SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Year C
May 26, 2019
What does it mean to you, to know that you were chosen in
Christ before the foundation of the world?
Just think, you are here in this place now because God chose
you before the earth existed. And then because
we are chosen with such purpose, we should also sense we also have a destiny…. And
a call.
Last week we reflected on the call of Peter to go and speak
to the gentile household, and so, through the week I’ve been challenged to open
my mind and eyes to see where God might be calling me in each and every day and
situation.
This week we read that St. Paul had a vision: there stood a
man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and
help us." St. Paul’s response was
to immediately respond with obedience and set off for Macedonia. Our Story then takes an unexpected twist in
the first town of Macedonia, the town of Phillipi.
Usually when Paul went on his outreach journeys he would go
to the synagogue, but this town had no such building. Apparently, for there to be a synagogue in a
town there needed to be 10 married Jewish men.
I’m guessing Phillipi did not qualify and this also tells us something
of the spiritual nature of the town, and perhaps more significant is the information
that Phillipi was a Roman Colony. After
a significant battle, land was given to Roman military, and so this town was a
military settlement, with many people settled there in that place, whose
origins where from other places. Lydia,
was one such person, who had come from Thyatira where they were known for a
special kind of purple dye.
Lydia was a Gentile, however she is described as a worshiper
of God, which indicates some probable Jewish connection and basic understanding
of the Old Testament scriptures.
On the Sabbath day, in the absence of a Synagogue, Paul went
outside the city gate by the river, where he and his group supposed there was a
place of prayer. I’m guessing that they
went to pray themselves, … and I’m also guessing that they expected to see the
Macedonian man from Paul’s vision, but there was no such person there. Gathered at the river were a group of women. They spoke with the women and Lydia responded
by requesting that she and her household be baptized.
There is no mention of a husband and yet there is a
household. Lydia insists that the men
stay at her place and so it is clear that she has the authority to make these
household decisions and is a person of considerable wealth. Her personal situation other than this we can
only speculate. Some suggested that she was
a widow but there is no mention of it to confirm or deny. We do know that this town was founded
differently from other towns and here, women had greater freedom, rights and
powers.
Last week we read about Peter and how it must have blown his
mind to have seen the Holy Spirit fall on the Gentiles. I’m guessing it may have been similar for
Paul who had a vision of a man who needed his help, to then see God’s hand in how
this woman Lydia accepted the Gospel.
We humans, tend to put limits on the way God works, but Jesus
has said, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love
them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” There is no limit on the “who”, except that
they are those who love and these are those who God loves.
Lydia was already a worshiper of God. She needed to know the Good News about Jesus
Christ and how the sacrifice of Jesus brings peace.
The peace that Jesus brings would have been translated from
the word that we hear as that Jewish greeting, “Shalom”. Both in saying hello and good-bye, the Jewish
people might say, “Shalom”. We know that
it means “Peace”, but what is peace?
The definition of peace is the absence of disturbance, but
that is not what Shalom means, and therefore we fall short in understanding if
we don’t look closer.
““Shalom”
is taken from the root word shalam, which means, “to be safe in mind, body, or
estate.” It speaks of completeness, fullness, or a type of wholeness that
encourages you to give back — to generously re-pay something in some way.” https://firm.org.il/learn/the-meaning-of-shalom/
Therefore, Shalom is really nothing to do with the absence of
conflict, but to be safe and well in every sense throughout all that life
throws our way. Shalom is about
physical, emotional and mental health.
And then it is also about generously giving that physical, emotional and
mental health to the world around us.
Another writer has explained that Shalom is also about a
covenant relationship with God. It involves the Hebraic understanding of
salvation, not just that we will go to heaven when we die, but that we have an
unbroken, loving relationship with God here on earth. http://www.egrc.net/articles/Rock/HebrewWords/shalom.html
When I realize all that this word Shalom encompasses, I can
see that Shalom is a gift of God that is beyond human capacity. This is what our Gospel reading quotes Jesus
saying he gives us.
The Complete Jewish Bible translates it this way, “"What
I am leaving with you is shalom -- I am giving you my shalom. I don't give the way the world gives. Don't let
yourselves be upset or frightened.”
This passage from the Gospel of John seems to be full of a
language that is mysterious. It hints at
some understanding that seems to be in plain sight, yet not quite discerned by
the naked eye. In fact the disciples
certainly didn’t understand very much until the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Have you ever noticed that these disciples had the very best
teacher, they witnessed many signs and wonders and they were absolutely
passionate and loyal to their God, they were baptized and followed Jesus
everywhere, and yet they still seemed rather dim and powerless? That is, until
the day of Pentecost.
Jesus said to them, "I have said these things to you
while I am still with you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said
to you.”
Jesus knew that the disciples didn’t really understand. He knew that they simply couldn’t comprehend
all that he was telling them and so he promises to send the Holy Spirit.
In the natural a man like Peter would never go to the house
of a Gentile and speak and eat. In the
natural Paul would have been still persecuting the Christians in the name of
God, let alone be found speaking publicly with women (which, by the way – was
not the “done” thing). We all have our
rules that we believe make for a structured and safe life, but with all our
rules we can only offer each other a wish for Shalom and never the reality.
Jesus made atonement for us by his sacrifice on the cross and
opened the way for us to be in fellowship with God the father, but it is
through the Holy Spirit that we have true Shalom. True Shalom, the completeness and wholeness
of who we were destined to be, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the
world, is brought about by God making his home in us. In our natural state we can not completely keep
his words – we aspire to, but it is only through the divine living in us that
anything is possible and therefore the story of salvation is left mostly powerless
until we allow God to pour his Holy Spirit on us. Shalom is only truly complete with the out
pouring of the Holy Spirit.
Major Ian Thomas, a renowned Bible teacher, was often heard
to lament, “Most Christians are living in pre-Pentecost poverty when they could
be living in post-Pentecost power.”
Our revelation readings have been telling us of the city that
God is building. The city of God is
built with true Shalom and it starts with you and me. It is a whole new way of being because this
Shalom is not the “Crossed fingers”, I wish you peace with the absence of
disturbance that the world can give. It
is the Shalom that shines with the reality of complete wholeness and wellness
that overflows and spreads. It is a tree
of life with various fruit and healing for the nations. It is our calling and our destiny.
This time between resurrection and Pentecost I liken the
disciples to a balloon that has begun to have breath in it. Jesus has breathed on them and exhorted them
to receive the Holy Spirit. A balloon with
just a little air is still a balloon and doing okay. But the day is coming when the advocate will
come and the balloon will become completely full of air – only then is it truly
become that for which it is destined.
But where are we on this journey? Pre-Pentecost poverty or post Pentecost
power? Lord we want Shalom… your peace
and wholeness, called to be who you have destined us to be. Open our eyes to the vision where you are
calling us and breathe on us your Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit let your wind blow and your fire burn. Ignite us to brightly shine and be a people
who bring your peace to a world who desperately need your Shalom. AMEN.
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