18 May 2025 - Easter 5, Year C

 

Theme

Our readings for this week speak about the vastness of God’s Kingdom and love. The Acts passage shows us how God’s plan incorporates not only the Jews, but the Gentiles also. In Revelation, John shares that God will quench the thirst of ALL who are thirsty. Jesus commands his disciples to love as he has loved them - abundantly and extravagantly.

Scripture Readings

• Acts 11:1-18 - Peter is confronted about socialising with Gentiles. Peter explains that he had a vision of a large sheet that was let down from the sky, containing all sorts of animals. Peter heard a voice saying, “get up, kill and eat them.” Peter refuses as he has never eaten anything declared unclean or impure by Jewish laws. The voice of God responds, saying “do not call anything unclean that God has made clean.” Peter then shares how he followed the Holy Spirit to a house of Gentiles, where they were also filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter then wonders why he should stand in God’s way when they received the same gift that God gave Peter himself?
• Psalm 148 - A Psalm of Praise, calling for God to be praise from every place in the heavens and the Earth.
• Revelation 21:1-6 - A vision about the new heaven and earth. God’s home is coming down to be among God’s people. God is making all things new and will give freely from the springs of the water of life to all who are thirsty.
• John 13:31-35 - Jesus predicts his death. He says that the disciples can search for him, but they cannot go where he is going. He gives a new commandment that they should love each other just as he has loved them.

The Context

The Gospel passage is another account of Jesus’ pre-resurrection teachings - given at the Last Supper. However, it has lasting implications to a post-resurrection world.

Personal Application

In our Gospel passage, Jesus commands his disciples to love other as Jesus has loved them. Peter had to learn to put this love into practice when faced with the choice of welcoming and accepting Gentiles or not. We all have to face situations every single day where we have to intentionally choose to love as Jesus loved. We may not always live up to the standard that Jesus set, but as Christ followers, we should all be working towards that as our ultimate goal.

Think of your own personal experience of Jesus’ love in your life. How have you struggled to love as Jesus has loved you and in what moments have you managed to better love as Jesus has loved you?

Communal Application

Humans are usually very quick to determine who is in and who is out; who is clean and who is unclean. In Peter’s time, the debate was whether Jews could accept Gentiles as God’s people. In the 16th Century, it was whether Catholics could still accept Protestants. Today, Heterosexuals are debating whether they can accept homosexuals. Liberals are debating whether they should accept Conservatives and vice versa. There are many other examples of Christians trying to decide who is in and who it out. We are quick to label who meets God’s standards based on our own beliefs and interpretations of the bible.

When Peter was dealing with this issue, he received a vision where God instructed him to not label anything unclean that God has called clean. What was it that opened Peter’s eyes? Seeing the Gentiles filled with the Holy Spirit and displaying fruits of the Spirit. I have had a similar experience in my journey of faith as I have witnessed God’s Spirit working in the lives of many people that some have labelled as “unclean” - including LGBT+ folk, women, prisoners, etc.

For some reason, many Christians find it easy to use this passage to justify eating bacon or for women not having to wear hats in church, but they ignore it when it comes to who they should love and accept as people of God.

Who have you perhaps labelled as unclean (either subconsciously or overtly) who God has called clean?