Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 14, 2024 (Easter 3B)

Christ Appears to the Disciples in Galilee (1308-1311), tempera painting on wood by Duccio di Buoninsegna (c.1255-c.1319). Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana del Duomo, Florence, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.

First Reading: Acts 3:12-19

Christ, the Messiah, has come for all the world: This promise resonates through Sunday’s readings. In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John, filled with the Holy Spirit, have healed a man who could not walk. This astounded all those who saw the beggar joyfully moving about and praising God in the temple. In words that startle us now with their harsh anti-Judaism, Peter tells the crowd that the man was healed through the power of Jesus, the Messiah, whom they had rejected and had killed, but who will forgive them if they turn to him. Language like this, sadly, permeates Acts, which was written a generation after the destruction of the Temple, when Christians and Jews were angrily drawing apart.

Psalm: Psalm 4

In contrast with the many Psalms of anger and lamentation that call on God to crush and destroy the foe, Psalm 4 raises a more quiet and trusting confidence that’s echoed in the Taize hymn: “O Lord, hear my prayer … when I call, answer me.” The Psalmist sings for a people who face severe persecution from enemies, yet stand strong in confidence in a loving and faithful God. We join our voices with theirs, asking that the light of God’s countenance shine upon us and give us peace.

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

Echoing the themes of this week’s passage from Acts, the author of the First Letter of John assures members of the early church that God’s love revealed to us through Jesus makes us the children of God, and that the world will eventually come to know this. Meanwhile, the writer concludes, doing what is right keeps us in relationship with God through Jesus and thus free from sin, for there is surely no sin in Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48

This week we read a resurrection story from Luke. We pick up just after Luke’s account of two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus but did not recognize him until he broke bread. Now the disciples are together again, and Jesus suddenly appears among them and wishes them shalom. Their first response is not joy but surprise and terror, as if a ghost had materialized in the room. Much as he had done for Thomas in John’s Gospel, Jesus invited them to touch his wounds. Then he asked for something to eat, and he took a piece of fish, perhaps to show that he is no ghost but flesh and blood. Jesus declares himself the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures, and says that repentance and forgiveness of sins will go out in his name to all nations.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 18, 2021

First Reading: Acts 3:12-19

Christ, the Messiah, has come for all the world: This promise resonates through Sunday’s readings.

Christ Appears to the Disciples at the Table after the Resurrection (1308-1311), panel from the Maesta Altarpiece of Siena by Duccio di Buoninsegna (c.1255-c.1319). Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Siena, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John, filled with the Holy Spirit, have healed a man who could not walk. This astounded all those who saw the once-lame beggar walking and praising God in the temple. In words that startle us now with their harsh anti-Judaism, Peter tells the crowd that the man was healed through the power of Jesus, the Messiah, whom they had rejected and had killed, but who will forgive them if they turn to him. Language like this, sadly, permeates Acts, which was written a generation after the destruction of the Temple, when Christians and Jews were angrily drawing apart.

Psalm: Psalm 4

The Psalmist sings for a people who face severe persecution from enemies, yet stand strong in confidence in a loving and faithful God. In contrast with more warlike Psalms that call on God to crush and destroy the foe, Psalm 4 holds up a more quiet and trusting confidence. We ask God to have mercy, to hear our prayers. We ask that the light of God’s countenance shine upon us, and we are grateful that we can sleep in peace, knowing that God is watching over us.

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

In a message that resonates with Peter’s speech in Acts, the author of First John assures the people of the early church that we become the children of God through the gift of God’s love as revealed to us through Jesus. Although the world does not seem to know this yet, the writer assures his audience, the world will eventually come to do so. Meanwhile, doing what is right keeps us in right relationship with God through Jesus. Thus we are free from sin, this passage concludes, for there is surely no sin in Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48

This week we turn to Luke’s Gospel for another story about the resurrected Christ, having heard John’s account last Sunday. The disciples are together again, and Jesus is suddenly among them. Surprisingly, their first response is not joy but surprise and terror, as if a ghost had appeared! Much as he had done for Thomas in John’s Gospel, Jesus invites them all to examine and touch his wounds, Then he asks for something to eat, and takes a piece of fish, perhaps to show that he is no ghost but flesh and blood. He then announces that he is the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures, and declares that repentance and forgiveness of sins will go out in his name to all nations.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 15, 2018

La cena de Emaús (The dinner at Emmaus, 1620); oil painting by Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) . The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. (Click image to enlarge.)

Christ, the Messiah, has come for all the world. We’ll hear this promise repeated through Sunday’s readings. In the Acts passage, Peter and John have just healed a beggar who could not walk, to the amazement of everyone who saw this once-disabled man walking and praising God. Peter tells the crowd that this man was healed through the power of Jesus, the Messiah, whom they had rejected and had killed, but who will forgive them if they turn to him. It’s best to set aside the ancient echoes of anti-Judaism that we hear now and then in Acts. Hear, rather, God’s gracious promise that forgiveness through the Holy Spirit is available to all humankind.

Psalm: Psalm 4

You may hear the lovely Taizé hymn, “When I call, answer me,” in your head as you read this Psalm. In contrast with the many angry Psalms that call on God to crush and destroy the foe, Psalm 4 raises up a more quiet and trusting confidence that’s echoed in the Taize hymn: “O Lord, hear my prayer … when I call, answer me.” We ask that the light of God’s countenance shine upon us, and we are grateful that we can sleep in peace, knowing that God is watching over us.

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

In a message that resonates with Peter’s speech in Acts, the author of First John assures the people of the early church that we become the children of God through the gift of God’s love as revealed to us through Jesus. Although the world does not seem to know this yet, the writer assures his audience, the world will eventually come to do so. Meanwhile, doing what is right keeps us in relationship with God through Jesus and thus free from sin, for there is surely no sin in Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48

We turn to Luke’s Gospel for one more account of the resurrected Jesus, picking up the narrative just as the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus have returned to tell the rest. Suddenly Jesus is standing with them, such a shocking apparition that they respond not with joy but surprise and terror, as if a ghost had appeared! Much as he did for Thomas in John’s Gospel, Jesus invites them to examine and touch his wounds. He takes a piece of fish to eat, perhaps to show that he is no ghost but solid flesh and blood. Then he declares himself the Messiah, and declares that repentance and forgiveness of sins will go out in his name to all nations.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for April 19, 2015

Jesus appears to the disciples in the upper room. Sixth century CE, Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna.

Peter and John, filled with the Holy Spirit, have healed a man who could not walk, to the amazement of everyone who saw the once-lame beggar in the Temple, walking and praising God. Peter tells the crowd that the man was healed through the power of Jesus, the Messiah, whom they had rejected and had killed, but who will forgive them if they turn to him. Anti-Jewish language like this, sadly, permeates Acts, which was written a generation after the destruction of the Temple, when Christians and Jews were angrily drawing apart.

Psalm: Psalm 4

The Psalmist sings for a people who face severe persecution from enemies, yet stand strong in confidence in a loving and faithful God. In contrast with more warlike Psalms that call on God to crush and destroy the foe, Psalm 4 exalts a more quiet and trusting confidence. We ask God to have mercy, to hear our prayers. We ask that the light of God’s countenance be shone upon us, and we are grateful that we can sleep in peace, knowing that God is watching over us.

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-7

Echoing the themes of today’s passage from Acts, the author, speaking to the early church, assures us that God’s love (revealed to us through Jesus) makes us the children of God, and that the world will eventually come to know this. Meanwhile, staying in right relationship with God through Jesus keeps us free from sin, for there is surely no sin in Jesus.

Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48

Turning to Luke for another resurrection appearance, we have skipped over the story of two disciples who met Jesus on the Emmaus road but did not recognize him until he broke bread. Now the disciples are together again, and Jesus appears! Their first response, however, is not joy but surprise and terror, as if a ghost had appeared! Much as he had done for Thomas in John’s Gospel, Jesus invited them to examine and touch his wounds, Then he asked for something to eat, and he took a piece of fish, perhaps to show that he is no ghost but flesh and blood. He declares himself the Messiah foretold in the Scriptures, and declares that repentance and forgiveness of sins will go out in his name to all nations.