"You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?"
Know that the LORD does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the LORD, he will hear me.
Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the LORD.
Many are saying, "Oh, that we might see better times!" *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, LORD, make me dwell in safety.
The initial phrase of the psalm, “Answer me when I call,” identifies the psalm as one of supplication. It is a formula that sets up the form of the psalm. The author is quick to define the results of his supplication, in verse 3, where he professes faith in God’s ability to hear and heal his complaint and situation. The trembling in verse 4 gives way to calmness, a “silence upon your bed.” In verse 6 we have a reflection of the Aaronic, or priestly, blessing, where the author appeals to God to “lift up the light of your countenance.” The appeal for rest, silence and peace is again lifted up in the final verse, a counterpoint to those who “tremble.”
Breaking open Psalm 4
- What connotations does sleep have for you?
- Have you ever trembled in your life?
- How do you approach God when you have a need?
1 John 3:1-7
See what love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
The author suspends two different aspects that define the “love the Father has given us.” The first aspect is that the Father’s love is the reality of Jesus’ presence, suffering and death, and his resurrection. The other aspect is the Christian’s participation in these acts, and their status as “children of God.” It is at this point that the author takes a different stance from the “realized eschatology” of the Gospel to the anticipated final status that is underscored here: “what we will be has not yet been revealed.” Thus the author sees the Christian life as one that is propelled toward God and relationship with God. What follows is a warning. Since we are on this trajectory, it is good to be aware of what is all about us. “Let no one deceive you.” This may be a reflection of the schismatic nature of these communities (see the Background notes above) and it may also be a real presentation of the actualities of life, with all the temptations to forget the divine journey. The final phrase in the reading is quite wonderful, where the righteousness of the one who does right is compared to the righteousness of God.
Breaking open I John
- How do you perceive God’s love for you?
- In what ways do you realize that you are a child of God?
- What are those things that seek to strip you of your faith?
Luke 24:36b-48
While the disciples were telling how they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.
Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."
There are aspects of this reading that bear some similarity with last Sunday’s Gospel from John (Doubting Thomas). But here the situation is different. The disciples are in Galilee, attested to by the broiled fist that was given to Jesus by the disciples. Also interesting is their reaction to him “startled and terrified” and Jesus greeting to them, “peace be with you.” This may be Luke’s unraveling of a similar tradition translated to Galilee. The theme of doubt is there, but not applied to an individual, as well as the theme of touching and seeing. Luke then has Jesus proclaim the apostolic teaching, that Christ (Messiah) had to suffer and die, “as it is written. The punch to the story, however, is the final verse in which the disciples are named “witnesses”, and charged
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:
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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