07 April 2024 - Second Sunday of Easter

 

Theme

This week’s readings speak about the life and ministry of the Church of Christ. The aims of the church are to preach the Good News of the resurrection, be united and meet the needs of the most vulnerable. All of this is achievable only by the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of believers. In John, the resurrected Jesus meets with the disciples and breathes his Spirit on them. In 1 John, believers are encouraged to walk in the light and fellowship together so they can be purified of their sin. The Psalm celebrates unity amongst God’s people. In Acts, the early church are united and share everything they have with each other.

Scripture Readings

  • John 20:19-31 - The disciples are together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood amongst them, showed them his hands and side and the disciples were overjoyed. He breathed on them and said, “receive the Holy Spirit” and stressed the importance of forgiving people’s sins. Thomas who was not with the 12 struggles to believe, but Jesus appears again to Thomas and reveals his wounds so that Thomas believes. Jesus says that those who have not seen and yet believed are blessed.

    The last two verses share the purpose of John’s Gospel: So that the reader may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing they may have eternal life in his name.

  • 1 John 1:1-2:2 - The author’s purpose is to proclaim the Word that they encountered so that others may believe and fellowship with them and the Father and the Son. The message Jesus declared was that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin. We cannot claim to be without sin, but if we confess our sins, he will forgive us and purify us. Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the whole world.

  • Psalm 133 - A short Psalm declaring how good it is when God’s people live together in Unity. This is when God bestows his blessing and eternal life.

  • Acts 4:32-35 - The believers in the early church were united in heart and mind. They shared every thing they had with one another, testified to the resurrection of Jesus and God’s grace was powerfully at work in them. There were no needy persons among them as they distributed their wealth to anyone in need.

The Context

This week we find ourselves in the second week of the Easter Season. During this season, we reflect on the resurrection encounters of Jesus. It is helpful to remember that Easter is not merely a day in the Christian Calendar, but a whole 7-week season. The resurrection is such Good News that we need a whole season to celebrate it!

Personal Application

As we continue to reflect on the Easter story from this past week and particularly the importance of the resurrection for each of us, this week’s readings remind us that we are not saved from the consequences of our sins because of our own doing, but because of the “atoning sacrifice of Jesus” (1 John 2:2). All we can do is respond to this great love by continuing to live in the light and be united in our fellowship with other believers.

How are we doing with regard to these two things if we take stock of our lives and churches in this moment? Are we walking in the light? Are we united in our fellowship?

Unfortunately, there is much in the life of the church and believers that seems to be lurking in the dark: financial mismanagement, sexual abuse allegations, discrimination and outright vitriol. These things are causing disunity in many parts of the church. Instead of focusing on what divides us, perhaps this Easter Season, we could find common ground by refocusing our purpose and identity on the resurrection of Jesus.

Communal Application

The Acts reading provides a beautiful description of where the early church excelled; providing for the needs of each of their members. This generosity extended beyond their own members to everyone who was in need (Acts 4:35). This early church was likely small groups of believers who met in their homes, worshipping and growing together.

How different is this dynamic to what is seen as a desirable church model in the world today? These days, the bigger, more popular a church is, the more successful it is seen as being. Many churches spend millions getting bigger and better while many of their members and much of their surrounding community suffer in immense poverty. This is certainly not true of all churches, and even some “mega-churches” are doing great work with the poor in their communities, but unfortunately this is often the exception and not the rule.

Churches should be held accountable for the use of their finances. How much of their income is going towards the expansion of their buildings and projects and how much is going to support the needs of the most vulnerable members of their society? How can we ensure that our own churches are staying true to the early church’s vision of providing for the needs of all who had need? Furthermore, in a context where economic pressures on people are extremely high, how do we establish new models of financial sustainability so that churches can stay afloat and still provide for the needs of everyone in their community?

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