Reflection on readings for 8 May 2011

Year A 3rd Sunday of Easter 8 May 2011
Acts 2: 14a, 36-41 Psalm 116: 1-4, 12-19 1 Peter 1: 17-23 Luke 24: 13-35
Acts 2:40,41 “40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”

In a few weeks we will be celebrating what is considered the birthday of the church, Pentecost. It was on that first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Christ, that Peter gave the address to the crowd warning and pleading with them to save themselves from that corrupt generation. Good thing we don’t live in a corrupt generation!!! Buzzingah! (Quoting a word from Sheldon of The Big Bang Theory –Buzzingah being a term denoting sarcasm!)

Psalm 116:3, 4 “The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!””

In each of our readings it is as though there is a black cloud over head.... It is “Stormy Weather” in an emotional and even spiritual sense. Our Gospel tells the story of the followers of Christ on the road to Emmaus. Their little black cloud was one of disappointment and doubt, as Jesus had been crucified and the body now missing. Some had declared the good news to them of Christ’s resurrection but this must have seemed to them like people losing their mind in their grief.

The same thing happens today, people have heard about the resurrection but they don’t believe it - after all, it is just not logical. It is not sensible and sounds like emotional hype that foolish people indulge in.

In our community today, people don’t like to get too adamant about religion. After all it is one of those subjects that you don’t talk about in polite company, along with politics. So, when do you talk about it? Many think that religion is a personal and private thing. It certainly is personal, but should it also be a private thing? Once upon a time abuse was considered the same... it’s a private thing in which we should not involve ourselves. Social conscience now tells us to rescue those being abused, and yet we allow those who are living in a corrupt generation to remain entangled in the chords of death.

I experienced the feeling of a black cloud on Saturday night. A friend of a friend, who’d been living out of town, came over late at night to see me.... he was drunk and had driven his rental car into a ditch and walked the rest of the way. It was weird in many ways, but this was also a man who regularly attends church. We Christians are no more immune to the influences of our corrupt generation than anyone outside the church, but something tells me that we should be. Something tells me that we are missing something.

1 Peter 1:18,19 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

I suspect we are very much like those followers of Christ on the road to Emmaus. Though we follow Jesus, there are places of doubt in our lives. These places of doubt are where sin lives and grows.

Do we really KNOW that we have been redeemed from the empty way of life? Do we KNOW that our life was redeemed by the precious blood of Christ? You know, I don’t think any of us can fully comprehend this at all.

Those foolish doubting followers of Christ did not recognise Christ with them on the road to Emmaus. He explained the scriptures to them and still they did not recognise him. However, as he did this their hearts began to burn within them. Something about the word of God imparted faith, belief and understanding. In the same way we need to be connected to the word of God through prayer, scripture reading, church attendance and other Christians, in order to come against doubts which are the chords of death that threaten to entangle us.

Though foolish and doubting, Christ does for us what we can not do for ourselves. What an amazing God, that he would be so faithful to those of us who continue to show ourselves so faith-less! Christ himself comes to those followers and nourishes their minds and spirits. When he breaks bread they finally recognise him. Sometimes, after a time of taking in “head knowledge” about scripture and about God, it takes some action... some actual involvement which becomes the action of revelation.

We can live our lives in agreement to the scripture, giving the nod of assent, but true faith requires more. We need to respond....
Psalm 116:17-19 “I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD— in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.”