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Fifth Sunday of Easter 2008 |
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Fifth Sunday of Easter 2008 |
Several years ago Reg and I went on a Roots of Lutheran Spirituality tour to Germany. The tour included St. Stephen’s Church in Mainz that was rebuilt after the devastation of World War II. In a moving act of reconciliation, a celebrated Jewish artist, Marc Chagall, was commissioned to create the stained glass windows. Making his own statement, Chagall reflected both Old and New Testament stories in his beautiful windows. This church is named after St. Stephen who, as we read in Acts 7:55-60, was stoned to death for his faith. Brokenness happens and Stephen understood the need for reconciliation. There are always two options for how to respond. We can make things worse or we can break cycles of violence and trust Christ’s light in us to radiate hope.
Stephen was stoned, not by deranged people, but by good people who were afraid. Church consultant and family systems theorist Peter Steinke notes that fear has that kind of power. When we’re afraid, we’re capable of doing all sorts of things good people would not normally do.
Stephen follows after Jesus’ way. Similar to Jesus’ dying words, Stephen says, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Stephen is named a saint because he is the first Christian martyr to die for his faith after Jesus’ resurrection. But it is his words that we also remember. This story gives us pause to think about what words might flow off our lips in the face of violence. Or, what words do flow off our lips when we are the victims of lesser stonings – stonings that don’t take our lives, but do take a toll on our spirits?
To varying degrees, all of us have experiences of lesser stonings we’ve lived through but were changed by somehow. There’s much violence done in our world when we don’t even know we’re being violent. The news coverage of late over 400+ children whose situations are now being evaluated is just one example. Pope Benedict speaking of his horror at child abuse is another.
When the Apostle Paul, who was originally called Saul, looked back on his days of complicity with the stoning of Stephen, how taken to the heart he must have been. Paul might have been paralyzed with shame and grief had he not taken also to heart the grace and mercy of God. It was his acceptance of God’s grace that helped him not give up on himself so he could give of himself and make a difference in the world.
What an impact Stephen’s parting words must have had on Paul when he reflected on them later! “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Stephen called their actions what they were, sin, and he also prayed to God for the future of the sinners. What faith he had in the potential for changed hearts and minds! And though changes of heart and mind are not always possible this side of heaven, with God’s help, often, often they are.
Part of what I find powerful in this story is its witness of human growth. Stephen grew from a fiery young man to a forgiving one. Saul grew from blindness and murder to being one of the most transformed people in the Bible – transformed not just in heart and mind, but in action and deed.
If we ever doubt our own ability to grow and change, or doubt the ability of others to grow, to gain insight, to change, to have their minds and hearts transformed, we do well to read this story of the stoning of Stephen.
Perhaps you have your own stories of how, by the grace of God, you gained insight, broadened your perspective, saw clearly finally what had blinded you for years upon years. The world insisted, for instance, for years upon years, that the world was flat. We know better now. Many have believed for years upon years that history is doomed to destruction and the world is broken beyond repair. But to be a Christian, is to see the world differently.
Christians profess Christ crucified and risen as our hope. Today’s Gospel tells that in the days before Jesus was betrayed he informed his disciples of his coming death. He was going away to where they could not go. They went into a panic. They had come to know Jesus as the Messiah – the one who would save the world from destruction without hope.
Jesus opened their eyes to God’s passion and presence in the world. They saw in Jesus one with profound hope. He celebrated at weddings and cried at funerals because life was so precious and dignified. He didn’t see life doomed to destruction, but in need of mercy and forgiveness, new beginnings and love. In Jesus they had found their own new beginning. They were so taken by his hope that they were willing to give up their fishing nets, their narrow view of family, anything to follow his hope.
But now Jesus was saying he was going away where they couldn’t go. Just when things were looking up, Jesus frightened them with words they don’t want to hear. It was worse than the rug being pulled out from under them. But Jesus wasn’t pulling out the rug. Jesus’ words in today’s reading from John 14 are filled with tenderness, challenge and hope. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus says. “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
These are hardly words of a defeatist. Jesus has not lost hope. Rather, he is hope-filled and future-oriented. The world, in Jesus’ view isn’t doomed to destruction. It is not broken beyond repair. But the way of hope is costly. Hope asks of us all the love we can give, as Jesus gave all the love he could give. And even greater works than the works of Jesus, is what Jesus says we will do because we too can share in relationship with God. As Jesus and the Father are one, so also is that same intimate friendship meant for us – now, not just when we die!
When Jesus says my Father’s house has many dwelling places – Johannine scholar Raymond Brown says Jesus is referring not to mansions in the sky, but to our spiritual home in God. Jesus was assuring his disciples and us, that through Jesus we now have a home in God’s heart. God’s heart is filled with enough room for all of us. And God’s heart is hopeful.
Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus goes away so greater things can be done. Through the Spirit, God now works as fully through us as God worked through Jesus, as hard as that is to believe. But that’s what Jesus promises!
And God needs our trust in this possibility that Jesus believed was possible. God needs us to trust not our own power, but the power Jesus trusted in: the power of forgiveness, the power of generosity of spirit, the power of hope, the power of knowing how attentively God loves us.
Christ makes us into living stones – not to stone the world with judgment but living stones given to build it up, to love it, forgive it and give it hope. That is why we come to the Table. Grace meets us here so we can extend this same grace into the world with works greater even than Jesus’. Imagine what that means!
Who would have guessed we would be getting emails from and making friends with God’s people in Rwanda? If someone would have told me that fifteen years ago, I never would have believed them. Who would have guessed Thrivent for Lutherans would become one of the largest supporters nationally of Habitat for Humanity, inviting us to take up our hammers too as well as our resources? Last Sunday we collected over $1300 for Habitat and more envelops are available on the back tables.
Who would guess a Seder would be held here this year again, as other years, led by Jewish people who invite us to dinner? Who would guess we would have one of the best kitchens in town for the community to use to make meals for the hungry and homeless? God is up to great things wherever people are willing.
We are not called to be all things to all people. And as Bonhoeffer says, “what is trivial to us may be grand and glorious to God.” What matters is that are baptized to be living stones – signs of hope for the world. “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works.” Christ has hope for the future.
Through Word, Sacrament, and fellowship, may we recognize Christ as our hope! The light of Christ’s incarnate presence sets us free from fear of the world’s darkness. May that hope-filled light shine in our hearts for all to see. Christians have hope because Christ is risen! And the church responds: He is risen, indeed!
Alleluia! Amen
+Pastor Peg Schultz-Akerson, to the glory of God
Faith Lutheran Church, Chico, CA