Diocese of East Tennessee: Weekly Lectionary
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May 14, 2006
Fifth Sunday of Easter – B

Book of Common Prayer Lectionary
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 66:1-11
1 John 3:14-24
John 14:15-21

Revised Common Lectionary
Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:25-31
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8

Reflection and Response
Prayer Starter

Today's readings reveal what it means to live in and through Jesus. In Acts 8, Philip explains to the Ethiopian eunuch the good news of Jesus. The author of 1 John reveals that true faith becomes visible through the obedience of active love. In today's BCP gospel, Jesus promises to be present with his disciples through the Holy Spirit. In today's RCL gospel, Jesus explains that, like branches connected to a vine, we abide with him and experience great fruitfulness.

First Reading: Acts 8:26-40
Philip has been presented as evangelist to the despised Samaritans. Now he has been sent to another outsider. Ethiopia in the first century referred to southern Egypt, now the Sudan. The eunuch may have been a Gentile proselyte or a “God-fearer,” who accepted much but not all of the Jewish law. As a eunuch, he would have been barred from Jewish worship, although Isaiah prophesied the inclusion of eunuchs.

The fourth servant song from Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13–53:12), which becomes the inspiration for the eunuch's inquiries, was central for the early Church's understanding of Jesus' death and resurrection as Christians searched the scriptures to find confirmation of what they had seen to be true.

Acts 8:26-40
Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,
“Get up and head south on the road
that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza,
the desert route.”
So he got up and set out.

Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,
a court official of the Candace,
that is, the queen of the Ethiopians,
in charge of her entire treasury,
who had come to Jerusalem to worship,
and was returning home.
Seated in his chariot,
he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit said to Philip,
“Go and join up with that chariot.”
Philip ran up
and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet
and said,
“Do you understand what you are reading?”
He replied,
“How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him.
This was the scripture passage he was reading:
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will tell of his posterity?
For his life is taken from the earth.”

Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply,
“I beg you,
about whom is the prophet saying this?
About himself,
or about someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth and,
beginning with this scripture passage,
he proclaimed Jesus to him.

As they traveled along the road
they came to some water,
and the eunuch said,
“Look, there is water.
What is to prevent my being baptized?”
Then he ordered the chariot to stop,
and Philip and the eunuch
both went down into the water,
and he baptized him.
When they came out of the water,
the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away,
and the eunuch saw him no more,
but continued on his way rejoicing .
Philip came to Azotus,
and went about proclaiming the good news
to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Psalm: Psalm 66:1-11 (BCP)
The first part of this psalm of praise and thanksgiving is a hymn to God (vv. 1-4) . Verses 5-12 give thanks for the deliverance of people through God's saving power.

Psalm 66:1-11
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise.

Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power,
your enemies cringe before you.

All the earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
sing praises to your name.”

Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.

He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.

There we rejoiced in him,
who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let the rebellious not exalt themselves.

Bless our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept us among the living,
and has not let our feet slip.

For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.

Psalm: Psalm 22:25-31 (RCL)
Psalm 22 consists of a lament and a thanksgiving in which the psalmist describes the distress he is suffering and his trust in God. These verses express unwavering confidence in God's saving deeds.

Psalm 22:25-31
I will offer praise in the great assembly;
my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.

The poor will eat their fill;
those who seek the LORD will offer praise.
May your hearts enjoy life forever!”

All the ends of the earth
will worship and turn to the LORD;
All the families of nations
will bow low before you.

For kingship belongs to the LORD,
the ruler over the nations.

All who sleep in the earth
will bow low before God;
All who have gone down into the dust
will kneel in homage.

And I will live for the LORD;
my descendants will serve you.

The generation to come
will be told of the Lord,
that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn
the deliverance you have brought.

Second Reading: 1 John 3:14-24 (BCP)
Today's passage discusses the marks of the life of God's children, the life of love. This love is the sign that Christians have passed from death to life because they embody what is God's essential quality.

True love for one another is manifested in action, modeled upon the experience of Jesus' love for us. It is shown forth as self-sacrifice, both at the heroic level and in the daily exercise of generosity. Deeds, not devout protestations or guilty feelings, reveal our true standing before God, who knows us better than we know ourselves.

Through Jesus we are granted “boldness before God” (v. 21). When our hearts are aligned with Jesus' heart and we keep his commandments, God will give us what we require. The word translated boldness is related to the right of a Greek citizen to speak freely before the assembly. In God's presence we can be bold because we are assured of God's love for us. Thus John joins together both faith and works, belief and obedience, union with God and love of others.

1 John 3:14-24
We know that we have passed
from death to life
because we love our brothers.
Whoever does not love remains in death.
Everyone who hates his brother
is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer
has eternal life remaining in him.
The way we came to know love
was that he laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives
for our brothers.
If someone who has worldly means
sees a brother in need
and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love
not in word or speech
but in deed and truth.
Now this is how we shall know
that we belong to the truth
and reassure our hearts before him
in whatever our hearts condemn,
for God is greater than our hearts
and knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence in God
and receive from him whatever we ask,
because we keep his commandments
and do what pleases him.
And his commandment is this:
we should believe in the name of his Son,
Jesus Christ,
and love one another
just as he commanded us.
Those who keep his commandments
remain in him,
and he in them,
and the way we know
that he remains in us
is from the Spirit
that he gave us.

Second Reading: 1 John 4:7-21 (RCL)
The author repeats his earlier theme: God's indwelling in the Christian is manifested in love for one another. In this reading, the theme is set in the context of the nature of God. Love is God's most characteristic activity.

But the author's assertion that “God is love” (v. 8) cannot be inverted to include the maxim that “love is God.” Much of what we experience as “love” is far from God's love. God's love is not an emotion but an event, made known to us in and through Christ's incarnation and our redemption. Because this love is so intricately tied to Christ, the Christian's mission of love is of necessity a mission of witness. We love one another as a manifestation of God's life in us.

1 John 4:7-21
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves
is begotten by God
and knows God.
Whoever is without love
does not know God,
for God is love.
In this way the love of God
was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world
so that we might have life through him.
In this is love:
not that we have loved God,
but that he loved us
and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another,
God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know
that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son
as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges
that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him
and he in God.
We have come to know
and to believe in
the love God has for us.
God is love,
and whoever remains in love
remains in God
and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is,
so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us.
If anyone says,
“I love God,”
but hates his brother,
he is a liar;
for whoever does not love a brother
whom he has seen
cannot love God
whom he has not seen.
This is the commandment we have from him:
whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Gospel: John 14:15-21 (BCP)
The gospel readings for the fifth, sixth and seventh Sundays of Easter in all three years of the lectionary cycle are taken from the great farewell discourse of Jesus (13:31–17:26) at the Last Supper. Today's reading contains Jesus' repeated assurances that his death will not leave his disciples “orphaned” (v. 18) or abandoned. Jesus promises an indwelling presence to those who keep his commandments.

That presence is described in three ways. The Father will send “another Advocate” who “abides with you, and he will be in you” (vv. 16-17). The word Advocate (Greek, paraclete) means counselor, helper, consoler. Jesus himself is coming and will be “in you” (vv. 18, 20) Jesus and the Father are in union (14:11) and “will come to...and make our home with” those who love Jesus (v. 23).

John 14:15-21
“If you love me,
you will keep my commandments.
And I will ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you always,
the Spirit of truth,
which the world cannot accept,
because it neither sees nor knows it.
But you know it,
because it remains with you,
and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans;
I will come to you.
In a little while the world will no longer see me,
but you will see me,
because I live and you will live.
On that day you will realize
that I am in my Father
and you are in me
and I in you.
Whoever has my commandments
and observes them is the one who loves me.
And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I will love him
and reveal myself to him.”

Gospel: John 15:1-8 (RCL)
Jesus, as Son, the representative of Israel, is “the true vine” (v. 1) who fulfills the calling of Israel. The Father is the vinegrower who “prunes” (v. 2, “trims clean”) the branches. Jesus reassures the disciples that they are already “pruned” ( v. 3, translated “cleansed” in the NRSV) by his word.

For John, Christian life is an active and committed life. There cannot be a living, unproductive branch. Those who do not remain, or abide, are taken away. Those who do abide through prayer bear fruit and show themselves as Jesus' disciples.

John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine,
and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me
that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does
he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned
because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you
unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me
and I in him
will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me
and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want
and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit
and become my disciples.

Reflection and Response
Wise educators identify three essential components of teaching: the content, the process and the person. The story recounted in Acts today shows a marvelous interplay of these elements. The content is a reading from Isaiah that the Ethiopian can understand only marginally. Those who have always read that passage in the context of Jesus' passion can appreciate how confusing it must seem to one who views it without that lens. When Philip gives him that understanding, the eunuch wants to plunge into baptism immediately.

Thus, the process rolls along with the wheels of the chariot. When the man asks for baptism, Philip does not respond with a list of dogmas or a daunting program of instruction. Instead, he hops into the water with him. That boyish splash says volumes about catechesis at its best. Do our parish programs welcome inquirers with such enthusiasm, such heart-stopping speed?

Finally, the author of Acts tells us about the person in a nutshell. We know his background, occupation and questions faster than most people can fill out an information form.

The chances of Philip and the Ethiopian meeting each other and holding their discussion seem highly unlikely, but God creates their moments together. We may feel exiled. We may wander far from church or organized religion. But God, the relentless Lover, seeks us, intersects our paths and sends us on rejoicing.

Jesus reveals himself to us as unexpectedly as he did to the Ethiopian. What must have first seemed like a rude interruption of study becomes a dramatic turning point in the man's life. Do we honor God's revelation in the texts of our lives as much as we revere the sacred scripture?

Quietly consider:
Where is God revealed today in the text of my life?

Prayer Starter
O Lord, help me to discover your unexpected presence in...

 

 

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