Eastertide

April 17, 2023

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.

Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.’

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’ And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

I do not think I have ever thought much about how those folks who shouted for Jesus’s crucifixion felt if and when they realized who he was and what they had done to him. Of course, we are told what Judas did. Committing suicide was a drastic response making me wonder if Judas ever realized who Jesus was, how Jesus loved him anyway, and would have forgiven him. Perhaps Jesus did forgive him and others when he said from the cross, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  (Luke 23:34).

The Disciples, in general, could reach out to those same people who called for Jesus’s crucifixion because they, too, had their moments of weakness. Peter denied Jesus three times. Thomas demanded proof of the resurrection.

We are Jesus’s disciples in the world today, called to build the Beloved Community, which he envisioned for us in his sojourn while on earth. Much work must be done, and we must lean heavily on God in all of God’s connections to strengthen our work.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to lift our drooping hands and strengthen our weak knees* as we work to build that Beloved Community. Amen.

*See Hebrews 12:12

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.