Problems, promises, and prayer
Commentary
"Wherever two or three are gathered together, there are bound to be four opinions." Whenever humans get together, there are bound to be differences that divide, antagonize, and alienate. Despite the pristine description of the early church in Acts 2:43-47 and 4:32-37, there are seeds of deeper discontent, as revealed by the early-introduced story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Despite Jesus' beautiful prayer for unity, two thousand years later the Vicar of Christ has to publish an encyclical, Ut Unum Sint, explicating the doubts and the dreams of the church in attaining its fulfillment. In support of the more recent Dominus Iesus (issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), Pope John Paul II stated, "With the Declaration Dominus Iesus ... I wanted to invite all Christians to renew their fidelity to him in the joy of faith and to bear unanimous witness that the Son, both today and tomorrow, is 'the way, and the truth, and the life' ... The document thus expresses once again [my] ecumenical passion."
One of the features of the twentieth-century church that will be charted by the history books is the ecumenical movement. There have been innumerable dialogues between just about every branch of Christendom, opening doors from ajar to flung-wide. Yet, with every step forward in understanding and even establishing visible signs of unity (whether full-merger or full-communion relationships), there are always concomitant fissures that keep the church from claiming in the here-and-now its oneness in purity and truth. The risen Christ stands over all of these attempts to make concrete his prayer for the church and for the world. In the midst of all our problems, he holds out his promises that his prayer will be fulfilled by the powerful grace of God.
Acts 16:16-34
Today we share in one of the early episodes of Paul's second missionary tour. Paul and Barnabas had recently split over Mark's value as a traveling companion in their evangelistic enterprise (Acts 13:13). Paul selected Silas as his new associate and then picked up Timothy along the way (Acts 16:1-5). This was the trio, which along with Luke (?, see Acts 16:11-40 and the strategic use of the pronoun "we"), that responded to the Macedonian call by traveling into Europe and tarrying in Philippi, the setting of a many-faceted story, which involved the conversion of Lydia, the healing of the spirit-possessed slave girl, and the baptizing of the jailer's entire family.
Either Paul did not want an "Ed McMahon" in his life, or he did not want to share the stage with anyone else in attracting attention to the gospel message, or his Old Testament heritage emerged to purge the scene of anything as contemptible as soothsaying. Regarding the latter, it was classified in the Old Testament along with sorcery and the practice of magic (see Jeremiah 27:9 and Deuteronomy 18:10, 14), and was therefore forbidden (Micah 5:12). This may very well have been the reason that Paul did not comment on the issue of slavery (which, in those days was culturally acceptable), but rather focused on the issue of possession. The soothsayer was possessed by a spirit that was the driving force behind this undesirable ability of divination. It is interesting to notice that when Paul addressed the spiritual nature of the situation, he unwittingly unveiled precisely what is wrong with slavery: it is using other people for one's own personal gain in which they do not share as equitable partners (16:19).
The issue was certainly taken seriously by the owners of the girl. They became so irate at Paul for tampering with their source of income, that they had Paul and Silas publicly beaten with rods. This was not the first time such emotional and physical abuse had fallen upon Paul. He had already been reviled and rejected in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:45, 50), molested and stoned in Iconium (Acts 14:5), and stoned again to near death in Lystra (Acts 14:19). It would be understandable if these experiences were motivating factors in his eagerness to go to Europe, hoping to find a more receptive audience for the gospel. Paul would soon learn that no matter where he went in the Jewish world or the Gentile world, there would be those who welcomed the gospel with open heart and those who rebuffed the gospel with set jaw and clenched fist.
What is curious about Paul, that we especially learn from his remaining in the jail after the earthquake, is that -- like Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Paul accepted the suffering he experienced for the sake of the gospel. He did not necessarily seek it out, like a madman or human terrorist bomber bent on martyrdom. When it came, he was prepared to embrace it as a witness to the truth, like King bearing the wrath of American society against his civil rights protest. His and Paul's non-violent response took tremendous courage and faith. They each had seen a glory that far surpassed the darkness they were destined to enter. Their glimpse of the glory of the Lord was sufficient to carry them through. With the risen Jesus in one's heart and filling one's vision, there are no obstacles so problematic so as to discourage and inhibit one's witness to the truth.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
On this last Sunday of the Easter season, the church reads the closing words from the book of Revelation. They express comfort for a persecuted church. Under the threat of death, how reassuring to hear that God is still the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning of all and the end of all. He holds everything in his hands and will balance the scales when Jesus returns in glory. Any who thirst for righteousness, justice, forgiveness, or relationship with God are invited to drink freely from the water of life, a summons to Christian baptism, which initiates one into the vision of God's marvelous works through Jesus on earth and in heaven. This invitation leaves open the door for those who have not yet entered into the mysteries and wonders of God in faith and also for those who may have fallen from faith during the persecutions. How great to hear a call to faith and repentance, even at this late hour, for "Behold, I am coming soon" (22:12)!
Also, how unfortunate that the lectionary editors chose to edit the stuffings out of these closing verses to the book of Revelation! What, did they think that we were not big enough to handle the fulness of God? This is like the religious book publisher who edited out the crucifixion in a recent children's book; the book showed Jesus walking out of the empty tomb, but it did not explain how he got in there in the first place. Talk about taking the guts out of the gospel! This particular pericope is likewise chopped up, so as to misrepresent not only the intention of the book of Revelation itself, but also the God who fills its vellum. At worship, read the entire section from verse six to the end. Only in this way will the hearer be able to receive the complete, closing appeal: "This vision is true and you should believe it, or you will risk the comfort of your soul in time now and for eternity to come, for God can exercise his wrath as well as his grace."
This grace would be saccharine and cease to be amazing were we not to behold the thunder and lightning of the One who sends the gentle rains. Accepting the Alpha and Omega of God is to accept his wrath along with his mercy, both of which are expressions of his love. The book of Revelation explicates this in innumerable ways, observing God flex divine muscle between extending wrath and retracting grace. We are reminded in this way of the fulness of God, who is holy and just, as well as merciful and forgiving. Acknowledging this puts us on our knees in humble awe and fearful gratefulness. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight," Proverbs 9:10 reminds us. The writer to the Hebrews is able to say, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," (Hebrews 10:31); this, in the context of advice not to sin deliberately and thereby outrage the Spirit (Hebrews 10:26-29). This is similar to the message of the epilogue in the book of Revelation, when the liturgically expurgated verses are left intact.
John 17:20-26
Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, the last third of which forms our pericope today, is set within the Gospel of John during Holy Week. On Thursday evening, Jesus washed the disciples' feet during their Passover meal. Before they depart to the garden and the eventual betrayal, Jesus offers many sayings to comfort his disciples, to promise them the Holy Spirit, to compare himself to a vine, to command them to love, and to warn them about persecution. Then, he prays, for in just a few moments he will be arrested and the pace of the evening will definitely pick up.
After praying for himself (17:1-5) and then for his disciples (17:6-19), he petitions his heavenly Father on behalf of those who will become the second generation of believers. Jesus desires the same intimacy with those who will yet believe as he has had with those who already believe. This means that through faith, any believer is as close to Jesus, regardless of the century lived in. The unity experienced by future fellowships of Christians will not be of a second-rate nature. It is just as authentic as what the disciples shared in the presence of Jesus. The risen Jesus, by the power of God, can be with the church whenever and wherever it is. Faith is the bond that will manifest the glory of the risen Jesus in his on-going body in the world, his church.
Jesus predicates the oneness of the believers upon his being in them and the Father in himself (17:23). This intimacy of being in one another is a gift from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the believers. This is what creates the oneness for which Jesus prays. The gift of relationship is given the believers to establish the oneness, so that it may stand as a witness to the world that there can be a living relationship between the divine and the human, between God and the children of earth.
The climactic conclusion to the prayer comes in verses 25 and 26, which affirm that Jesus indeed has known the Father and that the disciples acknowledge Jesus as sent from the Father (see also John 3:16-21 and 20:30-31). Jesus finished what he set out to do. He accomplished his purpose in making the Father known, the acclamation of his last word on the cross (John 19:30). When Jesus says in addition, "And I will make it known" (17:25), he is referring to the crucifixion and resurrection which will soon occur; he may also be referring to the on-going work of the Holy Spirit which he promised, which will continue to guide the believers in the knowledge of the truth (John 16:13). Again, the purpose of these things is towards the end of being in one another, the Father's love filling the believers, uniting them with the Father and the Son and therefore with one another in love. This love, of course, is most clearly and definitively expressed by the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross (John 3:14-17). His death was not just for the nation of Israel, "But to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad" (John 11:52).
Application
When Paul cast out the spirit of divination in the slave girl, he sent a message that the church must be about the business of addressing the spiritual darkness behind any material oppression. It is so common in our day for the church to assume the soap box in public discourse and speak out on various issues. Unfortunately, what the church offers publicly is nothing more than political rhetoric and social solutions that have already been bantered about from pillar to post. What would be refreshing from the pulpits of America (not just on Sunday morning with the worshiping congregation, but also on Wednesday afternoon with the local media or Thursday morning at business breakfasts) is a clear enunciation of the law and the gospel. We need to hear about our shortcomings before God that cause the shortcomings in our social structures. The church, pastors, and people alike, armed with the truth from God's Word and empowered by the risen Christ to venture into lands unknown (like Paul to Samothrace), can voice the vital message that our culture needs to hear, to free us from the shackles of our own making and wash us in a cleansing water that refreshes for new life and a more open future under the grace of God. That message is not a theological dogma, but a theology for daily life in the presence of God. That message is not a social gospel, but the gospel for society to be shaped by God's will. What John envisions in Revelation and what Jesus prays for help us see the contour of life on earth with God, while we await life in heaven with God.
The promise of Jesus' return (however soon) is not meant to lull the believer into a "wait and watch" posture. It is the irony of Christian history that those who have had the most fervent hope for the imminent return of Jesus have been energized to do the most earthly good, whether that be in evangelism (Paul), church reform (Huss), or social ministry (Wesley). It is difficult to see the scope of one's ministry from an earthbound view. Questions about the worth of the sacrifices made can abound in the Christian heart. This is especially true when one sees that often the evil person gets away with murder, while the righteous person suffers. The stark contrast can be seen when one stands genocide-minded and still-free Milosovic (Serbia) next to the arrested grandma (Wisconsin) who was only trying to help people out by putting money into their expired parking meters. God, the Alpha and the Omega, will have his way when all is said and done, for all is within his divine grasp (22:12-13). Deuteronomy 32:35-36 expresses this, a theme which is picked up by Paul in Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30. Jesus will return with just payment (recompense, in RSV) and all will be settled. Hence, the exhortation not to mess with the record, either by adding to it or taking away from it. The Christian is to witness to the truth of Jesus in word and deed, and let God take care of the rest. There is comfort in these words as well as direction, as the eternal dimension of life contained within the promises of God inculcates itself into the mundane with hope. Therefore, Christians are encouraged to stay the course. The reward from the hand of God will be well worth whatever hardship is endured on earth, the leaves of healing from the tree of life being a sign of the beneficence to come (Revelation 22:14).
As the church stays the course into the twenty-first century, it hopes to bear the fruit of the planting, cultivating, and pruning ecumenical work of the twentieth century. Much has been done to open doors of communication and understanding and agreement between various fellowships within Christianity. There are dialogues that have been nurtured for decades and some that have just begun. Catholics, Orthodox, Reformed, Lutheran, Moravians, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and others are learning from one another and visibly growing closer to one another in faith, worship, and service. This course is being pursued with the confidence that it will bear witness to the world that we are one in Christ. The various denominations have different understandings as to how this can actually happen; yet, the goal is similar -- to manifest in the body of Christ the unity for which Jesus prayed.
Some aspects of denominationalism have been an open wound to the world, revealing the broken nature and character of the church on earth. For this there needs to be much repentance offered and forgiveness received. Yet, encouragement can be given to parishioners who anguish over these matters. For one thing, the variety of Christian expression is a reflection of the depth of the gospel which cannot be limited to a single plain. Just as a gem dances with light the more facets it has, so too, the gospel light is capable of shining through many angles of human design. For another thing, the extent of God's acceptance is revealed in the divine capacity to embrace such a plethora of expressions from Christian believers. God's Alpha and Omega contain our epsilon and chi.
Neither hierarchical uniformity, nor doctrinal agreement, nor behavioral conformity constitute what Jesus intended when he prayed that we may be one. Christians of amazing variety can affirm their unity in Christ and pray longingly for the oneness that will ultimately be ours in heaven. If the disarray of the Christian community was the thorn in Paul's side, then God's word to him then is just as pertinent to us now: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Acts 16:16-34
Paul and Timothy, along with Silas (cf. Acts 15:40), are still in Philippi, having been summoned in a vision of a man who bid them, "Come over to Macedonia to help us" (see the preceding First Lesson Focus). They are staying at the house of Lydia and apparently have the practice of visiting a place of prayer on the sabbaths (v. 16; cf. v. 13). As they are walking to the place, they are met by a Greek slave girl, who has the spirit of divination. That is, she is considered to be an intermediary between a pagan god and human beings, and so is said to foretell the future, as was thought to be done by the Pythian oracle at Delphi. Similar to the practices of modern fortune tellers and palm readers for whom we see advertisements in our time, money was charged for the slave girl's services, but because she was a slave, the money went entirely to her "owners" and they were becoming rich as a result.
As is the case with those infected with evil spirits during Jesus' time, the slave girl has the uncanny ability of recognizing when the power of God is present (cf. Mark 5:1-13), and she continually follows Paul and Silas, crying out that they are "servants of the Most High God, who declare to you the way of salvation." We would think that Paul would welcome that accurate description, which recommends him to the populace. But the gospel preached by the apostles and still today is good news of freedom and truth, not of slavery and false gods, and so "in the name of Jesus," Paul commands the evil spirit to come out of the slave girl, and she is immediately delivered of it. Jesus before had frequently exorcised evil spirits (cf. Luke 4:35, 41; 8:29), and Luke is showing that the power of Jesus, associated with his name, is still at work through Paul.
As is often the case in our society, the power of the gospel is not welcomed by the owners of the slave girl, however. Their source of income has dried up! Who cares about freedom from evil or transformations of human character or doing good deeds or even knowledge of the one true God if they keep you from making a buck? Truth and goodness aren't fashionable in our society, and religion, with all of its ways, shouldn't get in the way of getting ahead in this world. Sure, Christians are fine, but they should keep their noses out of business and politics and economics and let those who are savvy handle affairs.
The result is that the owners of the slave girl go to the Roman magistrates of the city. These days we hire a lawyer and go to court. And, as is often the case in our litigious circles, false charges are leveled against the accused. They are charged with advocating customs that are illegal in Roman law. We do not know what the exact charge was -- perhaps blasphemy against the gods or failure to honor the rule of the Emperor. But a crowd of demonstrators forms -- how familiar that sounds to us! The magistrates themselves physically attack the apostles, order them to be flogged and thrown into a maximum security prison.
Paul tells us that was not an unusual reaction to his ministry. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-25, he says that he endured many imprisonments and beatings with rods and lashes. And in 1 Thessalonians 2:2-3, he writes that he was shamefully treated at Philippi, but that he and Timothy had "courage in God to declare... the gospel of God in the face of great opposition." That reminds us of the many Christian martyrs through the centuries who have persevered in spreading the gospel in the face of great suffering and opposition and even death. Through their sacrifice and steadfast clinging to the truth of Jesus Christ, the gospel has been preserved for us, who sit here this morning in this Christian church.
Because of their courage and confidence in the power of the Lord, Paul and Silas (Timothy is not mentioned again until 17:14) are next seen in their prison, calmly praying and singing hymns -- undoubtedly some of the Psalms, which formed the songs of the early church. The scene is fascinating. In the dark and dank of the Roman dungeon, words of prayer and hymns to God echo through the silence, as all the other ragged prisoners listen carefully in the midnight blackness, and wonder. But as one Psalmist has avowed of God, "Though I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!... even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee" (Psalm 139:8, 12). And so the Lord, who commands light and darkness and who has established all the foundations of the earth, shakes the prison walls with a great earthquake that flings wide the prison doors and unlooses the chains and breaks the stocks of every prisoner. The Lord of freedom is at work once more.
The hapless jailer outside of the prison door, however, is terrified. He has been ordered by his superiors to make sure the prisoners do not escape (v. 23), and now an earthquake has freed every one of them. The jailer is sure the captives have fled, and he has to confront his officers with not a prisoner in his cell. Undoubtedly he himself will either be imprisoned for insubordination or, worse still, tortured to death. Better that he should commit suicide by falling on his own sword rather than face the chastisement and pain he is sure will follow.
We are not told how Paul persuaded the other prisoners to stay put. Perhaps those prayers and hymns that they had heard in the dark of the night convinced them to trust Paul and his Lord. But Paul preaches a gospel of life, and not of death, and so he cries out to the jailer not to harm himself, assuring him that every prisoner is still there. The interest in the story, then, is not with the remaining prisoners, but with the jailer -- we do not know what happened to the others. Grabbing a torch, the jailer rushs inside the prison cell, ascertains that Paul's assurances are true, and falls trembling in holy fear before Paul and Silas, whom the jailer is now sure are servants of the one "Most High" and only God. The Lord has broken into the jailer's lowly existence, and he will never again be the same. "What must I do to be saved, to have life, from such a God?" is the jailer's question, and Paul's reply is simple. "Believe in the Lord Jesus."
That is the same simple answer that is given to us today. We wonder what we must do to have our many sins and errors forgiven. What must we do to find a love that never deserts us, a truth that forever guides us, a comfort that forever lifts us from the depths, a hope that assures us of the future, and a certainty of eternal life with a merciful God? What must we do to receive all of that? And the answer comes back, "Believe that all those things have already been assured in the work of God in his Son Jesus Christ. Trust that he will give you all of them. Rely on him. For he has done it all by his life and death and resurrection, and he lovingly wants for you the abundant good life that his work alone can give. Trust Jesus Christ. Rely on his Spirit. All will follow after."
As with all persons who have their life transformed by the good news of Christ, the jailer is a new man, leaving his former life behind. He takes the apostles to his own house, washes the wounds from their beatings, and along with his whole household, kneels to be baptized and to become a member of the Body of Christ, the church. A celebratory meal follows, with great rejoicing. That's always the way with the gospel.
One of the features of the twentieth-century church that will be charted by the history books is the ecumenical movement. There have been innumerable dialogues between just about every branch of Christendom, opening doors from ajar to flung-wide. Yet, with every step forward in understanding and even establishing visible signs of unity (whether full-merger or full-communion relationships), there are always concomitant fissures that keep the church from claiming in the here-and-now its oneness in purity and truth. The risen Christ stands over all of these attempts to make concrete his prayer for the church and for the world. In the midst of all our problems, he holds out his promises that his prayer will be fulfilled by the powerful grace of God.
Acts 16:16-34
Today we share in one of the early episodes of Paul's second missionary tour. Paul and Barnabas had recently split over Mark's value as a traveling companion in their evangelistic enterprise (Acts 13:13). Paul selected Silas as his new associate and then picked up Timothy along the way (Acts 16:1-5). This was the trio, which along with Luke (?, see Acts 16:11-40 and the strategic use of the pronoun "we"), that responded to the Macedonian call by traveling into Europe and tarrying in Philippi, the setting of a many-faceted story, which involved the conversion of Lydia, the healing of the spirit-possessed slave girl, and the baptizing of the jailer's entire family.
Either Paul did not want an "Ed McMahon" in his life, or he did not want to share the stage with anyone else in attracting attention to the gospel message, or his Old Testament heritage emerged to purge the scene of anything as contemptible as soothsaying. Regarding the latter, it was classified in the Old Testament along with sorcery and the practice of magic (see Jeremiah 27:9 and Deuteronomy 18:10, 14), and was therefore forbidden (Micah 5:12). This may very well have been the reason that Paul did not comment on the issue of slavery (which, in those days was culturally acceptable), but rather focused on the issue of possession. The soothsayer was possessed by a spirit that was the driving force behind this undesirable ability of divination. It is interesting to notice that when Paul addressed the spiritual nature of the situation, he unwittingly unveiled precisely what is wrong with slavery: it is using other people for one's own personal gain in which they do not share as equitable partners (16:19).
The issue was certainly taken seriously by the owners of the girl. They became so irate at Paul for tampering with their source of income, that they had Paul and Silas publicly beaten with rods. This was not the first time such emotional and physical abuse had fallen upon Paul. He had already been reviled and rejected in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:45, 50), molested and stoned in Iconium (Acts 14:5), and stoned again to near death in Lystra (Acts 14:19). It would be understandable if these experiences were motivating factors in his eagerness to go to Europe, hoping to find a more receptive audience for the gospel. Paul would soon learn that no matter where he went in the Jewish world or the Gentile world, there would be those who welcomed the gospel with open heart and those who rebuffed the gospel with set jaw and clenched fist.
What is curious about Paul, that we especially learn from his remaining in the jail after the earthquake, is that -- like Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Paul accepted the suffering he experienced for the sake of the gospel. He did not necessarily seek it out, like a madman or human terrorist bomber bent on martyrdom. When it came, he was prepared to embrace it as a witness to the truth, like King bearing the wrath of American society against his civil rights protest. His and Paul's non-violent response took tremendous courage and faith. They each had seen a glory that far surpassed the darkness they were destined to enter. Their glimpse of the glory of the Lord was sufficient to carry them through. With the risen Jesus in one's heart and filling one's vision, there are no obstacles so problematic so as to discourage and inhibit one's witness to the truth.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
On this last Sunday of the Easter season, the church reads the closing words from the book of Revelation. They express comfort for a persecuted church. Under the threat of death, how reassuring to hear that God is still the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning of all and the end of all. He holds everything in his hands and will balance the scales when Jesus returns in glory. Any who thirst for righteousness, justice, forgiveness, or relationship with God are invited to drink freely from the water of life, a summons to Christian baptism, which initiates one into the vision of God's marvelous works through Jesus on earth and in heaven. This invitation leaves open the door for those who have not yet entered into the mysteries and wonders of God in faith and also for those who may have fallen from faith during the persecutions. How great to hear a call to faith and repentance, even at this late hour, for "Behold, I am coming soon" (22:12)!
Also, how unfortunate that the lectionary editors chose to edit the stuffings out of these closing verses to the book of Revelation! What, did they think that we were not big enough to handle the fulness of God? This is like the religious book publisher who edited out the crucifixion in a recent children's book; the book showed Jesus walking out of the empty tomb, but it did not explain how he got in there in the first place. Talk about taking the guts out of the gospel! This particular pericope is likewise chopped up, so as to misrepresent not only the intention of the book of Revelation itself, but also the God who fills its vellum. At worship, read the entire section from verse six to the end. Only in this way will the hearer be able to receive the complete, closing appeal: "This vision is true and you should believe it, or you will risk the comfort of your soul in time now and for eternity to come, for God can exercise his wrath as well as his grace."
This grace would be saccharine and cease to be amazing were we not to behold the thunder and lightning of the One who sends the gentle rains. Accepting the Alpha and Omega of God is to accept his wrath along with his mercy, both of which are expressions of his love. The book of Revelation explicates this in innumerable ways, observing God flex divine muscle between extending wrath and retracting grace. We are reminded in this way of the fulness of God, who is holy and just, as well as merciful and forgiving. Acknowledging this puts us on our knees in humble awe and fearful gratefulness. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight," Proverbs 9:10 reminds us. The writer to the Hebrews is able to say, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," (Hebrews 10:31); this, in the context of advice not to sin deliberately and thereby outrage the Spirit (Hebrews 10:26-29). This is similar to the message of the epilogue in the book of Revelation, when the liturgically expurgated verses are left intact.
John 17:20-26
Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, the last third of which forms our pericope today, is set within the Gospel of John during Holy Week. On Thursday evening, Jesus washed the disciples' feet during their Passover meal. Before they depart to the garden and the eventual betrayal, Jesus offers many sayings to comfort his disciples, to promise them the Holy Spirit, to compare himself to a vine, to command them to love, and to warn them about persecution. Then, he prays, for in just a few moments he will be arrested and the pace of the evening will definitely pick up.
After praying for himself (17:1-5) and then for his disciples (17:6-19), he petitions his heavenly Father on behalf of those who will become the second generation of believers. Jesus desires the same intimacy with those who will yet believe as he has had with those who already believe. This means that through faith, any believer is as close to Jesus, regardless of the century lived in. The unity experienced by future fellowships of Christians will not be of a second-rate nature. It is just as authentic as what the disciples shared in the presence of Jesus. The risen Jesus, by the power of God, can be with the church whenever and wherever it is. Faith is the bond that will manifest the glory of the risen Jesus in his on-going body in the world, his church.
Jesus predicates the oneness of the believers upon his being in them and the Father in himself (17:23). This intimacy of being in one another is a gift from the Father to the Son and from the Son to the believers. This is what creates the oneness for which Jesus prays. The gift of relationship is given the believers to establish the oneness, so that it may stand as a witness to the world that there can be a living relationship between the divine and the human, between God and the children of earth.
The climactic conclusion to the prayer comes in verses 25 and 26, which affirm that Jesus indeed has known the Father and that the disciples acknowledge Jesus as sent from the Father (see also John 3:16-21 and 20:30-31). Jesus finished what he set out to do. He accomplished his purpose in making the Father known, the acclamation of his last word on the cross (John 19:30). When Jesus says in addition, "And I will make it known" (17:25), he is referring to the crucifixion and resurrection which will soon occur; he may also be referring to the on-going work of the Holy Spirit which he promised, which will continue to guide the believers in the knowledge of the truth (John 16:13). Again, the purpose of these things is towards the end of being in one another, the Father's love filling the believers, uniting them with the Father and the Son and therefore with one another in love. This love, of course, is most clearly and definitively expressed by the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross (John 3:14-17). His death was not just for the nation of Israel, "But to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad" (John 11:52).
Application
When Paul cast out the spirit of divination in the slave girl, he sent a message that the church must be about the business of addressing the spiritual darkness behind any material oppression. It is so common in our day for the church to assume the soap box in public discourse and speak out on various issues. Unfortunately, what the church offers publicly is nothing more than political rhetoric and social solutions that have already been bantered about from pillar to post. What would be refreshing from the pulpits of America (not just on Sunday morning with the worshiping congregation, but also on Wednesday afternoon with the local media or Thursday morning at business breakfasts) is a clear enunciation of the law and the gospel. We need to hear about our shortcomings before God that cause the shortcomings in our social structures. The church, pastors, and people alike, armed with the truth from God's Word and empowered by the risen Christ to venture into lands unknown (like Paul to Samothrace), can voice the vital message that our culture needs to hear, to free us from the shackles of our own making and wash us in a cleansing water that refreshes for new life and a more open future under the grace of God. That message is not a theological dogma, but a theology for daily life in the presence of God. That message is not a social gospel, but the gospel for society to be shaped by God's will. What John envisions in Revelation and what Jesus prays for help us see the contour of life on earth with God, while we await life in heaven with God.
The promise of Jesus' return (however soon) is not meant to lull the believer into a "wait and watch" posture. It is the irony of Christian history that those who have had the most fervent hope for the imminent return of Jesus have been energized to do the most earthly good, whether that be in evangelism (Paul), church reform (Huss), or social ministry (Wesley). It is difficult to see the scope of one's ministry from an earthbound view. Questions about the worth of the sacrifices made can abound in the Christian heart. This is especially true when one sees that often the evil person gets away with murder, while the righteous person suffers. The stark contrast can be seen when one stands genocide-minded and still-free Milosovic (Serbia) next to the arrested grandma (Wisconsin) who was only trying to help people out by putting money into their expired parking meters. God, the Alpha and the Omega, will have his way when all is said and done, for all is within his divine grasp (22:12-13). Deuteronomy 32:35-36 expresses this, a theme which is picked up by Paul in Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30. Jesus will return with just payment (recompense, in RSV) and all will be settled. Hence, the exhortation not to mess with the record, either by adding to it or taking away from it. The Christian is to witness to the truth of Jesus in word and deed, and let God take care of the rest. There is comfort in these words as well as direction, as the eternal dimension of life contained within the promises of God inculcates itself into the mundane with hope. Therefore, Christians are encouraged to stay the course. The reward from the hand of God will be well worth whatever hardship is endured on earth, the leaves of healing from the tree of life being a sign of the beneficence to come (Revelation 22:14).
As the church stays the course into the twenty-first century, it hopes to bear the fruit of the planting, cultivating, and pruning ecumenical work of the twentieth century. Much has been done to open doors of communication and understanding and agreement between various fellowships within Christianity. There are dialogues that have been nurtured for decades and some that have just begun. Catholics, Orthodox, Reformed, Lutheran, Moravians, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and others are learning from one another and visibly growing closer to one another in faith, worship, and service. This course is being pursued with the confidence that it will bear witness to the world that we are one in Christ. The various denominations have different understandings as to how this can actually happen; yet, the goal is similar -- to manifest in the body of Christ the unity for which Jesus prayed.
Some aspects of denominationalism have been an open wound to the world, revealing the broken nature and character of the church on earth. For this there needs to be much repentance offered and forgiveness received. Yet, encouragement can be given to parishioners who anguish over these matters. For one thing, the variety of Christian expression is a reflection of the depth of the gospel which cannot be limited to a single plain. Just as a gem dances with light the more facets it has, so too, the gospel light is capable of shining through many angles of human design. For another thing, the extent of God's acceptance is revealed in the divine capacity to embrace such a plethora of expressions from Christian believers. God's Alpha and Omega contain our epsilon and chi.
Neither hierarchical uniformity, nor doctrinal agreement, nor behavioral conformity constitute what Jesus intended when he prayed that we may be one. Christians of amazing variety can affirm their unity in Christ and pray longingly for the oneness that will ultimately be ours in heaven. If the disarray of the Christian community was the thorn in Paul's side, then God's word to him then is just as pertinent to us now: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Acts 16:16-34
Paul and Timothy, along with Silas (cf. Acts 15:40), are still in Philippi, having been summoned in a vision of a man who bid them, "Come over to Macedonia to help us" (see the preceding First Lesson Focus). They are staying at the house of Lydia and apparently have the practice of visiting a place of prayer on the sabbaths (v. 16; cf. v. 13). As they are walking to the place, they are met by a Greek slave girl, who has the spirit of divination. That is, she is considered to be an intermediary between a pagan god and human beings, and so is said to foretell the future, as was thought to be done by the Pythian oracle at Delphi. Similar to the practices of modern fortune tellers and palm readers for whom we see advertisements in our time, money was charged for the slave girl's services, but because she was a slave, the money went entirely to her "owners" and they were becoming rich as a result.
As is the case with those infected with evil spirits during Jesus' time, the slave girl has the uncanny ability of recognizing when the power of God is present (cf. Mark 5:1-13), and she continually follows Paul and Silas, crying out that they are "servants of the Most High God, who declare to you the way of salvation." We would think that Paul would welcome that accurate description, which recommends him to the populace. But the gospel preached by the apostles and still today is good news of freedom and truth, not of slavery and false gods, and so "in the name of Jesus," Paul commands the evil spirit to come out of the slave girl, and she is immediately delivered of it. Jesus before had frequently exorcised evil spirits (cf. Luke 4:35, 41; 8:29), and Luke is showing that the power of Jesus, associated with his name, is still at work through Paul.
As is often the case in our society, the power of the gospel is not welcomed by the owners of the slave girl, however. Their source of income has dried up! Who cares about freedom from evil or transformations of human character or doing good deeds or even knowledge of the one true God if they keep you from making a buck? Truth and goodness aren't fashionable in our society, and religion, with all of its ways, shouldn't get in the way of getting ahead in this world. Sure, Christians are fine, but they should keep their noses out of business and politics and economics and let those who are savvy handle affairs.
The result is that the owners of the slave girl go to the Roman magistrates of the city. These days we hire a lawyer and go to court. And, as is often the case in our litigious circles, false charges are leveled against the accused. They are charged with advocating customs that are illegal in Roman law. We do not know what the exact charge was -- perhaps blasphemy against the gods or failure to honor the rule of the Emperor. But a crowd of demonstrators forms -- how familiar that sounds to us! The magistrates themselves physically attack the apostles, order them to be flogged and thrown into a maximum security prison.
Paul tells us that was not an unusual reaction to his ministry. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-25, he says that he endured many imprisonments and beatings with rods and lashes. And in 1 Thessalonians 2:2-3, he writes that he was shamefully treated at Philippi, but that he and Timothy had "courage in God to declare... the gospel of God in the face of great opposition." That reminds us of the many Christian martyrs through the centuries who have persevered in spreading the gospel in the face of great suffering and opposition and even death. Through their sacrifice and steadfast clinging to the truth of Jesus Christ, the gospel has been preserved for us, who sit here this morning in this Christian church.
Because of their courage and confidence in the power of the Lord, Paul and Silas (Timothy is not mentioned again until 17:14) are next seen in their prison, calmly praying and singing hymns -- undoubtedly some of the Psalms, which formed the songs of the early church. The scene is fascinating. In the dark and dank of the Roman dungeon, words of prayer and hymns to God echo through the silence, as all the other ragged prisoners listen carefully in the midnight blackness, and wonder. But as one Psalmist has avowed of God, "Though I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!... even the darkness is not dark to thee, the night is bright as the day; for darkness is as light with thee" (Psalm 139:8, 12). And so the Lord, who commands light and darkness and who has established all the foundations of the earth, shakes the prison walls with a great earthquake that flings wide the prison doors and unlooses the chains and breaks the stocks of every prisoner. The Lord of freedom is at work once more.
The hapless jailer outside of the prison door, however, is terrified. He has been ordered by his superiors to make sure the prisoners do not escape (v. 23), and now an earthquake has freed every one of them. The jailer is sure the captives have fled, and he has to confront his officers with not a prisoner in his cell. Undoubtedly he himself will either be imprisoned for insubordination or, worse still, tortured to death. Better that he should commit suicide by falling on his own sword rather than face the chastisement and pain he is sure will follow.
We are not told how Paul persuaded the other prisoners to stay put. Perhaps those prayers and hymns that they had heard in the dark of the night convinced them to trust Paul and his Lord. But Paul preaches a gospel of life, and not of death, and so he cries out to the jailer not to harm himself, assuring him that every prisoner is still there. The interest in the story, then, is not with the remaining prisoners, but with the jailer -- we do not know what happened to the others. Grabbing a torch, the jailer rushs inside the prison cell, ascertains that Paul's assurances are true, and falls trembling in holy fear before Paul and Silas, whom the jailer is now sure are servants of the one "Most High" and only God. The Lord has broken into the jailer's lowly existence, and he will never again be the same. "What must I do to be saved, to have life, from such a God?" is the jailer's question, and Paul's reply is simple. "Believe in the Lord Jesus."
That is the same simple answer that is given to us today. We wonder what we must do to have our many sins and errors forgiven. What must we do to find a love that never deserts us, a truth that forever guides us, a comfort that forever lifts us from the depths, a hope that assures us of the future, and a certainty of eternal life with a merciful God? What must we do to receive all of that? And the answer comes back, "Believe that all those things have already been assured in the work of God in his Son Jesus Christ. Trust that he will give you all of them. Rely on him. For he has done it all by his life and death and resurrection, and he lovingly wants for you the abundant good life that his work alone can give. Trust Jesus Christ. Rely on his Spirit. All will follow after."
As with all persons who have their life transformed by the good news of Christ, the jailer is a new man, leaving his former life behind. He takes the apostles to his own house, washes the wounds from their beatings, and along with his whole household, kneels to be baptized and to become a member of the Body of Christ, the church. A celebratory meal follows, with great rejoicing. That's always the way with the gospel.
