Witness: suffering and rejoicing with hope
Commentary
Is the church living post-Christendom or post-Easter? Are Christians today discouraged by the world in which they live? Or are Christians excited by the world in which they live? It is said that perception is everything. While this is a business/public relations/advertising mantra that caters to the subjective, it may be useful for a moment to make a point.
How do Christians perceive the world in which they believe and witness? As we take our cues from the New Testament, we have to concede that we live as a post-Easter people, which should excite us to the third heaven (as it did an acquaintance of Paul). Whatever we want to say about our post-Christendom world (i.e., the church can no longer be taken for granted as the cultural center of our society, nor can we expect the society in general to reflect the particular Christian ethos), this is only the context in which we witness. It is not the formative ground from which we view the world. The formative ground on which we stand and from which we view the world is located just outside the empty tomb down the road from Calvary.
In a sense, we should neither decry nor applaud the fact that we live in a post-Christendom context. For, in truth, we live post-Easter! This perception is everything! It shapes the witness of the believer, who suffers the misperceptions of a sinful world while rejoicing in the marvelous manifestations of the love of God through Jesus' life, passion, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Acts 5:27-32
The apostolic church had a disciplined witness. It was disciplined in giving, in sharing, and in suffering. To appreciate more fully the latter, it would be helpful to be reminded of the former. For this we will need to review a couple passages prior to this account of imprisonment of the apostles.
One of the striking characteristics of the apostolic church that Luke lifts up is the sharing of resources among the believers, such that "there was not a needy person among them" (Acts 4:34). In principle, this first congregation "had everything in common" (Acts 4:32). In a very practical way, their experience with Jesus placed them all on the same playing field. It is in light of this, that the disposition of one's personal possessions was so important (see also Acts 2:43-47).
Enter Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Their story is told in sharp contrast to the spirit of the congregation. The consequences of their actions are most sobering. It would not stretch the imagination too far to see a parallel here with the First Covenant people of God. When they murmured against God's ways in the wilderness, they too were judged. Ananias and Sapphira were not content with how the Spirit of God was organizing the apostolic church in terms of its shared generosity. Wanting to keep more for themselves, they conspired to rebel against the work of God. Like the people in the wilderness who were judged by earthquake (Numbers 16:1-40; Korah's rebellion) or by snake bite (Numbers 21:4-9; murmurings in the wilderness), this anti-stewardship couple was judged in a most dramatic fashion.
Is it any wonder that the apostles were so bold in their witness, even in the face of imprisonment? When they experienced the power of the Spirit of God bonding them together in common through generous sharing of resources, caring for each other's needs, and miracles of healing for "the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits" (Acts 5:16), they were made all the more confident in their defense of the faith before the religious authorities. "We must obey God rather than men" (5:29).
This present imprisonment is not the first time Peter and John had been arrested and placed in custody. Nor would it be their last. Yet, this did not deter them. As Peter explained, what God had done through Jesus in raising him from the dead and in providing forgiveness of sins was far too important and powerful to be suppressed by human fears or jealousies. Peter ends his response with a reference to obedience (5:32). The role of the witness is to give testimony dutifully. Peter and the other apostles had been privileged to see and hear Jesus, both before his crucifixion and after his resurrection. They were privy to the most intimate revelation of God in the world from the beginning of time. There was no way that they would shirk their responsibility to testify to the one who was "Leader and Savior" (arcjgov kai swtjr; 5:31).
Jesus, as Leader into resurrection life (ton de arcjgon tjv zwjv apekteinate On o qeov jgeiren ek nekrwn; Acts 3:15), would be made perfect through his suffering (ton arcjgon tjv swtjriav autwn dia paqjmatwn teleiwvai; Hebrews 2:10). Those who would be obedient to him should expect no less a life of suffering from the same world that rejected him.
After Gamaliel counsels caution to the council (Acts 5:33-
39), the disciples are beaten in chastisement (a foretaste of suffering still to come!) and admonished not to speak in the name of Jesus again. In a response that only those who are thoroughly convinced of the truth can understand, the apostles rejoice in their sufferings (Acts 5:41; see also, Romans 5:3-5 and 2 Corinthians 4:7-12), as they continue to proclaim the name of Jesus.
Revelation 1:4-8
It is very likely that this visionary book was written during the reign of Domitian (81-96 A.D.). As emperor, he took emperor worship very seriously, calling himself "Savior" and "Lord" and having statues erected all over the empire, not just in his honor, but also for his worship. This put the Christian believer in dire straights. For there was "no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 3:12). What were Christians to do, then, when confronted with the choice of worshiping Caesar and prospering as a good citizen of Rome or of worshiping only God through Jesus and not bowing down to Caesar and therefore risking losing freedom, home, employment, family, and life itself?
When the churches in Asia Minor were confronted with this situation, John stepped forward and shared his vision in order that the Church may be guided by the one true light and not get misguided into the dark alleys of fear, doubt, and disbelief. From the get-go, John reminds his readers that Jesus is "the ruler of kings on earth" (1:5). Caesar may seem to be all-powerful and everywhere present throughout the empire, but it is God who is the beginning and end of life itself (the alpha and omega -- the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet). This one, who is the A and the ê, is Jesus, crucified and now risen. His resurrection is a singular event. He is the "first-born from the dead" (prwtotokov twn nekr£wn; 1:5). To follow and obey him will get the believer farther down the road of life than conceding anything to Caesar, even if suffering is part of the journey. To be faithful witnesses to the one who is called "the faithful witness" (o martuv o piotov; 1:5) would be the greatest honor, even if martyrdom would result. Seeing how God the Father rewarded Jesus' faithfulness sends an encouraging message to those who would strive to be faithful even unto death. In truth, Jesus promises "the crown of life" (stefanon tjv zwjv; Revelation 2:10; how ironic that the first Christian martyr was named Stephen, whose name means "crown") to those who are so obedient. Paul would argue in his letter to the Romans, "If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his" (Romans 6:5).
With this confidence, the Christian can feel safe even in the midst of persecution, like books being held in place by book ends, like all the letters of the alphabet contained between the first and the last. God brackets our lives, such that there is nothing outside the grasp of God. Come what may, the believer is God's! Though the devil may have his day, God will have his way! This is the spiritual truth that gives the believer strength and comfort in trying times.
John 20:19-31
The Gospel writer John is really the kindest to his readers in terms of the ending of his account of Jesus' life. Matthew, true to his teaching purposes, leaves the reader in the middle of a conversation. Jesus gives the Great Commission to his disciples; then, period. No further comments, no response from the disciples, no resolve as to where Jesus goes from here. Luke is a bit more gracious on this matter; he includes the ascension and reports that the disciples rejoiced by worshiping God daily. Mark messes with our minds and leaves the point of his sermon a mystery! "Figure it out for yourselves," he seems to say. "I'm just going to leave you hanging with the disciples who were totally discombobulated by the events that occurred." Those who were unhappy with Mark's seeming lack of closure added another softer ending that combines what Luke and Matthew did (Mark 16:9-20). John is extremely reader-friendly in his closing. He tells us exactly why he wrote the Gospel (20:30-31). The epilogue is like the denouement after the climax in a novel and simply trails off with a personal authentication of the testimony and an offhand remark about how much Jesus really did beyond the scope of the Gospel record.
Jesus' appearance to the ten apostles on Easter evening has the purpose of comforting and settling them with the truth of his resurrection and then giving them a commission. "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you" (20:21). What Matthew does with a well-structured Great Commission (Matthew 28:13-20; statement of authority, purpose of the commission, method of discipling, and assurance), John expresses with a modeling metaphor. Just as Jesus was sent by the Father to the world, so the disciples are sent by Jesus into the world. With the Holy Spirit, they are empowered to forgive sins or to retain sins. Remembering the synoptic story of the healed paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26), this was tantamount to giving the disciples the voice of God in the course of human discourse: Blasphemy to some, but a treasure in earthen vessels for others.
Because it was considered blasphemy by the religious leaders of the Jews, the disciples had cause to fear them. It was prudent for them to be behind closed doors. Fortunately, Jesus knew where to find his timid band of followers. He knew what they needed. When Thomas finally encountered the risen Jesus, he acknowledged him, "My Lord and my God!" (20:38). One can almost hear the confidence echoing through the centuries to us today. It certainly resounded in the streets and courts and prisons of that day. Those who had been behind shut doors, once they witnessed Jesus risen from the dead, set their fears aside and boldly witnessed to him, despite what consequences lay in store. The same apostles who were huddled together on the first day of the week were on the streets, at Solomon's portico, and in the Temple proclaiming the name of Jesus as Messiah for all the morrows of their lives.
Application
More and more the Western church is awakening to the persecutions against the body of Christ that have and are taking place around the world. The resurrection may have glorified Jesus' body, but his church is still suffering the crucifixion in many corners of the world. From the Middle East to China to Sudan, the news reports malicious actions taken by those in power against Christian minorities. What disciplines can be entered into by those who wish to make a difference for peace and justice on behalf of sisters and brothers in Christ?
In the spirit of Peter who stood before the authorities on behalf of the gospel and the apostolic community, we can discipline ourselves to prayer (Acts 2:42). Like a seatbelt, we can fasten our spiritual brothers and sisters to God with our prayers. Prayer can also arouse our own spirits to become involved in the answer to our prayers. Material support can be provided by the wealthy Western congregations for those who have less and are more vulnerable to the oppression of local authorities. Congregations can be inspired to reach out in physical ways to provide what is lacking in other fellowships which are enduring persecution. Moral and political support can also be garnered through education and advocacy on behalf to those whose voice is muffled by sobs and tears. For example, Amnesty International (www.amnestyusa.org) and Voice of America (www.persecution.com) provide avenues for both education and advocacy. In our age of communication, ignorance is no longer an excuse. Neither is inconvenience, since we can access so much and reach out so far from the comfort of our own home computer terminal.
Suffering does not just come at the hands of those who persecute Christians. There are many other sources of suffering in the Christian's daily life: bad health (physical and mental), work stress, job loss, broken relationships, criminal decisions, accidents, intrusive and abusive people, self-doubts. Congregations also can suffer as a body from complainers and dissenters, poor leadership (lay and clergy), demographic and economic changes in the neighborhood, strategic deaths or transfers of key people, catastrophic weather which destroys the facility or kills many members. Yet, in the midst of all these possibilities, Jesus stands with us and for us, championing our cause with a tenacity that will not be thwarted by "things present, nor things to come" (Romans 8:38). Having this knowledge, believing this to be true is what gives the disciple of any age in any age "the peace of God, which passes all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). It even allows the disciple the strange response of rejoicing in the midst of suffering or shortly thereafter, as the Psalmist writes, "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalms 30:5).
In the spirit of Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), Christians are to carry with them the confession of Jesus -- in the words of no-longer-doubting Thomas, "My Lord and my God!" However, in our age of conciliation and compromise, we often capitulate the heart of our creed for the sake of better human relationships and at the sake of the truth. We become overwhelmed by a new age homogeneity that filters out distinctions and contradictions to reduce truth to what we can hold in common.
Here are some of the ways this is expressed in the general public square: "Well, whatever you believe that gets you by, that's what's important." Or, "I don't care what you believe as long as you believe in something." Or, "We're all going to the same place; it's just that some of us get there by a different route." Or, "There's only one God who loves us as we are, so it's okay that we understand God in our own way that makes sense to us." Or, "We're really not all that different; anyway, who's to say just who is right or wrong about this or that?"
These statements reflect our neopagan culture, which has moved beyond the Christendom of the West since the fourth century A.D. to the close of the last century. "We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!" More than ever before, Christians need to be clear about their faith: Jesus alone is the Messiah through whom alone is life that is eternal. John had no doubts about this and made it clear in his Gospel. Christians today need to have this clarity of John and the boldness of Peter in professing the faith publicly, so that others may believe and find the life in his name.
A complacent Western church must listen to the witness of the Third World Christians and also Christians who are suffering persecutions in so many lands around the globe. They understand what it means to witness to the truth, especially in the face of suffering. Yet, because they believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God, risen from the dead, they also experience the joy that comes fresh every morning, like the songbird in the tree at sunrise.
The hope of the believer is that no person is so lost or no society is so dead that the love God through Jesus cannot rise to reveal sin that can be forgiven, grief that can be comforted, fear that can be overcome, anxiety that can be relieved, evil that can be transformed. Such hope is possible for anyone who will dare to put one's finger into the wounds of Jesus, whose sacrificial death was requited on that sacred Sunday morning.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Acts 5:27-32
"We must obey God rather than men" (v. 29). With that statement, the apostles justify their speech and action in Jerusalem to the Jewish authorities. That is their basic guide and motivation, according to our text for the morning. For purposes of our discipleship, perhaps it is therefore appropriate to ask why.
The book of the Acts of the Apostles, written by the same man who wrote the Gospel called Luke, is the story of the drive forward of God in the Holy Spirit to spread his good news of salvation throughout the Mediterranean world in the first century A.D. The book concentrates on God's actions in the Spirit, and this is well-evidenced by the way our particular text is framed.
In our passage, we find the apostles, led by Peter, hauled before the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. Earlier, the apostles and other followers of Christ had banded together in a unified company to preach and teach in Jerusalem. Also, in a summary statement in 4:12-16, Acts tells us that the apostles had worked miracles, healing the sick and demented that crowded to them from all of the surrounding towns. This aroused the envy of the high priest and party of the Sadducees (5:17), who had earlier warned the apostles not to speak or preach in the name of Jesus (4:18), because such preaching and healing had drawn many converts to the Christian fold (4:4; 5:14). As a result, the Jewish rulers arrested the apostles and put them in the "common prison" (5:17). At night, however, an angel opened the prison doors (cf. 12:6-11; 16:25-27) and commanded the apostles to continue speaking to the people all the words of "this Life," that is, all about Jesus and his resurrection (5:19). When the prison guards went to fetch the apostles from prison in order to lead them before the Jewish council, they found the prison doors and guards secure, but the prisoners gone. Instead, the apostles were free and speaking once again in the Porch of Solomon at the Temple site.
The amazing fact in our text is that the Jewish council does not question how the apostles got loose from prison! Instead the council simply wants to know why the apostles are continuing to speak and preach in the Temple. In other words, Acts is not particularly interested in miracles, although many are reported. Instead, it wants to tell how God in his Spirit continues to spread abroad the good news of Jesus Christ. And, our text says, that gospel is spread because the apostles believe that they "must obey God rather than men."
Further, the apostles say that, because they were witnesses to God's actions in Christ. When Peter replies to the Jewish authorities, his emphasis is on what God has done. God raised Jesus, whom the Jewish authorities hung on a tree. God exalted Jesus to his right hand as Leader and Savior. And through those actions, God gave the means of repentance and forgiveness of sins to his people Israel (5:30-31). It was all God's doing, seen by the apostolic eye-witnesses and confirmed by the testimony of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who obey the Lord (5:32). The apostles believe and obey, because they have seen and known, and nothing can shake them from that course -- not imprisonment, not persecution, not authorities.
When the apostles state their case, they are defying the actions of the leading Jewish men -- Annas the high priest, Caiaphas and John and Alexander from the high priest's family, elders, scribes, and Sadduccees (cf. 4:5-6). And all of those officials are enraged by what the apostles say and want to kill them (5:33), although the apostles are saved by a Pharisee named Gamaliel (5:33-40). But after all, the apostles are uneducated, common men (4:13) defying the most important leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem. What brashness! What insolence! What nerve!
Nevertheless, "we must obey God and not men." Is that not always the firm belief of those who successfully spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world? They are those, you see, who know -- who know that God has worked his way through centuries of human history. They know, through the testimony of the Scriptures, that God first worked through patriarchs and prophets, wise men and psalmists to prepare the way for his Son. They know that in the son of Mary, the man of Nazareth, God was doing his supreme work, taking the sins of the world upon himself and then defeating them on an Easter morn. They know that Son of God still lives and works in their midst through his sacraments and Word in the church. And they know that nothing can separate them from the inestimable love of God shown forth in that Son, so that they have the certain knowledge of a new life even to eternity. The Christian gospel is spread by those who know, through Word and Spirit, the work of God, and who therefore will cling to God no matter what befalls them.
We speak often these days about evangelism. We deplore the loss of membership in our denominations and the luke-warm commitments of those who sit in the pews. We deplore the absence of missionary zeal and the fact that so many church members are just decent people rather than true disciples of the Lord. And so we invent innumerable evangelism programs and turn out dozens of evangelism books, when all the time the one thing we lack is that certainty of the working of God in human life. Conviction, friends, commitment, sure faith that the Lord is at work to save his world, and the knowledge that if we obey his guidance, his good news will be spread -- those are the necessities for the propagation of the Christian gospel.
But they are also the necessities for the healing of this weary world. Imagine what our town, our society, our country, our planet would be like if we all could say, "We must obey God rather than men." Could it be, then, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit would become the dominant notes in our lives? Could it be that forgiveness would reign, and new beginnings, with families healed and societies at peace and joy in the hearts of human beings, would abound? Could it be that righteousness would spring up from the ground and justice among the people, and sorrow and sighing and hurt and poverty would begin to be banished? None of that will fully take place until there comes the Kingdom of God. But, good Christians, we can at least start on the task by the commitments of our hearts and minds and strengths. Yes, we have to search the Scriptures to find out the will of God. Yes, we have to pray without ceasing for the guidance of his Holy Spirit. Yes, we have to worship together and strengthen one another and be a true community. Yes, we have to discipline our lives in the ways of the Lord. But God will help us, friends. The God of Jesus Christ is at work among us and for us. And by faith in him and commitment to his will, amazing things can happen as they happened also for those first apostles in Jerusalem.
How do Christians perceive the world in which they believe and witness? As we take our cues from the New Testament, we have to concede that we live as a post-Easter people, which should excite us to the third heaven (as it did an acquaintance of Paul). Whatever we want to say about our post-Christendom world (i.e., the church can no longer be taken for granted as the cultural center of our society, nor can we expect the society in general to reflect the particular Christian ethos), this is only the context in which we witness. It is not the formative ground from which we view the world. The formative ground on which we stand and from which we view the world is located just outside the empty tomb down the road from Calvary.
In a sense, we should neither decry nor applaud the fact that we live in a post-Christendom context. For, in truth, we live post-Easter! This perception is everything! It shapes the witness of the believer, who suffers the misperceptions of a sinful world while rejoicing in the marvelous manifestations of the love of God through Jesus' life, passion, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Acts 5:27-32
The apostolic church had a disciplined witness. It was disciplined in giving, in sharing, and in suffering. To appreciate more fully the latter, it would be helpful to be reminded of the former. For this we will need to review a couple passages prior to this account of imprisonment of the apostles.
One of the striking characteristics of the apostolic church that Luke lifts up is the sharing of resources among the believers, such that "there was not a needy person among them" (Acts 4:34). In principle, this first congregation "had everything in common" (Acts 4:32). In a very practical way, their experience with Jesus placed them all on the same playing field. It is in light of this, that the disposition of one's personal possessions was so important (see also Acts 2:43-47).
Enter Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). Their story is told in sharp contrast to the spirit of the congregation. The consequences of their actions are most sobering. It would not stretch the imagination too far to see a parallel here with the First Covenant people of God. When they murmured against God's ways in the wilderness, they too were judged. Ananias and Sapphira were not content with how the Spirit of God was organizing the apostolic church in terms of its shared generosity. Wanting to keep more for themselves, they conspired to rebel against the work of God. Like the people in the wilderness who were judged by earthquake (Numbers 16:1-40; Korah's rebellion) or by snake bite (Numbers 21:4-9; murmurings in the wilderness), this anti-stewardship couple was judged in a most dramatic fashion.
Is it any wonder that the apostles were so bold in their witness, even in the face of imprisonment? When they experienced the power of the Spirit of God bonding them together in common through generous sharing of resources, caring for each other's needs, and miracles of healing for "the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits" (Acts 5:16), they were made all the more confident in their defense of the faith before the religious authorities. "We must obey God rather than men" (5:29).
This present imprisonment is not the first time Peter and John had been arrested and placed in custody. Nor would it be their last. Yet, this did not deter them. As Peter explained, what God had done through Jesus in raising him from the dead and in providing forgiveness of sins was far too important and powerful to be suppressed by human fears or jealousies. Peter ends his response with a reference to obedience (5:32). The role of the witness is to give testimony dutifully. Peter and the other apostles had been privileged to see and hear Jesus, both before his crucifixion and after his resurrection. They were privy to the most intimate revelation of God in the world from the beginning of time. There was no way that they would shirk their responsibility to testify to the one who was "Leader and Savior" (arcjgov kai swtjr; 5:31).
Jesus, as Leader into resurrection life (ton de arcjgon tjv zwjv apekteinate On o qeov jgeiren ek nekrwn; Acts 3:15), would be made perfect through his suffering (ton arcjgon tjv swtjriav autwn dia paqjmatwn teleiwvai; Hebrews 2:10). Those who would be obedient to him should expect no less a life of suffering from the same world that rejected him.
After Gamaliel counsels caution to the council (Acts 5:33-
39), the disciples are beaten in chastisement (a foretaste of suffering still to come!) and admonished not to speak in the name of Jesus again. In a response that only those who are thoroughly convinced of the truth can understand, the apostles rejoice in their sufferings (Acts 5:41; see also, Romans 5:3-5 and 2 Corinthians 4:7-12), as they continue to proclaim the name of Jesus.
Revelation 1:4-8
It is very likely that this visionary book was written during the reign of Domitian (81-96 A.D.). As emperor, he took emperor worship very seriously, calling himself "Savior" and "Lord" and having statues erected all over the empire, not just in his honor, but also for his worship. This put the Christian believer in dire straights. For there was "no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 3:12). What were Christians to do, then, when confronted with the choice of worshiping Caesar and prospering as a good citizen of Rome or of worshiping only God through Jesus and not bowing down to Caesar and therefore risking losing freedom, home, employment, family, and life itself?
When the churches in Asia Minor were confronted with this situation, John stepped forward and shared his vision in order that the Church may be guided by the one true light and not get misguided into the dark alleys of fear, doubt, and disbelief. From the get-go, John reminds his readers that Jesus is "the ruler of kings on earth" (1:5). Caesar may seem to be all-powerful and everywhere present throughout the empire, but it is God who is the beginning and end of life itself (the alpha and omega -- the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet). This one, who is the A and the ê, is Jesus, crucified and now risen. His resurrection is a singular event. He is the "first-born from the dead" (prwtotokov twn nekr£wn; 1:5). To follow and obey him will get the believer farther down the road of life than conceding anything to Caesar, even if suffering is part of the journey. To be faithful witnesses to the one who is called "the faithful witness" (o martuv o piotov; 1:5) would be the greatest honor, even if martyrdom would result. Seeing how God the Father rewarded Jesus' faithfulness sends an encouraging message to those who would strive to be faithful even unto death. In truth, Jesus promises "the crown of life" (stefanon tjv zwjv; Revelation 2:10; how ironic that the first Christian martyr was named Stephen, whose name means "crown") to those who are so obedient. Paul would argue in his letter to the Romans, "If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his" (Romans 6:5).
With this confidence, the Christian can feel safe even in the midst of persecution, like books being held in place by book ends, like all the letters of the alphabet contained between the first and the last. God brackets our lives, such that there is nothing outside the grasp of God. Come what may, the believer is God's! Though the devil may have his day, God will have his way! This is the spiritual truth that gives the believer strength and comfort in trying times.
John 20:19-31
The Gospel writer John is really the kindest to his readers in terms of the ending of his account of Jesus' life. Matthew, true to his teaching purposes, leaves the reader in the middle of a conversation. Jesus gives the Great Commission to his disciples; then, period. No further comments, no response from the disciples, no resolve as to where Jesus goes from here. Luke is a bit more gracious on this matter; he includes the ascension and reports that the disciples rejoiced by worshiping God daily. Mark messes with our minds and leaves the point of his sermon a mystery! "Figure it out for yourselves," he seems to say. "I'm just going to leave you hanging with the disciples who were totally discombobulated by the events that occurred." Those who were unhappy with Mark's seeming lack of closure added another softer ending that combines what Luke and Matthew did (Mark 16:9-20). John is extremely reader-friendly in his closing. He tells us exactly why he wrote the Gospel (20:30-31). The epilogue is like the denouement after the climax in a novel and simply trails off with a personal authentication of the testimony and an offhand remark about how much Jesus really did beyond the scope of the Gospel record.
Jesus' appearance to the ten apostles on Easter evening has the purpose of comforting and settling them with the truth of his resurrection and then giving them a commission. "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you" (20:21). What Matthew does with a well-structured Great Commission (Matthew 28:13-20; statement of authority, purpose of the commission, method of discipling, and assurance), John expresses with a modeling metaphor. Just as Jesus was sent by the Father to the world, so the disciples are sent by Jesus into the world. With the Holy Spirit, they are empowered to forgive sins or to retain sins. Remembering the synoptic story of the healed paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26), this was tantamount to giving the disciples the voice of God in the course of human discourse: Blasphemy to some, but a treasure in earthen vessels for others.
Because it was considered blasphemy by the religious leaders of the Jews, the disciples had cause to fear them. It was prudent for them to be behind closed doors. Fortunately, Jesus knew where to find his timid band of followers. He knew what they needed. When Thomas finally encountered the risen Jesus, he acknowledged him, "My Lord and my God!" (20:38). One can almost hear the confidence echoing through the centuries to us today. It certainly resounded in the streets and courts and prisons of that day. Those who had been behind shut doors, once they witnessed Jesus risen from the dead, set their fears aside and boldly witnessed to him, despite what consequences lay in store. The same apostles who were huddled together on the first day of the week were on the streets, at Solomon's portico, and in the Temple proclaiming the name of Jesus as Messiah for all the morrows of their lives.
Application
More and more the Western church is awakening to the persecutions against the body of Christ that have and are taking place around the world. The resurrection may have glorified Jesus' body, but his church is still suffering the crucifixion in many corners of the world. From the Middle East to China to Sudan, the news reports malicious actions taken by those in power against Christian minorities. What disciplines can be entered into by those who wish to make a difference for peace and justice on behalf of sisters and brothers in Christ?
In the spirit of Peter who stood before the authorities on behalf of the gospel and the apostolic community, we can discipline ourselves to prayer (Acts 2:42). Like a seatbelt, we can fasten our spiritual brothers and sisters to God with our prayers. Prayer can also arouse our own spirits to become involved in the answer to our prayers. Material support can be provided by the wealthy Western congregations for those who have less and are more vulnerable to the oppression of local authorities. Congregations can be inspired to reach out in physical ways to provide what is lacking in other fellowships which are enduring persecution. Moral and political support can also be garnered through education and advocacy on behalf to those whose voice is muffled by sobs and tears. For example, Amnesty International (www.amnestyusa.org) and Voice of America (www.persecution.com) provide avenues for both education and advocacy. In our age of communication, ignorance is no longer an excuse. Neither is inconvenience, since we can access so much and reach out so far from the comfort of our own home computer terminal.
Suffering does not just come at the hands of those who persecute Christians. There are many other sources of suffering in the Christian's daily life: bad health (physical and mental), work stress, job loss, broken relationships, criminal decisions, accidents, intrusive and abusive people, self-doubts. Congregations also can suffer as a body from complainers and dissenters, poor leadership (lay and clergy), demographic and economic changes in the neighborhood, strategic deaths or transfers of key people, catastrophic weather which destroys the facility or kills many members. Yet, in the midst of all these possibilities, Jesus stands with us and for us, championing our cause with a tenacity that will not be thwarted by "things present, nor things to come" (Romans 8:38). Having this knowledge, believing this to be true is what gives the disciple of any age in any age "the peace of God, which passes all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). It even allows the disciple the strange response of rejoicing in the midst of suffering or shortly thereafter, as the Psalmist writes, "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning" (Psalms 30:5).
In the spirit of Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), Christians are to carry with them the confession of Jesus -- in the words of no-longer-doubting Thomas, "My Lord and my God!" However, in our age of conciliation and compromise, we often capitulate the heart of our creed for the sake of better human relationships and at the sake of the truth. We become overwhelmed by a new age homogeneity that filters out distinctions and contradictions to reduce truth to what we can hold in common.
Here are some of the ways this is expressed in the general public square: "Well, whatever you believe that gets you by, that's what's important." Or, "I don't care what you believe as long as you believe in something." Or, "We're all going to the same place; it's just that some of us get there by a different route." Or, "There's only one God who loves us as we are, so it's okay that we understand God in our own way that makes sense to us." Or, "We're really not all that different; anyway, who's to say just who is right or wrong about this or that?"
These statements reflect our neopagan culture, which has moved beyond the Christendom of the West since the fourth century A.D. to the close of the last century. "We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!" More than ever before, Christians need to be clear about their faith: Jesus alone is the Messiah through whom alone is life that is eternal. John had no doubts about this and made it clear in his Gospel. Christians today need to have this clarity of John and the boldness of Peter in professing the faith publicly, so that others may believe and find the life in his name.
A complacent Western church must listen to the witness of the Third World Christians and also Christians who are suffering persecutions in so many lands around the globe. They understand what it means to witness to the truth, especially in the face of suffering. Yet, because they believe Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God, risen from the dead, they also experience the joy that comes fresh every morning, like the songbird in the tree at sunrise.
The hope of the believer is that no person is so lost or no society is so dead that the love God through Jesus cannot rise to reveal sin that can be forgiven, grief that can be comforted, fear that can be overcome, anxiety that can be relieved, evil that can be transformed. Such hope is possible for anyone who will dare to put one's finger into the wounds of Jesus, whose sacrificial death was requited on that sacred Sunday morning.
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By Elizabeth Achtemeier
Acts 5:27-32
"We must obey God rather than men" (v. 29). With that statement, the apostles justify their speech and action in Jerusalem to the Jewish authorities. That is their basic guide and motivation, according to our text for the morning. For purposes of our discipleship, perhaps it is therefore appropriate to ask why.
The book of the Acts of the Apostles, written by the same man who wrote the Gospel called Luke, is the story of the drive forward of God in the Holy Spirit to spread his good news of salvation throughout the Mediterranean world in the first century A.D. The book concentrates on God's actions in the Spirit, and this is well-evidenced by the way our particular text is framed.
In our passage, we find the apostles, led by Peter, hauled before the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. Earlier, the apostles and other followers of Christ had banded together in a unified company to preach and teach in Jerusalem. Also, in a summary statement in 4:12-16, Acts tells us that the apostles had worked miracles, healing the sick and demented that crowded to them from all of the surrounding towns. This aroused the envy of the high priest and party of the Sadducees (5:17), who had earlier warned the apostles not to speak or preach in the name of Jesus (4:18), because such preaching and healing had drawn many converts to the Christian fold (4:4; 5:14). As a result, the Jewish rulers arrested the apostles and put them in the "common prison" (5:17). At night, however, an angel opened the prison doors (cf. 12:6-11; 16:25-27) and commanded the apostles to continue speaking to the people all the words of "this Life," that is, all about Jesus and his resurrection (5:19). When the prison guards went to fetch the apostles from prison in order to lead them before the Jewish council, they found the prison doors and guards secure, but the prisoners gone. Instead, the apostles were free and speaking once again in the Porch of Solomon at the Temple site.
The amazing fact in our text is that the Jewish council does not question how the apostles got loose from prison! Instead the council simply wants to know why the apostles are continuing to speak and preach in the Temple. In other words, Acts is not particularly interested in miracles, although many are reported. Instead, it wants to tell how God in his Spirit continues to spread abroad the good news of Jesus Christ. And, our text says, that gospel is spread because the apostles believe that they "must obey God rather than men."
Further, the apostles say that, because they were witnesses to God's actions in Christ. When Peter replies to the Jewish authorities, his emphasis is on what God has done. God raised Jesus, whom the Jewish authorities hung on a tree. God exalted Jesus to his right hand as Leader and Savior. And through those actions, God gave the means of repentance and forgiveness of sins to his people Israel (5:30-31). It was all God's doing, seen by the apostolic eye-witnesses and confirmed by the testimony of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who obey the Lord (5:32). The apostles believe and obey, because they have seen and known, and nothing can shake them from that course -- not imprisonment, not persecution, not authorities.
When the apostles state their case, they are defying the actions of the leading Jewish men -- Annas the high priest, Caiaphas and John and Alexander from the high priest's family, elders, scribes, and Sadduccees (cf. 4:5-6). And all of those officials are enraged by what the apostles say and want to kill them (5:33), although the apostles are saved by a Pharisee named Gamaliel (5:33-40). But after all, the apostles are uneducated, common men (4:13) defying the most important leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem. What brashness! What insolence! What nerve!
Nevertheless, "we must obey God and not men." Is that not always the firm belief of those who successfully spread the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world? They are those, you see, who know -- who know that God has worked his way through centuries of human history. They know, through the testimony of the Scriptures, that God first worked through patriarchs and prophets, wise men and psalmists to prepare the way for his Son. They know that in the son of Mary, the man of Nazareth, God was doing his supreme work, taking the sins of the world upon himself and then defeating them on an Easter morn. They know that Son of God still lives and works in their midst through his sacraments and Word in the church. And they know that nothing can separate them from the inestimable love of God shown forth in that Son, so that they have the certain knowledge of a new life even to eternity. The Christian gospel is spread by those who know, through Word and Spirit, the work of God, and who therefore will cling to God no matter what befalls them.
We speak often these days about evangelism. We deplore the loss of membership in our denominations and the luke-warm commitments of those who sit in the pews. We deplore the absence of missionary zeal and the fact that so many church members are just decent people rather than true disciples of the Lord. And so we invent innumerable evangelism programs and turn out dozens of evangelism books, when all the time the one thing we lack is that certainty of the working of God in human life. Conviction, friends, commitment, sure faith that the Lord is at work to save his world, and the knowledge that if we obey his guidance, his good news will be spread -- those are the necessities for the propagation of the Christian gospel.
But they are also the necessities for the healing of this weary world. Imagine what our town, our society, our country, our planet would be like if we all could say, "We must obey God rather than men." Could it be, then, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit would become the dominant notes in our lives? Could it be that forgiveness would reign, and new beginnings, with families healed and societies at peace and joy in the hearts of human beings, would abound? Could it be that righteousness would spring up from the ground and justice among the people, and sorrow and sighing and hurt and poverty would begin to be banished? None of that will fully take place until there comes the Kingdom of God. But, good Christians, we can at least start on the task by the commitments of our hearts and minds and strengths. Yes, we have to search the Scriptures to find out the will of God. Yes, we have to pray without ceasing for the guidance of his Holy Spirit. Yes, we have to worship together and strengthen one another and be a true community. Yes, we have to discipline our lives in the ways of the Lord. But God will help us, friends. The God of Jesus Christ is at work among us and for us. And by faith in him and commitment to his will, amazing things can happen as they happened also for those first apostles in Jerusalem.
