April 23, 2006
Second Sunday of Easter — B

Book of Common Prayer Lectionary
Acts 3:12a, 13-15, 17-26
Psalm 111
1 John 5:1-6
John 20:19-31

Revised Common Lectionary
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
1 John 1:1—2:2
John 20:19-31

Reflection and Response
Prayer Starter

Today’s readings celebrate Jesus’ victory over death and his gift of faith to his followers. In Acts, the generosity and compassion of the disciples testify to their unity and faith. The first letter of John points out that we are victors when we believe that Jesus is the Son of God. In today’s gospel, Thomas’s doubts are transformed as he worships the risen Lord.

First Reading: Acts 3:12a, 13-15, 17-26 (BCP)
Today’s reading is taken from Peter’s temple sermon. Set in the context of a healing, it shows that Jesus’ ministry continues in the apostles. The sermon begins with the basic proclamation about Jesus: that he was delivered over to be killed but was raised by God, of which fact the disciples are witnesses. This kernel is then fleshed out in a longer section identifying Jesus with various expected Old Testament figures: the suffering servant, the Holy and Righteous One, the Messiah (here identified with the righteous sufferer spoken of the prophets), and the "prophet-like-Moses" (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). God’s grace comes before human faith. God did not wait for repentance, but first sent God’s Son.

Acts 3:12a, 13-15, 17-26
When Peter saw it, he addressed the people,
"The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus,
whom you handed over
and rejected in the presence of Pilate,
though he had decided to release him.
But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One
and asked to have a murderer given to you,
and you killed the Author of life,
whom God raised from the dead.
To this we are witnesses.

And now, friends,
I know that you acted in ignorance,
as did also your rulers.
In this way God fulfilled
what he had foretold through all the prophets,
that his Messiah would suffer.
Repent therefore, and turn to God
so that your sins may be wiped out,
so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord,
and that he may send the Messiah
appointed for you,
that is, Jesus,
who must remain in heaven
until the time of universal restoration
that God announced long ago
through his holy prophets.
Moses said,
‘The Lord your God will raise up for you
from your own people a prophet like me.
You must listen to whatever he tells you.
And it will be that everyone
who does not listen to that prophet
will be utterly rooted out of the people.’
And all the prophets, as many as have spoken,
from Samuel and those after him,
also predicted these days.
You are the descendants of the prophets
and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors,
saying to Abraham,
‘And in your descendants
all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
When God raised up his servant,
he sent him first to you,
to bless you by turning each of you
from your wicked ways."

First Reading: Acts 4:32-35 (RCL)
In today’s passage, Luke summarizes the life of the early Church in Jerusalem. Two descriptions of the believers’ common life are given: complete community of goods and distribution to the needy, fulfilling the promise of Deuteronomy 15:4. The sharing of goods practiced by the Jerusalem church does not seem to have been repeated elsewhere.

Although the care of the needy was always a feature of Christian communities, the important issue was not a particular economic principle, but the expression of the community’s unity in love. The believers had one source and center of life, and were one in outwardly visible lifestyle.

Acts 4:32-35
The whole group of those who believed
were of one heart and soul,
and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions,
but everything they owned was held in common.
With great power the apostles gave their testimony
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great grace was upon them all.
There was not a needy person among them,
for as many as owned lands or houses sold them
and brought the proceeds of what was sold.
They laid it at the apostles’ feet,
and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Psalm: Psalm 111 (BCP)
Psalm 111 is a psalm of praise, celebrating God’s presence in the history of God’s covenant relationship with Israel. The psalmist recites a brief history of God’s actions as clues to God’s character.

Psalm 111
Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.

Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.

He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the LORD is gracious and merciful.

He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.

He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.

They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.

Psalm: Psalm 133 (RCL)
The psalmist offers a blessing for the covenant people that is also appropriate for families trying to live in unity.

Psalm 133
How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!

It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down over the collar of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the LORD ordained his blessing,
life forevermore.

Second Reading: 1 John 5:1-6 (BCP)
In form, the first letter of John is more like a theological treatise or a homily than like a letter, for it lacks the usual greetings and final salutations of a letter. The writing of 1 John seems to have been occasioned by schism in the community due to heresy, specifically the denial of Jesus’ humanity. The central theme of 1 John is that "God is love" (4:8). The significance of this statement is explored, not through logical analysis, but through repeated meditation that interweaves theology and ethics, as in today’s reading.

Those who have made the early baptismal confession "Jesus is the Christ" (v. 1) have assented not only to a doctrine but also to a pattern for their own behavior. As God’s children, Christians are to love God and one another and to obey the commandments. Through trust in Jesus, the Christian may overcome the world, that is, all that is opposed to God.

1 John 5:1-6
Everyone who believes
that Jesus is the Christ
has been born of God,
and everyone who loves the parent
loves the child.
By this we know
that we love the children of God,
when we love God
and obey his commandments.
For the love of God is this,
that we obey his commandments.
And his commandments are not burdensome,
for whatever is born of God
conquers the world.
And this is the victory that conquers the world,
our faith.
Who is it that conquers the world
but the one who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is the one
who came by water and blood,
Jesus Christ,
not with the water only
but with the water and the blood.
And the Spirit is the one that testifies,
for the Spirit is the truth.

Second Reading: 1 John 1:1—2:2 (RCL)
The purpose of the message here is the attainment of "fellowship," oneness with Christ and other believers, in the face of threatened division. One divisive question was that of post-baptismal sin. The writer states that Christian believers are still sinful by nature and in act. Nonetheless, Jesus is our advocate, the one who speaks for us.

1 John 1:1—2:2
We declare to you what was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we have looked at and touched with our hands,
concerning the word of life–
this life was revealed,
and we have seen it and testify to it,
and declare to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was revealed to us–
we declare to you
what we have seen and heard
so that you also may have fellowship with us;
and truly our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.
We are writing these things
so that our joy may be complete.
This is the message we have heard from him
and proclaim to you,
that God is light
and in him there is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him
while we are walking in darkness,
we lie and do not do what is true;
but if we walk in the light
as he himself is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son
cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins,
he who is faithful and just
will forgive us our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned,
we make him a liar,
and his word is not in us.
My little children,
I am writing these things to you
so that you may not sin.
But if anyone does sin,
we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous;
and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not for ours only
but also for the sins of the whole world.

Gospel: John 20:19-31
John’s account of the first appearance of the risen Lord shows that Jesus has returned, bringing peace and joy. He shows his wounds to establish that the crucified Jesus and the risen Jesus are one and the same. As he had promised, he then gives the disciples a mission and breathes upon them the Holy Spirit.

This is the new creation of humanity for eternal life. Just as Jesus’ own ministry began with his empowerment by the Holy Spirit at his baptism, so each Christian is similarly empowered for ministry.

Thomas personifies the elements of doubt that arise regarding the resurrection. He expresses his disbelief in exactly the way Jesus had decried. Yet, without touching the Lord, he can still be brought to penetrate the meaning behind the marvel and to make a full affirmation of Christian faith. He consummates the sequence of titles given to Jesus by giving him the ultimate one of God. Jesus’ blessing in response to him answers the problem of believers ever since the eyewitnesses died.

Verses 30-31 serve as a summary of John’s entire message. They evaluate the content of the gospel, inviting all to come to the understanding of the meaning of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and through belief to share in a saving relationship with him.

John 20:19-31
It was evening
on the day Jesus rose from the dead,
the first day of the week,
and the doors of the house
where the disciples had met
were locked for fear of the Jewish authorities.
Jesus came and stood among them and said,
"Peace be with you."
After he said this,
he showed them his hands and his side.
Then the disciples rejoiced
when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again,
"Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me,
so I send you."
When he had said this,
he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive the sins of any,
they are forgiven them;
if you retain the sins of any,
they are retained."

But Thomas,
who was called the Twin,
one of the twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples told him,
"We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands,
and put my finger in the mark of the nails
and my hand in his side,
I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house,
and Thomas was with them.
Although the doors were shut,
Jesus came and stood among them
and said,
"Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas,
"Put your finger here and see my hands.
Reach out your hand and put it in my side.
Do not doubt but believe."
Thomas answered him,
"My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said to him,
"Have you believed
because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have come to believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs
in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book.
But these are written
so that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God,
and that through believing
you may have life in his name.

Reflection and Response
On the initial reading of today’s gospel, we are tempted to nominate Thomas for the Arrogant Award. He hears of a glorious vision of the risen Christ that other witnesses met with a bewilderment giving way to sheer joy and wonder. And he has the gall to want proof. It’s like reading sublime poetry, then asking for the balance sheet.

Yet something likeable in Thomas makes him stand out. Like the student who raises a question in algebra class, he has the courage to articulate what may be puzzling everyone else.

Perhaps we can learn from Thomas that surfacing our doubts rather than burying them may lead to healthier ownership of faith. Jesus never reprimands Thomas for his uncertainties. Rather, he invites him to move through doubt to belief.

We can learn from Thomas that when our faith sags and our conviction waivers, we can look for affirmation to Christ enfleshed in the people around us. Their wounds may resemble his; they may breathe on us with the same life-giving force.

When Jesus exhaled on the apostles, John’s first audience would have heard the rumble over the primordial waters, the creative breath of Genesis. Jesus breathed over his followers to make them creators of a new order. He commissions them with touch and breath, those most powerful of instruments.

According to all the accounts of the early Church, the disciples responded whole-heartedly, feeling no burden in the challenges they confronted though most of them lost their lives in the proclamation. Sometimes Easter alleluias ring out in human flesh.

Quietly consider:
How do I handle my own doubts?

Prayer Starter
Lord, meet me in my doubt and confusion; bless me with belief...