God's Love Is In All Of Creation
Commentary
The lessons for the Sixth Sunday of Easter direct us to sermons on the great things God’s love does, appreciating in two cases this love’s cosmic character (especially leading to a stress on justification by grace). This is an appropriate theme with the festival of the Ascension in view, which celebrates Christ’s almighty power and cosmic vindication.
Acts 17:22-31
The first lesson is a good example of Luke’s concern to highlight the universal outreach of Paul’s mission. This is an account of Paul’s proclamation to the Athenians, especially his effort to make sense of faith in God in this largely secular context.
The Public Religion Research Institute reports the shocking poll finding that 25% of the American public is religiously unaffiliated, in comparison with just 5% in 1972. But a Gallup poll found that 89% of us still believe in God. Americans seem to be looking for some good reasons to believe. There is certainly a market for it. Many Americans like to say they are “spiritual” but not “religious.” We might proceed to elaborate Paul’s argument for God’s existence and consider what it has to say to an age that says it believes, but does not act on it much.
Paul refers to how “religious” (today we could call it how “spiritual”) his audience is. He notes an altar to an unknown god in Athens and relates the God of Jesus Christ to this yearning (v. 23). Preachers might highlight Martin Luther’s claim that a god is what we make most important in our lives (The Book of Concord [2000 edition], p. 386). All of us have things we make more important than everything else -- family, power, money, etc. It is these things which constitute the “spirituality” of many Americans. These are our unknown gods. Sermons might explore the meaninglessness of these other gods, that they provide us with nothing of ultimate meaning and significance. In that sense a “bet” on the eternal God of Christ who gives life makes more sense than the gods most of us worship from Monday through Saturday.
Paul’s comments that in God we live and move and have our being (likely borrowed from the Greek poet Aratus) (v. 28) are also timely in light of modern scientific findings, further strengthening the viability of this argument for God’s existence. The discovery of the Higgs Boson, an elementary particle which makes mass possible, is a most recent consideration. It is often called the “God Particle” in pop culture. If we want to think of the creating God in these scientific categories, then such a God is not one up in the clouds or heaven, but a reality which is in the midst of life, the source of our being, that God is in us and the stuff of life. If this is what Paul means, it seems that his view of God (what the Bible and the Church teach) is most compatible with modern science. This is a lesson for helping parishioners see how much sense faith in the God who raised Jesus makes.
1 Peter 3:13-22
The second lesson is a discussion of Christian obligations, emerging in a pastoral exhortation (pastoral letter) written by an elder in Rome (claiming to be Peter) to a Gentile church in Turkey (1:1; 5:1). Probably written between 70 AD and 90 AD, the latter date and high-quality Greek make it unlikely to have been written by the apostle. The epistle seems to have been written to Gentiles who were suffering at the lower levels of the socio-economic spectrum. Of great interest for our purposes is the author’s claim that when Christ was put to death he went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who in former times did not obey (vv.18-19). The risen Christ clears our conscience (v. 21).
There have been ancient traditions in the Church of interpreting Christ speaking to the spirits in prison as an affirmation of Christ’s descent into hell, where he preached to the lost (see Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 2, pp. 490-492; Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, pp. 498-499; for the writings of Clement of Alexandria and Irenaeus). A 2016 Pew Research Center poll found that only 59% of Americans believe in hell (74% believe in heaven). Another Pew Center poll in 2008 found that 56% of all Americans and 62% of white mainline Protestants believe atheists can be saved. The numbers among these groups regarding whether Muslims can be saved was 52% among the public in general and 55% among white mainline Protestants.
Understanding Jesus as preaching in hell to those who have not accepted him effectively destroys hell, a message most Americans want to hear (since nearly half of us they don’t believe in hell anyway). And this vision is in line with a belief that non-Christians can be saved, while still insisting that faith is an element of their salvation (since those in hell are given a second chance to believe, as Christ’s words continue to resonate in hell). Sermons on these themes boldly proclaim that God’s love really does conquer!
John 14:15-21
Regarding the gospel lesson, it is good to be reminded that John is the final and least ancient gospel account, since the fourth gospel was not written until the end of the first century. This book was probably based on the synoptic accounts. Although identification of the author with John the son of Zebedee, the disciple whom Jesus loved, is ancient, dating back to Irenaeus in the second century (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, p. 414), it may well have been a disciple of John who wrote it. The first post-biblical church historian, Eusebius of Caesarea, claimed that John had perceived the external facts made plain in the gospel and had been inspired by friends and by the spirit to compose a spiritual gospel (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1, p. 261). The gospel was probably written for a Jewish community in conflict with the synagogue, one in which Christians had been expelled from Jewish society. Its aim was to encourage its readers to believe that Jesus is the messiah, the Son of God (20:13). This lesson is part of Jesus’ farewell discourse, reported to have been given the evening of the Last Supper prior to his arrest. It is unique to the fourth gospel. In these verses attention is given to the promise of the Holy Spirit to be poured out on the faithful after Jesus’ ascension (vv. 15-17). But he also associates obedience to the commandments as a sign of faith (vv. 15, 21).
Except in Pentecostal circles, the Holy Spirit has fallen on tough times. A 2008 poll of American Christians revealed the disturbing finding that two-thirds of them regard the Holy Spirit as a mere divine force. And a 2001 poll conducted by the Barna Research group found that seven in ten Americans believe that we must do works in order to be saved. Jesus’ comments in this gospel can help us address these new social realities. It is true that he seems to demand good works of the faithful (vv.15, 21). But he carefully relates these expectations and the Christian life to the Holy Spirit and his work (vv. 16-18). If God’s works can only be done with and by the Holy Spirit, it follows that they and the Christian life are works of God’s grace. Ultimately, then, the American majority has it wrong. Works do not save, only God.
Modern theologian Karl Barth spoke of the Holy Spirit as the awakening power of God (Church Dogmatics, Vol. IV/1, p. 643). This is a concept which will perhaps be a bit more acceptable to the skeptics of the Holy Spirit. It takes power to do things, takes power to live the Christian life. In short, we can only do good if we have the power to do it. And that power is what the Holy Spirit is. This is a sermon in which to proclaim that it takes the Spirit to do what Jesus wants us to do! His love in gifting us with the Spirit makes it happen.
The last two lessons especially make it evident: the love of God does great things. This is a cosmic love that saturates all aspects of life and creation.
Acts 17:22-31
The first lesson is a good example of Luke’s concern to highlight the universal outreach of Paul’s mission. This is an account of Paul’s proclamation to the Athenians, especially his effort to make sense of faith in God in this largely secular context.
The Public Religion Research Institute reports the shocking poll finding that 25% of the American public is religiously unaffiliated, in comparison with just 5% in 1972. But a Gallup poll found that 89% of us still believe in God. Americans seem to be looking for some good reasons to believe. There is certainly a market for it. Many Americans like to say they are “spiritual” but not “religious.” We might proceed to elaborate Paul’s argument for God’s existence and consider what it has to say to an age that says it believes, but does not act on it much.
Paul refers to how “religious” (today we could call it how “spiritual”) his audience is. He notes an altar to an unknown god in Athens and relates the God of Jesus Christ to this yearning (v. 23). Preachers might highlight Martin Luther’s claim that a god is what we make most important in our lives (The Book of Concord [2000 edition], p. 386). All of us have things we make more important than everything else -- family, power, money, etc. It is these things which constitute the “spirituality” of many Americans. These are our unknown gods. Sermons might explore the meaninglessness of these other gods, that they provide us with nothing of ultimate meaning and significance. In that sense a “bet” on the eternal God of Christ who gives life makes more sense than the gods most of us worship from Monday through Saturday.
Paul’s comments that in God we live and move and have our being (likely borrowed from the Greek poet Aratus) (v. 28) are also timely in light of modern scientific findings, further strengthening the viability of this argument for God’s existence. The discovery of the Higgs Boson, an elementary particle which makes mass possible, is a most recent consideration. It is often called the “God Particle” in pop culture. If we want to think of the creating God in these scientific categories, then such a God is not one up in the clouds or heaven, but a reality which is in the midst of life, the source of our being, that God is in us and the stuff of life. If this is what Paul means, it seems that his view of God (what the Bible and the Church teach) is most compatible with modern science. This is a lesson for helping parishioners see how much sense faith in the God who raised Jesus makes.
1 Peter 3:13-22
The second lesson is a discussion of Christian obligations, emerging in a pastoral exhortation (pastoral letter) written by an elder in Rome (claiming to be Peter) to a Gentile church in Turkey (1:1; 5:1). Probably written between 70 AD and 90 AD, the latter date and high-quality Greek make it unlikely to have been written by the apostle. The epistle seems to have been written to Gentiles who were suffering at the lower levels of the socio-economic spectrum. Of great interest for our purposes is the author’s claim that when Christ was put to death he went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who in former times did not obey (vv.18-19). The risen Christ clears our conscience (v. 21).
There have been ancient traditions in the Church of interpreting Christ speaking to the spirits in prison as an affirmation of Christ’s descent into hell, where he preached to the lost (see Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 2, pp. 490-492; Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, pp. 498-499; for the writings of Clement of Alexandria and Irenaeus). A 2016 Pew Research Center poll found that only 59% of Americans believe in hell (74% believe in heaven). Another Pew Center poll in 2008 found that 56% of all Americans and 62% of white mainline Protestants believe atheists can be saved. The numbers among these groups regarding whether Muslims can be saved was 52% among the public in general and 55% among white mainline Protestants.
Understanding Jesus as preaching in hell to those who have not accepted him effectively destroys hell, a message most Americans want to hear (since nearly half of us they don’t believe in hell anyway). And this vision is in line with a belief that non-Christians can be saved, while still insisting that faith is an element of their salvation (since those in hell are given a second chance to believe, as Christ’s words continue to resonate in hell). Sermons on these themes boldly proclaim that God’s love really does conquer!
John 14:15-21
Regarding the gospel lesson, it is good to be reminded that John is the final and least ancient gospel account, since the fourth gospel was not written until the end of the first century. This book was probably based on the synoptic accounts. Although identification of the author with John the son of Zebedee, the disciple whom Jesus loved, is ancient, dating back to Irenaeus in the second century (Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, p. 414), it may well have been a disciple of John who wrote it. The first post-biblical church historian, Eusebius of Caesarea, claimed that John had perceived the external facts made plain in the gospel and had been inspired by friends and by the spirit to compose a spiritual gospel (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1, p. 261). The gospel was probably written for a Jewish community in conflict with the synagogue, one in which Christians had been expelled from Jewish society. Its aim was to encourage its readers to believe that Jesus is the messiah, the Son of God (20:13). This lesson is part of Jesus’ farewell discourse, reported to have been given the evening of the Last Supper prior to his arrest. It is unique to the fourth gospel. In these verses attention is given to the promise of the Holy Spirit to be poured out on the faithful after Jesus’ ascension (vv. 15-17). But he also associates obedience to the commandments as a sign of faith (vv. 15, 21).
Except in Pentecostal circles, the Holy Spirit has fallen on tough times. A 2008 poll of American Christians revealed the disturbing finding that two-thirds of them regard the Holy Spirit as a mere divine force. And a 2001 poll conducted by the Barna Research group found that seven in ten Americans believe that we must do works in order to be saved. Jesus’ comments in this gospel can help us address these new social realities. It is true that he seems to demand good works of the faithful (vv.15, 21). But he carefully relates these expectations and the Christian life to the Holy Spirit and his work (vv. 16-18). If God’s works can only be done with and by the Holy Spirit, it follows that they and the Christian life are works of God’s grace. Ultimately, then, the American majority has it wrong. Works do not save, only God.
Modern theologian Karl Barth spoke of the Holy Spirit as the awakening power of God (Church Dogmatics, Vol. IV/1, p. 643). This is a concept which will perhaps be a bit more acceptable to the skeptics of the Holy Spirit. It takes power to do things, takes power to live the Christian life. In short, we can only do good if we have the power to do it. And that power is what the Holy Spirit is. This is a sermon in which to proclaim that it takes the Spirit to do what Jesus wants us to do! His love in gifting us with the Spirit makes it happen.
The last two lessons especially make it evident: the love of God does great things. This is a cosmic love that saturates all aspects of life and creation.
