As preached by Sister Cecelia
Holy Wisdom Church
Christ is Risen!
Peter is telling the people that they have to “roll up their sleeves” and get to work to be ready for a most strenuous mental endeavor. They must think things out and not be content with an unexamined faith. It may be that they will have to discard some things, and it may be that they will make some mistakes. Peter counsels them to gain a balanced judgement of what they believe. They need to set their hope on the grace given to them by the coming of Jesus Christ. The grace enables them to steadfastly pursue the truth. Peter assures them that what they will be left with will be theirs in such a way that nothing and no one can ever take it from them.
Through the centuries past, God had insisted that his chosen people must be holy because God was/is Holy. That idea was not to be discarded but is still valid. The root meaning of hagios –holy – is different. The temple is hagios because it is different from other buildings. The Sabbath is hagios because it is different from other days of the week. The Christian is hagios because weare called to be different. To be chosen by God is to be given, not only great privilege, but also great responsibility. The Christian is called to live for God and obey God’s law and reproduce Christ’s life while on earth. We reproduce it when we learn to live as God would have us live. The Christ-filled (Christian) life is a life of sincere, hearty, and steadfast love for all. Is it not the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that enables us to look at all life with great reverence? The Christian must live life in reverence for all.
The deacon Philip was chosen by God. God let him know there was someone who needed him to do something different from what he was doing. Philip was willing to obey God’s commandment and engage with the chancellor of the Queen of Ethiopia, which led to his request for baptism.
The chancellor had been thinking things out and examining this faith. After the help he received from Philip, there is little doubt that he acquired a faith that no one could take from him. We cannot imagine that this fellow kept his newly found treasure to himself but spread this good news to any who would listen. His baptism by immersion in the river contains several symbols. As his body was
cleansed by the water, so his soul was also cleansed of any impurities. Descending into the water was like the dying of Christ on the cross. Rising from the water was being born again in and with Christ.
Jesus coming along and asking the lame man, who had been waiting for 38 years to be able to get to the pool when the waters were stirred, if he wanted to be well, elicited a yes of great hope as well as a certain resignation. Jesus merely said for him to pick up his mat and walk home, and the man did. When the man eventually found out who it was that told him to carry the bedding on a Sabbath, he went back to the authorities to say it was Jesus who had told him to carry the bedding home. Such work on the Sabbath could result in his being stoned to death according to the interpretation of the lawmakers of his time.
Humans have a tendency to make infinitely complicated rules and regulations that are not helpful in bringing about the Kingdom of God. Notice how God’s rule to keep holy the Sabbath day of rest became delineated and lacking in common sense. As just one example, an animal could be rescued if they fell into a pit, but a human being could not be cured.
It was only later when Jesus found the man again that Jesus told him he must not sin again. In gratitude for his healing he should strive to be as holy as God is and desires him to be.
The lesson from these readings today is to “roll up our sleeves” and get to work to be ready for strenuous mental endeavors. We must think things out and not be content with an unexamined faith. It may be that we will have to discard some things and it may be that we will make some mistakes. Trust in the grace that God gives us. God does want us to make the effort to know what is required of us to be able to love as God loves.
We have the rest of our lives to witness to our love and belief in God, the creator of all who became incarnate, lived, died, and rose from the dead to show us the way. Let us use our time well!
Christ is in our midst!
