Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for May 1, 2022 (Easter 3C)

First Reading: Acts 9:1-20

Saul was mean, and Saul was scary. A zealous Pharisee angry with the unorthodox new Messianic movement, Saul persecuted the first Christians with all his strength.

But everything changed for Saul in a blinding confrontation with Jesus in a vision on the road to Damascus. In words reminiscent of Matthew 25’s “just as you did to the least of these … you did it to me,” Saul hears that when he persecuted those who follow Jesus, he was persecuting Jesus himself. When Saul understands this – with help from a rather wary Ananias – his hatred for Christ and Christians falls away. Saul becomes Paul, who the Acts of the Apostles tell us will go on to take the infant church to the world.

Psalm: Psalm 30

Psalm 30 offers praise and thanksgiving to God in a very specific context: It expresses the Psalmist’s gratitude for having been restored to good health, rescued from an immediate threat to their life. When God’s face is hidden from us, the Psalmist sings, we live in fear. But then God’s restorative mercy turns our wailing into dancing and makes our hearts sing. This Psalm fits neatly into the context of Sunday’s other readings: Paul’s conversion turns his enmity to new life in Christ. In Revelation’s apocalyptic vision, the slaughtered Lamb becomes king. And in the Gospel, Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus is wiped away as Jesus calls Peter three times to love him and to feed Christ’s sheep.

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

All the people of all the world’s nations, and all the animals of land and air and ocean, too, gather around the throne to worship the Lamb in this beautiful, metaphorical vision. In contrast with the bloody, frightening images of dragons and war-horses that fill the pages of Revelation, Christ, the king, is not pictured as a mighty emperor or a roaring lion but as a vulnerable lamb: a symbol of the Passover, a slaughtered victim that is now raised and glorified for us.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

Even after Jesus had appeared twice to the disciples and breathed the Holy Spirit into them, at least seven of them must have been ready for a break. Peter and a half-dozen of the others have gone back home to Galilee and launched their fishing boat. Suddenly a stranger appears on the shore and suggests that they try casting their net on the other side of the boat. They comply, and soon haul in a bulging net. Suddenly John recognizes that the stranger is Jesus! Peter jumps in the water and hurries to shore. The delighted crew all join Jesus, who cooks fish and bread on a charcoal fire and feeds them. Then Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Peter, apparently forgetting how recently he had denied Jesus three times, seems offended that Jesus has to ask this repeatedly. But this is now past. Jesus tells Peter, “Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep,” and calls him, just as he had done in a similar setting at the beginning of his ministry: “Follow me.”

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for May 5, 2019

First Reading: Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

How do we recognize God in our lives? How do we respond when God calls? Consider Saul in Sunday’s first reading.

Early Christians had every reason to fear Saul: A frightening figure, a Pharisee angry with the unorthodox new Messianic movement, Saul persecuted the Christians with all his strength. But when Jesus confronted Saul in a blinding vision on the road to Damascus (a narrative much more detailed than anything Paul had written about his own conversion in his letters many years before the Evangelist Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles), everything changed. Acts reports Saul hearing that by persecuting those who follow Jesus, Saul was persecuting Jesus. Saul’s hatred for Christ and Christians melts away with his restored vision. Saul becomes Paul, who will go on to take Christianity to the world with all the zeal that he had previously turned to persecuting Christians.

Psalm: Psalm 30

Perhaps surprisingly (or perhaps not) for a genre that includes so many calls for God’s help in Psalms of petition, the 150 Psalms include only a relative few hymns of thanksgiving. Psalm 30, according to tradition, specifically offers thanks to God for the Psalmist’s recovery from a serious illness. The Psalm seems consonant with the journeys in today’s readings of Paul, who changed from hate for Christians to life in Christ, and Peter, who went bravely out to proclaim Jesus after having denied him three times. The Psalmist, in turn, sings out in faith that sadness and anger are short-lived, but the joy of God’s favor lives forever. “Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

In last week’s reading from Revelation, we heard its prophecy that Christ would be “ruler of the kings of the earth,” presumably supplanting the emperors of Rome and beyond. This Sunday, a few chapters further into the book, we enter a scene of triumphant heavenly worship in which all creation participates. All the angels and elders of heaven, all the creatures of heaven and earth, humans and animals from land and sky and sea join in worship and song: Together they sing a majestic hymn, filled with symbolic language, that reveals an unexpected surprise: Jesus’s kingship is not that of a roaring lion or any earthly ruler, but a lamb, a vulnerable creature, symbol of the Passover; a victim who was slaughtered but is now raised and glorified for all.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

Seven of the disciples are back home in Galilee, and perhaps seeking a break from the emotions of Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and mysterious appearances, they get in their boat for a night-time fishing trip. They haven’t had any luck, but suddenly a stranger appears on the shore and suggests that they try casting their net on the other side of the boat, and they haul in a bulging net-load. Suddenly John recognizes Jesus, prompting Peter to jump in the water and run for shore. The delighted crew all join Jesus, who cooks them fish and bread on a charcoal fire and feeds them. Then Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Peter, apparently forgetting how recently he had denied Jesus three times, is offended that Jesus has to ask this repeatedly. But this is in the past now, as Jesus directs Peter, “Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep.” Then Jesus predicts Peter’s eventual martyrdom, and calls him, as he had done at the beginning of his ministry: “Follow me.”

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for April 10, 2016

First Reading: Acts 9:1-20

Saul was mean, and Saul was scary. He persecuted the early Christians with all his strength. But when Jesus confronted Saul in a blinding vision on the road to Damascus, everything changed. Matthew told us that Jesus said, “just as you did to the least of these … you did it to me.” Jesus tells Saul that by persecuting those who follow Jesus, he was persecuting Jesus. When Saul gets this – with help from a rather wary Ananias – his hatred for Christ and Christians falls away. Saul becomes Paul, who will go on to take the infant church to the world.

Psalm: Psalm 30

Today’s Psalm offers praise and thanksgiving to God in a specific context: It expresses the singer’s gratitude for having been restored to good health and rescued from an immediate threat to life. When God’s face is hidden from us, we live in fear; but God’s restorative mercy turns our wailing into dancing and makes our hearts sing. Think about this Psalm in the context of today’s other readings: Paul’s conversion turns his enmity to new life in Christ. Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus is wiped away as Jesus calls Peter three times to love him and to feed Christ’s sheep.

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

All the people of all the world’s nations, and all the animals of land and air and ocean, too, gather around the throne to worship the Lamb in this beautiful, metaphorical vision. In contrast with the bloody, frightening images of dragons and war-horses that fill the pages of Revelation, Christ, the king, is not pictured as a mighty emperor or a roaring lion but as a vulnerable lamb: a symbol of the Passover, a slaughtered victim that is now raised and glorified for us.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

In a narrative similar to Luke’s account of Jesus meeting two disciples on the road to Emmaus, John tells us that the seven disciples in their fishing boat didn’t recognize Jesus at first. Only when the stranger on the beach shows them how to fill their nets to bulging with a heavy catch does Peter recognize Jesus. Then Jesus, recalling the awful night when Peter denied him three times, asks three times whether Peter loves him, then commands him three times to feed Jesus’ lambs and sheep.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, April 14, 2013.

First Reading: Acts 9:1-20
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” If you persecute those who follow Jesus, you are persecuting him. Does this remind you of something? If we feed the hungry, attend to the sick and care for the oppressed, Matthew reminded us, we do those things also for Jesus. As the body of Christ on earth, we are all called to care for one another. When Saul gets this, finally, he turns from enemy of the church to become Paul, one of its greatest advocates.

Psalm: Psalm 30
According to tradition, this ancient hymn offers thanksgiving for recovery from a serious illness. There is faithful optimism in the lines that remind us that while sadness and anger are short-lived, the joy of God’s favor lives forever. This idea fits in with today’s lessons about Paul’s conversion from enmity to life in Christ and Peter’s mission to tell the world about Jesus after having denied him three times.

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14
In last week’s reading from Revelation, early Christians heard that Christ would supplant the Roman emperors as “ruler of the kings of the earth.” Today’s lesson is filled with more symbolic language, and it reveals an unexpected surprise: Jesus’s kingship is not that of a roaring lion or any earthly ruler, but a lamb, a vulnerable creature, symbol of the Passover; a slaughtered victim now raised and glorified for us.

Gospel: John 21:1-19
Jesus appears to some of the disciples, shows them where to find a net-load of fish and cooks them dinner … and then he asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Peter is offended that Jesus has to ask this repeatedly. Do you think that Peter could have forgotten the terrible night when he denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed? This doesn’t seem to matter now, as Jesus directs Peter, “Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep.”