April 8, 2018
John 20:19-31; Acts 4:32-37
First Presbyterian Church, Sterling IL
Christina Berry
Today’s gospel reading is traditional for the Sunday after Easter, the account of one of the post-resurrection appearances. Last week, we heard how Mary of Magdala reported that Jesus was alive, now our attention shifts away from the tomb and to the locked room where the men hid in fear. Although this is a significant gospel story, it is not our focus text today. But it does lay the groundwork for our reading from Acts, because it demonstrates for us the importance of faith in the risen Lord as the very foundation of the church that was going to come into being. Although they would not have said it this way at the time, those people hiding in fear in that locked room were Easter people.
Let’s listen for God’s word to us in 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.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Our reading from Acts is part of the story of those Easter people and how the Christian community began to be formed. One commentary says that you can almost hear a song in the background -the theme song from “All In the Family.” Remember? Every episode opened with Archie and Edith singing “Those Were the Days.” This scripture has a bit of that feeling of nostalgia, a sense of the good old days when the church was a new thing, and everything was so great. But it also accurately describes how people formed a community that was centered on the Risen Christ and demonstrated to a hostile world what it means to live for Jesus. Let’s listen for God’s word to us in Acts 4:32-37
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.
There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles
gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”).
He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money,
and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
God’s word for God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
I’ll bet many of you have sat with an older relative, leafing through a photo album as they reminisced, identifying long-dead ancestors, and dear friends, recalling the family house, birthdays, deaths, travels and homecomings. Their life story is depicted in those faces, and landscapes, and in the stories they tell about the pictures. Those pictures represent, for many folks, the good old days.
Someone once said that “Pictures, always a dialogue with the past, [become] receptacles for people’s personal histories. Over time [the pictures] replace the memories themselves.”[1]
Today we have pictures like that from this story in the gospel of John and this scene from the fourth chapter of Acts. John depicts for us the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus, marking the transition of the disciples from fearful skepticism to courageous ministry; in Acts, we see a snapshot of the common life of the early church.
Both of these pictures show us the marks not only on Jesus’ physical body, but the marks of the church on us, the body of Christ. They are part of our family photo album of Resurrection life, showing us what it meant, and what it means, to be Easter people.
John’s gospel shows us the reality and power of resurrection.
And the reading from Acts – wow! talk about the good old days!
“they were of one heart and soul,
… no one claimed private ownership of any possessions,
… everything they owned was held in common
… not a needy person among them ...”
Of course, it is just a snapshot. In the very next chapter we encounter a story of people who withheld their money rather than sharing, and then lied about it. Even with that said, this is a beautiful picture of the church, and holds up to us an ideal of learning to share with one another. They shared one heart and soul, and they shared in their material goods. We are looking at a picture of people who, having been claimed by God, now understand that none of their worldly possessions belong to them.
It’s worth remembering that as they were learning to share, those early Christians didn’t cash in all their assets and put all the money into the general fund. They did so as the circumstances required: when someone had need. Nonetheless, this snapshot can feel threatening to contemporary American Christians.
We live in an economic system in which capitalism has become idolized, and in which people are often pitted against one another in an “every man for himself” competition. And in this increasingly polarized political environment, people tend to focus more on personal outrage or personal gain, than on the needs of the community and the common good.
So we want to dismiss this picture of the good old days of the church as something anomalous, something that has nothing to do with us. But the verb tense used indicates that this sharing among the people was an ongoing activity, not a onetime event.
I learned something interesting this week. I was listening to an interview with the former Prime Minister of Greece, whose tenure was short-lived as he attempted to help Greece sort out its economy. The country had complex financial problems, with global consequences, and Prime Minister George Papandreou had concluded a bailout deal with the three major powers of the European Union.
The issues and political intrigue were complex, and I don’t propose to try to sort that out this morning. But Papandreou said something that really struck me. He said that he had trusted the Greek people to make the right choice. Observing that Greece is the very birthplace of democracy, Papandreou noted the original meaning of the Greek word idiote – idiot: someone who was entirely self-centered.[2]
In ancient Athens to be selfish – caring only about self – idios, was rare, and it was considered to be a bit disgraceful. The overwhelming majority of Athenians participated in politics to a greater or lesser extent. The good citizen in ancient Greece was active socially and politically.
The idiot had nothing to contribute, was isolated and selfish, and relied on the work and skill of others, undermining community and caring nothing for the consequences. If you did not demonstrate social responsibility and political awareness you were considered apathetic, uneducated and ignorant.[3] In short, you were an idiot.
Papandreou went on to say something
I think the risen Lord would say to us, his disciples.
He said that things must change.
That change must come from people.
“from everyone who stands up to injustice and inequality.
[from] everyone who stands up to those who preach racism rather than empathy,
dogma rather than critical thinking, technocracy rather than democracy.
[from] everyone who stands up to the unchecked power,
whether it is authoritarian leaders,
plutocrats hiding their assets in tax havens,
or powerful lobbies protecting the powerful few,
…It is in their interest that all of us are idiots.
Let’s not be.”
I’m pretty sure there were idiots in the first century church; and it’s possible there are idiots in the church today. But this portrayal of how the community formed around the principles of unity in the midst of diversity and generosity in the midst of scarcity is instructive to us today.
Rarely are we as a congregation asked to share in that way; I like to think that if the occasion arises, we would do so. I believe we would. I know we would, because I have seen us do it. Not in the ways described here in Acts, but in ways that demonstrate that we really are, mostly, of one heart and soul.
One heart and soul.
One body, of which Christ is the head.
When the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples, they were hiding in fear. When they recognized, thanks to Thomas, who he was, he conveyed to them some of the marks of his body, the church. He breathed the Holy Spirit into their gathering. He gave them the power of forgiveness, he granted them peace beyond any earthly peace, and he gathered them in himself to become the church. Those marks of the body of Christ became the marks of the church, the living demonstration of the living Christ. Those shared marks are what empowered and enabled the early church; they are the marks that enable us to be the church.
What makes us church is that we offer forgiveness to one another.
What makes us church is that there is a state of peace among us.
What makes us church is that we are always learning to share.
Do you remember the good old days?
Remember when our pews were full, and not just on Easter Sunday?
Remember when Mr. D. had his special spot where he always sat,
and everyone who was anyone came to this church?
Remember when there was always so much of everything –
plenty of money, plenty of prestige, plenty of people, plenty of kids…
There was a huge youth group, and they did things together all the time.
There was KDK where young couples dined together every month,
and Presbyterian Women and lots of Sunday School classes…
Those were the good old days, weren’t they?
But I don’t remember them, and there are fewer and fewer people here who do.
Those days are past, but there are new pictures in the family album.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Our reading from Acts is part of the story of those Easter people and how the Christian community began to be formed. One commentary says that you can almost hear a song in the background -the theme song from “All In the Family.” Remember? Every episode opened with Archie and Edith singing “Those Were the Days.” This scripture has a bit of that feeling of nostalgia, a sense of the good old days when the church was a new thing, and everything was so great. But it also accurately describes how people formed a community that was centered on the Risen Christ and demonstrated to a hostile world what it means to live for Jesus. Let’s listen for God’s word to us in Acts 4:32-37
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.
There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles
gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”).
He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money,
and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
God’s word for God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
I’ll bet many of you have sat with an older relative, leafing through a photo album as they reminisced, identifying long-dead ancestors, and dear friends, recalling the family house, birthdays, deaths, travels and homecomings. Their life story is depicted in those faces, and landscapes, and in the stories they tell about the pictures. Those pictures represent, for many folks, the good old days.
Someone once said that “Pictures, always a dialogue with the past, [become] receptacles for people’s personal histories. Over time [the pictures] replace the memories themselves.”[1]
Today we have pictures like that from this story in the gospel of John and this scene from the fourth chapter of Acts. John depicts for us the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus, marking the transition of the disciples from fearful skepticism to courageous ministry; in Acts, we see a snapshot of the common life of the early church.
Both of these pictures show us the marks not only on Jesus’ physical body, but the marks of the church on us, the body of Christ. They are part of our family photo album of Resurrection life, showing us what it meant, and what it means, to be Easter people.
John’s gospel shows us the reality and power of resurrection.
And the reading from Acts – wow! talk about the good old days!
“they were of one heart and soul,
… no one claimed private ownership of any possessions,
… everything they owned was held in common
… not a needy person among them ...”
Of course, it is just a snapshot. In the very next chapter we encounter a story of people who withheld their money rather than sharing, and then lied about it. Even with that said, this is a beautiful picture of the church, and holds up to us an ideal of learning to share with one another. They shared one heart and soul, and they shared in their material goods. We are looking at a picture of people who, having been claimed by God, now understand that none of their worldly possessions belong to them.
It’s worth remembering that as they were learning to share, those early Christians didn’t cash in all their assets and put all the money into the general fund. They did so as the circumstances required: when someone had need. Nonetheless, this snapshot can feel threatening to contemporary American Christians.
We live in an economic system in which capitalism has become idolized, and in which people are often pitted against one another in an “every man for himself” competition. And in this increasingly polarized political environment, people tend to focus more on personal outrage or personal gain, than on the needs of the community and the common good.
So we want to dismiss this picture of the good old days of the church as something anomalous, something that has nothing to do with us. But the verb tense used indicates that this sharing among the people was an ongoing activity, not a onetime event.
I learned something interesting this week. I was listening to an interview with the former Prime Minister of Greece, whose tenure was short-lived as he attempted to help Greece sort out its economy. The country had complex financial problems, with global consequences, and Prime Minister George Papandreou had concluded a bailout deal with the three major powers of the European Union.
The issues and political intrigue were complex, and I don’t propose to try to sort that out this morning. But Papandreou said something that really struck me. He said that he had trusted the Greek people to make the right choice. Observing that Greece is the very birthplace of democracy, Papandreou noted the original meaning of the Greek word idiote – idiot: someone who was entirely self-centered.[2]
In ancient Athens to be selfish – caring only about self – idios, was rare, and it was considered to be a bit disgraceful. The overwhelming majority of Athenians participated in politics to a greater or lesser extent. The good citizen in ancient Greece was active socially and politically.
The idiot had nothing to contribute, was isolated and selfish, and relied on the work and skill of others, undermining community and caring nothing for the consequences. If you did not demonstrate social responsibility and political awareness you were considered apathetic, uneducated and ignorant.[3] In short, you were an idiot.
Papandreou went on to say something
I think the risen Lord would say to us, his disciples.
He said that things must change.
That change must come from people.
“from everyone who stands up to injustice and inequality.
[from] everyone who stands up to those who preach racism rather than empathy,
dogma rather than critical thinking, technocracy rather than democracy.
[from] everyone who stands up to the unchecked power,
whether it is authoritarian leaders,
plutocrats hiding their assets in tax havens,
or powerful lobbies protecting the powerful few,
…It is in their interest that all of us are idiots.
Let’s not be.”
I’m pretty sure there were idiots in the first century church; and it’s possible there are idiots in the church today. But this portrayal of how the community formed around the principles of unity in the midst of diversity and generosity in the midst of scarcity is instructive to us today.
Rarely are we as a congregation asked to share in that way; I like to think that if the occasion arises, we would do so. I believe we would. I know we would, because I have seen us do it. Not in the ways described here in Acts, but in ways that demonstrate that we really are, mostly, of one heart and soul.
One heart and soul.
One body, of which Christ is the head.
When the risen Jesus appeared to the disciples, they were hiding in fear. When they recognized, thanks to Thomas, who he was, he conveyed to them some of the marks of his body, the church. He breathed the Holy Spirit into their gathering. He gave them the power of forgiveness, he granted them peace beyond any earthly peace, and he gathered them in himself to become the church. Those marks of the body of Christ became the marks of the church, the living demonstration of the living Christ. Those shared marks are what empowered and enabled the early church; they are the marks that enable us to be the church.
What makes us church is that we offer forgiveness to one another.
What makes us church is that there is a state of peace among us.
What makes us church is that we are always learning to share.
Do you remember the good old days?
Remember when our pews were full, and not just on Easter Sunday?
Remember when Mr. D. had his special spot where he always sat,
and everyone who was anyone came to this church?
Remember when there was always so much of everything –
plenty of money, plenty of prestige, plenty of people, plenty of kids…
There was a huge youth group, and they did things together all the time.
There was KDK where young couples dined together every month,
and Presbyterian Women and lots of Sunday School classes…
Those were the good old days, weren’t they?
But I don’t remember them, and there are fewer and fewer people here who do.
Those days are past, but there are new pictures in the family album.
They show a people who care about one another enough
to pray and work and support anyone who is in need.
to pray and work and support anyone who is in need.
They depict a community of hospitality,
in which welcome is not just a word but a way of life.
in which welcome is not just a word but a way of life.
They demonstrate a people of faith whose center of life is the Risen Lord,
who have received forgiveness and peace,
and so are willing to give that to others.
They portray people
whose generosity is genuine,
whose common life is joyful and faithful,
who are of one heart and soul,
who are always ready and willing to help those who are in need,
and who are always and ever learning to share.
These are the good old days.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
[1] Rian Dundon, https://timeline.com/fortepan-photo-archive-iowa-7302e9c2ee19
[2] https://blog.ted.com/the-failure-of-leadership-in-global-politics-george-papandreou-at-tedglobal-2013/
[3] http://www.historydisclosure.com/what-does-idiot-mean/
who have received forgiveness and peace,
and so are willing to give that to others.
They portray people
whose generosity is genuine,
whose common life is joyful and faithful,
who are of one heart and soul,
who are always ready and willing to help those who are in need,
and who are always and ever learning to share.
These are the good old days.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
[1] Rian Dundon, https://timeline.com/fortepan-photo-archive-iowa-7302e9c2ee19
[2] https://blog.ted.com/the-failure-of-leadership-in-global-politics-george-papandreou-at-tedglobal-2013/
[3] http://www.historydisclosure.com/what-does-idiot-mean/
Hello Pastor. I am also a Pastor from Mumbai, India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post Learning to Share is worth reading and following . I am also blessed and feel privileged and honored to get connected with you as well as know you and about you being the PASTOR of the First Presbyterian church. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe and that too Minister/ PASTORS, to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the PASTORAL MINISTRY for last 39 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work us during their vacation. We would love to have your young people come to work with us during their vacation time. I am sure they will have a life changing experience. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you, your family and ministry. Also wishing you a blessed and a Christ centered rest of the year 2018.
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