SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2024 | EASTER - Third Sunday of Easter (B)

Acts 3:12-19

The New Revised Standard Version (Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Portico)

11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s Portico, utterly astonished. 12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites,b why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servantc Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesusd has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

17 “And now, friends,e I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiahf would suffer. 19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiahg appointed for you, that is, Jesus, 21 who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.

Revised Common Lectionary 4-14-2024: Third Sunday of Easter

1 John 3:1–7

3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Revised Common Lectionary 4-14-2024: Third Sunday of Easter

Luke 24:36b–48

36 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate in their presence.

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

News:

https://www.npr.org/2024/04/08/1243374931/vatican-sex-change-surrogacy-gender-theory-grave-threats-abortion

The Vatican has released a new document calling poverty, war and the plight of migrants "threats to human dignity." But it also calls abortion, surrogacy and gender theory "grave threats" facing humanity today.

The document, titled "Infinite Dignity" says that each person's dignity comes from the love of the creator "who has imprinted the indelible features of his image on every person." This language is familiar to Christians accustomed to hearing that humans are all made in God's image.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/09/human-rights-violated-inaction-climate-echr-rules-landmark-case

Weak government climate policies violate fundamental human rights, the European court of human rights has ruled.

In a landmark decision on one of three major climate cases, the first such rulings by an international court, the ECHR raised judicial pressure on governments to stop filling the atmosphere with gases that make extreme weather more violent.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/08/middleeast/khan-younis-gaza-residents-return-latam-intl/index.html

Khan Younis, GazaCNN —

Palestinians forced from their homes in Khan Younis by Israel’s military offensive have begun returning in small numbers to the southern Gaza city following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, with many arriving to find their former neighborhoods looking like wasteland.

Good morning,

We continue our Easter journey - another Sunday, another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus! Last week, Thomas’ doubt was highlighted, perhaps a bit unfairly - once he saw Jesus, he made a very quick 180! But here, everyone’s doubting, is terrified and unsure about Jesus’ presence- are they seeing a ghost? Are their senses deceiving them? And even as they see his hands and feet with holes in them, they are STILL doubting. But Jesus is practical and asks for food and THEN he reminds them he foretold it all “hat the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.” I guess one of the reasons for his appearances is to remind the disciples to do their darn job! Proclaim it!

And proclaim we must, because there is a lot to repent from and forgive. It is unfortunate that some of it is perpetuated by the church itself - you may have heard about the latest from Vatican, their “Infinite dignity” or Dignity of the Person writing. At first it seems fairly promising - all people have infinite dignity and there are many things that violate that - wars, poverty, plights of migrants…All nice on the surface, we talk about it from time to time, especially when we touch on being the image bearers of God. Humans are experts at violating each other’s dignity - not only do we still have active war zones in Ukraine, Gaza, and elsewhere, now we can see Iran joining the fray by launching missile and drone strikes at Israel. More violations of people’s dignity, terrible.

But back to the document...if you know Vatican, you know that the devil is in the details, so to speak. You read on and it gets “a bit” troubling. Surrogacy is also called a threat to dignity, allegedly violating the dignity of the child as well as the woman; in the case of euthanasia, it argues that no amount of suffering changes the dignity of the person and thus euthanasia is not called for; abortion is painted as a straightforward issue, not accounting for any of the complexities, such as health considerations, rape.... and then in considering both gender theory and sex change, it puts procreation and the natural law view of genders over one’s personhood and lived experience. And suddenly, the infinite dignity seems to be very much limited, to the confines of a very narrow theological frame. And if you find yourself outside of it, well…tough! Especially troubling as Arizona “resurrected” a near total ban on abortion from the 19th century.

Don’t get me wrong, I do believe strongly in an infinite dignity of all people, no matter their ethnicity, sexual and gender identity, religion (or the lack of), ability, age, political views, criminal history, and even if they are friendly to me or not! But when you start putting ifs and buts, it is no longer infinite, especially if you disregard their lived experience and need for self-expression and self-identification. It’s easy when you are some Vatican-appointed theologians devising what dignity is and what violates it in your comfy armchairs. But for the rest of us, I am sure we all have friends, colleagues, neighbors…that do not fit the mold and a portion of the society, often religious, is thinking about them as less than. In the story of the good Samaritan, was it an interaction between two society-approved upstanding citizens? Did Jesus only interact with and heal individuals with good standing in the society?

The spirit of Easter demands that we recognize the dignity of all people, regardless of their choices and/or experiences. Jesus died for ALL people and all people are called to repentance and acceptance of forgiveness. He died as much for Israelis as Gazans, Ukrainians as Russians, Italians as Chinese, Catholics as Muslims, trans as cisgender, .... You get the idea. Christ is risen and dignity belongs to all and always. Amen!