Fifth Sunday of Easter
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VIII, Cycle B
Revised Common
Acts 8:26-40
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8
Roman Catholic
Acts 9:26-31
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8
Episcopal
Acts 8:26-40
1 John 3:(14-17) 18-24
John 14:15-21
Theme For The Day
Jesus encourages us to set fear aside and risk loving others.
First Lesson
Acts 8:26-40
Philip Baptizes An Ethiopian Eunuch
This passage is remarkable for the ways in which the Holy Spirit is active. Philip is the principal character, but in a certain sense it is not Philip, but the Spirit, that determines everything that happens. The story opens with the account of an angel directing Philip to travel along a certain road. There he encounters an exotic foreign visitor: an Ethiopian eunuch, who is the royal treasurer of that nation. The eunuch, apparently a Jewish proselyte (according to Deuteronomy 23:1, his sexual condition bars him from full participation in the faith), is returning home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. "Seated in his chariot" -- apparently resting from his journey by the roadside -- he is reading the Prophet Isaiah (v. 28). The Spirit directs Philip to run up and join the chariot, and he does so. Engaging the Ethiopian in conversation, he ascertains that this foreigner would appreciate a little help in scriptural interpretation, and he provides it -- interpreting Isaiah 53:7-8 to refer to Jesus. At some point, the eunuch recommences his journey, this time with Philip riding beside him. When they reach "some water" the eunuch asks, "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" (v. 36b). Nothing, evidently, because Philip baptizes him on the spot. Then, in the tradition of great prophetic figures like Elijah, "the Spirit of the Lord [snatches] Philip away," depositing him in a location far away. A key point in the story is the Ethiopian's question, "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" Whenever the inclusion of a person in the church is in question, it is always instructive to pose the question in such a way (as opposed to asking "Why should this person be admitted?"). Sometimes there are unseen barriers to full inclusion, and it is always useful to try to determine what they may be, or if they really exist.
New Testament Lesson
1 John 4:7-21
God Is Love
In this section, the author celebrates the glories of Christian love, and so fully identifies God with love that he is able to make it an absolute equivalence: "God is love" (v. 8b). This love proceeds in a one-way direction at first: "... not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (v. 10). We are called to respond to this unconditional love by loving neighbors in return (v. 11). It is through love that we come to know the otherwise unknowable God (v. 12), and even to "abide" in God (v. 16) -- a favorite Johannine word. Verse 18 is a favorite sermon text: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." As Martin Luther King, Jr., and others have noted, it is really fear -- rather than hatred -- that is the chief obstacle to love. In verse 19, the author reiterates love's divine origin: "We love because he first loved us." In verses 20-21 he returns to a theme he has considered before: that genuine faith must necessarily be accompanied by loving deeds. Reflecting on the Johannine perception that love originates with God, it may be worthwhile to raise the homiletical question of whether our culture does not in fact believe the opposite: not that God is love, but that love is God.
The Gospel
John 15:1-8
Jesus, The True Vine
Some acquaintance with horticulture (and its specialty field, viniculture) is necessary to understand the intricate extended metaphor at the heart of this passage. Jesus is "the true vine." God is "the vinegrower." Like any good vinegrower, God must prune unproductive branches from time to time, removing the ones that are not producing (and thereby detracting from the health of the whole plant, by consuming resources without contributing any produce in return). The Greek verb for "prune," kathairo, has a principal meaning of "cleanse"; evidently farmers in the ancient world spoke of "cleansing" their vines when they were pruning them. Those who follow Jesus have already been pruned / cleansed by the word he has spoken (v. 3). "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me" (v. 4) -- the verb "abide" (meno) bespeaks a very intimate, side-by-side living relationship. Those branches that do not continue to abide in the vine are cast into the fire to be destroyed (v. 6). While that may sound harsh, it is in fact the common agricultural practice of the day; its opposite -- continuing to abide in the vine -- brings a positive reward: "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (v. 7).
Preaching Possibilities
Besides being the Fifth Sunday Of Easter, today is Mother's Day in the United States -- a day which, while not a formal liturgical occasion, is often observed in churches. The debate about whether the secular Mother's Day holiday deserves liturgical emphasis is a never-ending one -- although, for pastoral reasons, most American churches will want to observe the day in one way or another. Fortunately, the confluence of texts this Sunday affords ample biblical basis for preaching on love, which is always appropriate on Mother's Day.
It is important, of course, when mentioning Mother's Day in worship, not to assume that all congregants have either known their mother or have had a positive relationship with her. The dark side of Mother's Day observances in church is that the subject sometimes evokes secret pain. Sensitive pastors will be aware of that possibility, and will choose their words carefully -- avoiding all-inclusive sorts of statements that may unintentionally create discomfort for those who were adopted as children, are estranged from their mothers, or have recently been bereaved.
Having said that, let us point out that 1 John 4:18, "there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear," is highly suitable for a sermon text. It's remarkable how often the words "love" and "fear" occur together -- and not just in the case of the love-struck teenage boy trying to pick up the phone to ask the object of his crush to the school dance. Throughout life, the decision to love is a choice -- one that's often affected by the amount of fear that's lurking in the background. To love is to make ourselves vulnerable.
The modifier "perfect" in this verse may cause some consternation. The minute you slam down the adjective "perfect" in front of "love," it raises the stakes just a bit. Who on earth could ever imagine loving perfectly? Isn't there such a thing as "good enough love," without it having to be perfect all the time?
That word "perfect" bears closer examination. The Greek word is teleios. Literally, it means "finished" or "complete." When an artist working on a statue takes her last chisel stroke and lays down her tools, the statue is said to be perfect. It's finished. In a parliamentary meeting, when delegates work to "perfect" a motion, it means they've made all the changes they want to make to it. In English class, when the teacher asks a student to say something in a "perfect" tense, it means he wants the pupil to describe an action that's been completed.
When most of us use the word "perfect," we mean "without flaw or blemish" -- but that's not the literal meaning of the word, here in First John. The Greek teleios means "ended." When this wise Christian teacher speaks of perfect love that casts out fear, he's referring to loving actions that have been completed. It's not just a matter of feeling love, of getting warm and goose bumpy all over ... it's actually getting up and doing something. It's going out and making a difference.
It's like follow-through in sports. Athletes have to swing that tennis racket or golf club, and they can't stop after they make contact with the ball. Their swing has to continue, until it has reached its natural conclusion -- until, in other words, the swing has been perfected. Sometimes what athletes do, to improve their tennis or golf swing, is to actually focus on the follow-through. Now it may seem to make no logical sense to think about where the arm is placed after making contact with the ball -- but wise coaches have learned over the years that working on the follow-through is the key to success.
The same is true in life. In any situation in which love seems risky, the only thing to do is take the swing -- to complete the action, and trust God to bless it. Love is always a risk worth taking.
So what kind of love is it, that casts out fear? It's perfect love: love that began as a feeling ... then went on to become an inclination to do something ... and, finally, has taken on flesh and blood, in the form of loving action.
Prayer For The Day
Lord, we confess that we are people of fear. We wish we were people of love. You have the power to make us so. Take our fears, we pray, for they are a burden. Where fear once reigned, sow seeds of love. Free us to risk reaching out to neighbors, for the sake of Christ. Amen.
To Illustrate
When we operate out of fear, we will never feel secure. There is not enough money, property, or things to possess to compensate for fear. The dark side of money is rooted in fear ... growing out of fear is guilt, greed, vengeance, violence and ultimately war.
-- Walter Brueggemann
***
Stalin, absolute dictator of the Soviet Union, was one of the most powerful men on earth -- yet he was afraid to go to bed at night. Stalin had seven different bedrooms. In order to foil would-be assassins, he slept in a different one each night. Stalin also had five chauffeur-driven limousines. Every time he went out, all five cars left the garage, each one with curtains drawn, so no one on the streets would know which one contained the mighty Stalin.
If possessions could conquer fear, then the late billionaire Howard Hughes would have been fearless. But we've all heard his story. Hughes lived his last days a pathetic hermit, closed up in his Las Vegas penthouse suite. He had all the money anyone could ever dream of, but he was so afraid of germs that he breathed through pieces of Kleenex and refused to cut his beard or his nails.
There's always popularity. If popularity -- or fame -- could cast out fear, then the rock musician John Lennon would have been utterly fearless. Yet, the more fame accrued to this former Beatle, the more of a recluse he became. Lennon's biographers report that, in the months before his tragic assassination, he refused to sleep with the lights off and was afraid to touch anything because of possible germs.
"All you need is love," John Lennon sang, back in his Beatles days. It's a pity he didn't understand what love means -- at least, not love in the Christian sense, the sort of love that perfects itself in giving oneself away to others.
***
The longest, most arduous trip in the world is the journey from the head to the heart. Until that round trip is completed, we remain at war with ourselves. And, of course, those at war with themselves are apt to make casualties of others, including friends and loved ones.
-- William Sloane Coffin, Credo (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2004), p. 126
***
Now I want to tell you a lie. Hate is an emotion we can't help. Hate is a feeling we cannot overcome. If we hate someone, it is because we just can't help ourselves. We're human. We have no choice but to hate. That is a lie.
Unfortunately, it is a lie many people believe. They believe this lie in order to excuse their hatred. After all, if we can't help but hate, if hate is a feeling we simply cannot help, then hatred is never our fault, is it?
But we can help it. Hatred is a choice. We choose to hate, just as we choose to love. Oh, I know, there are people out there who believe love isn't a choice, that love is primarily an emotion, a feeling, a stirring in the loins. These are the same people who stay married for six months, then divorce. These are the people who love the idea of love but seem unable to stay in it. Love is a matter of the will -- something we decide to do. Love is a choice.
-- Philip Gulley, For Everything a Season (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah, 1999), p. 204
***
Do not hesitate to love and to love deeply. You might be afraid of the pain that deep love can cause. When those you love deeply reject you, leave you, or die, your heart will be broken. But that should not hold you back from loving deeply. The pain that comes from deep love makes your love ever more fruitful. It is like a plow that breaks the ground to allow the seed to take root and grow into a strong plant. Every time you experience the pain of rejection, absence, or death, you are faced with a choice. You can become bitter and decide not to love again, or you can stand straight in your pain and let the soil on which you stand become richer and more able to give life to new seeds.
-- Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love (New York: Doubleday, 1996)
Acts 8:26-40
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8
Roman Catholic
Acts 9:26-31
1 John 3:18-24
John 15:1-8
Episcopal
Acts 8:26-40
1 John 3:(14-17) 18-24
John 14:15-21
Theme For The Day
Jesus encourages us to set fear aside and risk loving others.
First Lesson
Acts 8:26-40
Philip Baptizes An Ethiopian Eunuch
This passage is remarkable for the ways in which the Holy Spirit is active. Philip is the principal character, but in a certain sense it is not Philip, but the Spirit, that determines everything that happens. The story opens with the account of an angel directing Philip to travel along a certain road. There he encounters an exotic foreign visitor: an Ethiopian eunuch, who is the royal treasurer of that nation. The eunuch, apparently a Jewish proselyte (according to Deuteronomy 23:1, his sexual condition bars him from full participation in the faith), is returning home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. "Seated in his chariot" -- apparently resting from his journey by the roadside -- he is reading the Prophet Isaiah (v. 28). The Spirit directs Philip to run up and join the chariot, and he does so. Engaging the Ethiopian in conversation, he ascertains that this foreigner would appreciate a little help in scriptural interpretation, and he provides it -- interpreting Isaiah 53:7-8 to refer to Jesus. At some point, the eunuch recommences his journey, this time with Philip riding beside him. When they reach "some water" the eunuch asks, "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" (v. 36b). Nothing, evidently, because Philip baptizes him on the spot. Then, in the tradition of great prophetic figures like Elijah, "the Spirit of the Lord [snatches] Philip away," depositing him in a location far away. A key point in the story is the Ethiopian's question, "What is to prevent me from being baptized?" Whenever the inclusion of a person in the church is in question, it is always instructive to pose the question in such a way (as opposed to asking "Why should this person be admitted?"). Sometimes there are unseen barriers to full inclusion, and it is always useful to try to determine what they may be, or if they really exist.
New Testament Lesson
1 John 4:7-21
God Is Love
In this section, the author celebrates the glories of Christian love, and so fully identifies God with love that he is able to make it an absolute equivalence: "God is love" (v. 8b). This love proceeds in a one-way direction at first: "... not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (v. 10). We are called to respond to this unconditional love by loving neighbors in return (v. 11). It is through love that we come to know the otherwise unknowable God (v. 12), and even to "abide" in God (v. 16) -- a favorite Johannine word. Verse 18 is a favorite sermon text: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." As Martin Luther King, Jr., and others have noted, it is really fear -- rather than hatred -- that is the chief obstacle to love. In verse 19, the author reiterates love's divine origin: "We love because he first loved us." In verses 20-21 he returns to a theme he has considered before: that genuine faith must necessarily be accompanied by loving deeds. Reflecting on the Johannine perception that love originates with God, it may be worthwhile to raise the homiletical question of whether our culture does not in fact believe the opposite: not that God is love, but that love is God.
The Gospel
John 15:1-8
Jesus, The True Vine
Some acquaintance with horticulture (and its specialty field, viniculture) is necessary to understand the intricate extended metaphor at the heart of this passage. Jesus is "the true vine." God is "the vinegrower." Like any good vinegrower, God must prune unproductive branches from time to time, removing the ones that are not producing (and thereby detracting from the health of the whole plant, by consuming resources without contributing any produce in return). The Greek verb for "prune," kathairo, has a principal meaning of "cleanse"; evidently farmers in the ancient world spoke of "cleansing" their vines when they were pruning them. Those who follow Jesus have already been pruned / cleansed by the word he has spoken (v. 3). "Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me" (v. 4) -- the verb "abide" (meno) bespeaks a very intimate, side-by-side living relationship. Those branches that do not continue to abide in the vine are cast into the fire to be destroyed (v. 6). While that may sound harsh, it is in fact the common agricultural practice of the day; its opposite -- continuing to abide in the vine -- brings a positive reward: "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (v. 7).
Preaching Possibilities
Besides being the Fifth Sunday Of Easter, today is Mother's Day in the United States -- a day which, while not a formal liturgical occasion, is often observed in churches. The debate about whether the secular Mother's Day holiday deserves liturgical emphasis is a never-ending one -- although, for pastoral reasons, most American churches will want to observe the day in one way or another. Fortunately, the confluence of texts this Sunday affords ample biblical basis for preaching on love, which is always appropriate on Mother's Day.
It is important, of course, when mentioning Mother's Day in worship, not to assume that all congregants have either known their mother or have had a positive relationship with her. The dark side of Mother's Day observances in church is that the subject sometimes evokes secret pain. Sensitive pastors will be aware of that possibility, and will choose their words carefully -- avoiding all-inclusive sorts of statements that may unintentionally create discomfort for those who were adopted as children, are estranged from their mothers, or have recently been bereaved.
Having said that, let us point out that 1 John 4:18, "there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear," is highly suitable for a sermon text. It's remarkable how often the words "love" and "fear" occur together -- and not just in the case of the love-struck teenage boy trying to pick up the phone to ask the object of his crush to the school dance. Throughout life, the decision to love is a choice -- one that's often affected by the amount of fear that's lurking in the background. To love is to make ourselves vulnerable.
The modifier "perfect" in this verse may cause some consternation. The minute you slam down the adjective "perfect" in front of "love," it raises the stakes just a bit. Who on earth could ever imagine loving perfectly? Isn't there such a thing as "good enough love," without it having to be perfect all the time?
That word "perfect" bears closer examination. The Greek word is teleios. Literally, it means "finished" or "complete." When an artist working on a statue takes her last chisel stroke and lays down her tools, the statue is said to be perfect. It's finished. In a parliamentary meeting, when delegates work to "perfect" a motion, it means they've made all the changes they want to make to it. In English class, when the teacher asks a student to say something in a "perfect" tense, it means he wants the pupil to describe an action that's been completed.
When most of us use the word "perfect," we mean "without flaw or blemish" -- but that's not the literal meaning of the word, here in First John. The Greek teleios means "ended." When this wise Christian teacher speaks of perfect love that casts out fear, he's referring to loving actions that have been completed. It's not just a matter of feeling love, of getting warm and goose bumpy all over ... it's actually getting up and doing something. It's going out and making a difference.
It's like follow-through in sports. Athletes have to swing that tennis racket or golf club, and they can't stop after they make contact with the ball. Their swing has to continue, until it has reached its natural conclusion -- until, in other words, the swing has been perfected. Sometimes what athletes do, to improve their tennis or golf swing, is to actually focus on the follow-through. Now it may seem to make no logical sense to think about where the arm is placed after making contact with the ball -- but wise coaches have learned over the years that working on the follow-through is the key to success.
The same is true in life. In any situation in which love seems risky, the only thing to do is take the swing -- to complete the action, and trust God to bless it. Love is always a risk worth taking.
So what kind of love is it, that casts out fear? It's perfect love: love that began as a feeling ... then went on to become an inclination to do something ... and, finally, has taken on flesh and blood, in the form of loving action.
Prayer For The Day
Lord, we confess that we are people of fear. We wish we were people of love. You have the power to make us so. Take our fears, we pray, for they are a burden. Where fear once reigned, sow seeds of love. Free us to risk reaching out to neighbors, for the sake of Christ. Amen.
To Illustrate
When we operate out of fear, we will never feel secure. There is not enough money, property, or things to possess to compensate for fear. The dark side of money is rooted in fear ... growing out of fear is guilt, greed, vengeance, violence and ultimately war.
-- Walter Brueggemann
***
Stalin, absolute dictator of the Soviet Union, was one of the most powerful men on earth -- yet he was afraid to go to bed at night. Stalin had seven different bedrooms. In order to foil would-be assassins, he slept in a different one each night. Stalin also had five chauffeur-driven limousines. Every time he went out, all five cars left the garage, each one with curtains drawn, so no one on the streets would know which one contained the mighty Stalin.
If possessions could conquer fear, then the late billionaire Howard Hughes would have been fearless. But we've all heard his story. Hughes lived his last days a pathetic hermit, closed up in his Las Vegas penthouse suite. He had all the money anyone could ever dream of, but he was so afraid of germs that he breathed through pieces of Kleenex and refused to cut his beard or his nails.
There's always popularity. If popularity -- or fame -- could cast out fear, then the rock musician John Lennon would have been utterly fearless. Yet, the more fame accrued to this former Beatle, the more of a recluse he became. Lennon's biographers report that, in the months before his tragic assassination, he refused to sleep with the lights off and was afraid to touch anything because of possible germs.
"All you need is love," John Lennon sang, back in his Beatles days. It's a pity he didn't understand what love means -- at least, not love in the Christian sense, the sort of love that perfects itself in giving oneself away to others.
***
The longest, most arduous trip in the world is the journey from the head to the heart. Until that round trip is completed, we remain at war with ourselves. And, of course, those at war with themselves are apt to make casualties of others, including friends and loved ones.
-- William Sloane Coffin, Credo (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2004), p. 126
***
Now I want to tell you a lie. Hate is an emotion we can't help. Hate is a feeling we cannot overcome. If we hate someone, it is because we just can't help ourselves. We're human. We have no choice but to hate. That is a lie.
Unfortunately, it is a lie many people believe. They believe this lie in order to excuse their hatred. After all, if we can't help but hate, if hate is a feeling we simply cannot help, then hatred is never our fault, is it?
But we can help it. Hatred is a choice. We choose to hate, just as we choose to love. Oh, I know, there are people out there who believe love isn't a choice, that love is primarily an emotion, a feeling, a stirring in the loins. These are the same people who stay married for six months, then divorce. These are the people who love the idea of love but seem unable to stay in it. Love is a matter of the will -- something we decide to do. Love is a choice.
-- Philip Gulley, For Everything a Season (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah, 1999), p. 204
***
Do not hesitate to love and to love deeply. You might be afraid of the pain that deep love can cause. When those you love deeply reject you, leave you, or die, your heart will be broken. But that should not hold you back from loving deeply. The pain that comes from deep love makes your love ever more fruitful. It is like a plow that breaks the ground to allow the seed to take root and grow into a strong plant. Every time you experience the pain of rejection, absence, or death, you are faced with a choice. You can become bitter and decide not to love again, or you can stand straight in your pain and let the soil on which you stand become richer and more able to give life to new seeds.
-- Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love (New York: Doubleday, 1996)
