SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2023 | EASTER - Fifth Sunday of Easter (5A)

Acts: A dramatic scene of stoning - Saul/Paul is there, witnessing it.

NT:

First verse important: Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 1 Pe 2:1.

Holy priesthood - ἅγιον, ἱεράτευμα (hagion hierateuma) makes up the spiritual house/household (πνευματικὸς οἶκος - pneumatikos oikos)

Gospel:

We are back at the last supper, after the washing of the feet - so we are in the section of his last teachings before he is betrayed.

Jesus comforts them ahead of all the strife that unfolds - there is a good ending to all this, there is room for everyone.

I am the way, and the truth, and the life - Ego eimi he hodos kai he aletheia kai he zoe

(Funny story from translation: not all cultures have a clear concept of door, so in some languages it may be translated as bead curtain :) )

If you know me, you will know my father also - Our best understanding and knowing God comes through Jesus

Encouragement to ask for things in Jesus name - encouragement to pray

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Good morning,

We are in fifth Sunday of Easter with another remembrance, this time from Jesus’ cycle of last teachings at the last supper, post washing of feet and before his betrayal in John. And there is a lot.

But let’s first look at how it links to the other texts. In Acts, we have the dramatic scene of Saint Stephen’s stoning, the protomartyr of the early Jesus movement and our church’s namesake, one that boldly proclaimed truths of his beliefs even in the face of adversity unto death! And also it is the first time we learn about Saul, a persecutor of the rising religious movement turned missionary and prolific letter writer Paul. And then our 1Peter reading, where we perhaps most importantly learn that we are to be the proverbial bricks making up the spiritual house for which Jesus is the cornerstone as the holy priesthood that we are called to be.

And into this comes our gospel story, one about not being troubled in the face of upcoming adversity, for there is a good ending for all this as in his Father’s “house there are many dwelling places” with room for us all. Of course, it is also a passage, when Jesus famously proclaims that:

The New Revised Standard Version Jesus the Way to the Father

I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

After being asked about how to make it to the Father’s house.

And it has also an important source of our epistemology (theory of knowledge) about God the father:

If you know me (Jesus), you will know my Father also.

A very important concept as what Jesus does in New Testament and what God the Father does in the Hebrew Bible can, to put it mildly, chafe in certain places and it tells us to prioritize God in Jesus as a loving and caring God over against sometimes rather angry, vengeful, jealous, and problematic God in Hebrew Bible. It doesn’t completely removes the struggle (nor should it), but it helps us sort out our priorities, I think.

The texts today point towards a common theme - discipleship, in an unique and contextual way. Martyrdom of Stephen is an example of living out discipleship, being the bricks for the spiritual house for which Jesus is the corner stone is a striking image for discipleship as holy priesthood we are called to be, and the gospel texts gives some important pointers for keeping the important bits on our minds.

And we sure need it, because discipleship can be a rather foreign idea in today’s world. Of course, we know the very many ships in the job market and beyond - internships, apprenticeships, externships, cadetships…Often associated with long hours, little to no pay, uncertainty of outcome, a lot of toil in general. How does Discipleship compares? The answer may surprise you! Or not, really.

First the similarities - you don’t go into it to make a lot of money (typically, anyway), there can be a lot of uncertainty in the process, and it can be rather hard work. Differences, well, everything else! It is a process like no other for the teacher is Jesus, leading to the God the Father, and fueled and inspired by the Holy Spirit. And there is nothing uncertain about the outcome as we confess and profess that good in God shall prevail over all evil in the end as there is no contest. A belief we are all invited to struggle with and perhaps find our way to integrate into our lives, living as if it would be already true.

However, truth is that Christians do not seem to quite agree how such discipleship should look like. Even with something seemingly clear cut as martyrdom, it can get messy fast. In a book called A History of Heresy, David Murray reminds us:

"Originality, sincerity, and conviction do not in themselves make an opinion correct, and there have been false prophets in the past as well as true. The claim that 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church' does not alter the fact that martyrs have died for mutually exclusive 'truths' and some for unequivocal heresies"

And it gets worse, when you get into the nitty gritty of following Jesus in our daily living, living out our discipleship through our social and political involvement, or simply what it means to BE a disciple. And I feel like we talk about it most Sundays, don’t we? Earlier, I said that in 1 Peter we are called to be the proverbial bricks for the Spiritual house as the priesthood of all believers. Perhaps that is not the most precise image, just like in the analogy about the body of Christ - some of us are the pipes, HVAC, doors, windows, the stairs, and so on. Discipleship is hardly a one size fits all affair. Many are the gifts and many are the needs.

We all have different opportunities to live this calling just like Stephen did. Some might feel strongly about the rights and protection of transgender people, because for them is not a theoretical problem as they know and love someone that is affected by it. I am one of those and I use my discipleship identity of a white straight male Christian pastor and theologian, most recently by signing a petition opposing the silencing of Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a first transgender representative in Montana, who experiences silencing from Montana’s republicans for her outspokenness against their efforts to limit the rights of trangender people in the state. So far, more than 20 000 people signed as well.

Others still might feel strongly about feeding the underprivileged, as our food pantry shows. And yet another group of people among us might be very interested in making sure that all people, especially the lonely ones, are loved and prayed for as the cooperative care ministry is being restored and postcard ministry emerges. And anywhere in between.

The thing is that it isn’t just about the big flashy stuff like martyrdom or attending protests, but the seemingly little invisible stuff like speaking up about God’s mercy and love in our daily lives, when someone else is spewing hate in the name of the same God or just doing good to others without inserting Jesus talk everywhere.

Beloveds, discipleship is a 120 year journey, from entering into faith until our death. We are called to be a part of this huge spiritual house as the holy priesthood of all believers, supported by the cornerstone that is Jesus, cemented by the creative and inspiring force of Holy Spirit, and kept in existence by God the Father, creator and sustainer of all. Through God’s mercy and love, there is plenty of room in this house and we can believe that it is the best place to be, home for us all. Amen.