Sermons

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Sunday 29th April at 10am

Simon Cowling
Readings: Acts 9. 36-43 ; John 10. 22-30

Taken together, the two volumes that St. Luke wrote - his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles - constitute nearly a quarter of the New Testament. The two volumes are integrated not only through their common dedication to a man called Theophilus, who is mentioned in verse one of both volumes, but even more significantly through the clear sense Luke gives us of the progress of the Gospel message - from its tentative beginnings among terrified disciples in Jerusalem to its acceptance by all manner of people, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, slaves and free, around the Mediterranean basin. So how was it that those terrified disciples of the days immediately after the Resurrection, hiding from the authorities because of their association with Jesus, became confident apostles, 'travelling everywhere' in the way that Luke tells us Peter did in this morning's reading? Let's think about this for a moment.

The final Resurrection appearance of Jesus described by Luke comes in Acts 1. The disciples are still displaying their characteristic lack of insight: 'Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?' I like to think of that phrase this time being spoken with a bit of frustration. Surely, the disciples are thinking, now God has demonstrated his kingly authority by raising Jesus from death, the longed-for time of the restoration of Israel and God's kingly reign cannot be far away. But Jesus' reply to the disciples is brisk to the point of being curt: it is the Father who sets the times and dates, and he does so by his own authority. In other words, stop asking questions. Your task, Jesus says to them, is to be 'witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' Fundamental to the disciples' fulfilling of this task is to be the Holy Spirit, who will come upon them and fill them with his power.

We shall be celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit in a month's time, but this morning's reading from Acts is set after the great events of Pentecost. Peter, whom we remember from last week's Gospel as a rather forlorn figure on the shores of Lake Galilee, assuring Jesus that he loves him, has been transformed through the Holy Spirit into the confident apostle we meet in Acts chapter 9. He has already delivered a powerful and challenging sermon in Jerusalem which has resulted in many believing and being baptised; with John, he has healed the lame beggar at the Beautiful Gate, preached another sermon in Solomon's Portico and has been hauled up before the Jewish Council for a severe warning about future conduct. He has been imprisoned, along with the other disciples, and having escaped, has been threatened with death by the same Jewish Council. He has been sent by the other disciples, again with John, to Samaria, north of Jerusalem, and by the Holy Spirit has overseen the welcome of many people into the community of believers. Now, in chapter 9, Peter is once again travelling, far away from familiar ground, near the Mediterranean coast. He heals Aeneas in Lydda and then, in Joppa, raises Tabitha, who we are told is a believer. Once again, people turn to the Lord. Peter's ministry of word and action is being extended beyond Jerusalem, in obedience to Jesus' command. Next, even before Paul, he will receive the great insight from God that the Gospel is truly for all, not only for the Jewish people. Peter will baptise the gentile Cornelius and his household.

The story of the Acts of the Apostle is the story of the Holy Spirit. The story of how the Holy Spirit gave birth to what has become a world-wide community of men, women and children who have all received the gift of that same Spirit through baptism and who are one in Jesus Christ. This is what we share and what we are called to share with others.

Not long after I was ordained, I had a 'phone call from a woman who said she wanted to talk to me. I didn't know her and I discovered when I visited her that she had never had any association with any church - indeed her body language was somewhat prickly. Her problem was that the house she was living in, with four children, had large amounts of asbestos lining the cellar. It transpired that the previous owner had known about this but had not told her, and the surveyor had not picked it up. I listened to the story sympathetically but without a clear understanding of why she was telling me or what she thought I might be able to do. Then came an unexpected ending. She had spent too long, she said, being angry with the previous owner and the surveyor. She wanted to be able to forgive them, though she admitted this was as much for her sake as theirs. How could she do it? Newly ordained, I began mentally to rattle through possible resources for an answer based on my reading about the theology of forgiveness. But confronted with a real-life situation, I pretty soon froze. So - and I am ashamed to admit the embarrassment I felt as I spoke - I asked her if I could pray. She said yes, and I prayed. Afterwards she thanked me for coming, but there was no great sense of anything having changed or having been achieved. I left with some relief.

A few weeks later the woman appeared at church and asked if she could have her children baptised. My visit was never mentioned, even when they all began coming to church regularly. Soon afterwards the family moved to the south coast. I had a card the following Christmas, giving full details about how involved the whole family had become in the life of the local church and thanking me for my visit that day in Leeds.

I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit was working in that situation, bringing to birth new life, new possibilities, and bringing healing and wholeness. Nor do I have any doubt that it was through the Holy Spirit that I was led to pray with that woman, rather than to attempt to enter into a theological debate about the nature and the possibility of forgiveness. May it be the prayer of all of us that the Holy Spirit will strengthen and guide our witness to Jesus Christ and that, through the Spirit working in us, many will come to believe in him, our risen Lord. Amen.

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay