Eastertide
April 20, 2020
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.
What we do amid times of high emotions, where we may feel personally threatened, matters. Apparently, some people who cried for Jesus to be crucified 50 or so days earlier, were feeling guilt. They may have remembered Jesus as a kind man who healed, fed, and forgave, not a criminal. Perhaps the reports of resurrection had reached their ears. Peter’s declaration of Jesus being Lord and Christ added to their shame. The Lord is the one with absolute ownership rights* over the whole world. The Christ* is the Greek form of the Messiah, the Anointed One, the One for whom they had longed. Rather than harangue them for their actions, Peter invites them to join the Disciples in their work toward forwarding the cause of Christ. They were asked to turn around from their behavior, be baptized, and receive forgiveness. They too would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We are living in a time of high emotions. Fear of catching the COVID 19 virus, fear of spreading this disease, fear of financial disaster. We can trust our loving Lord, the Christ, is with us in every moment of every day. Our following his example must lead us to heal, feed, and forgive. One of his most oft-recorded responses to those he helped along the way was, “Do not be afraid.” Loving others as Christ loves us is the best way to defeat despair. Here are just a few ideas:
- sheltering at home, wearing masks, practicing physical distancing
- donating
- fighting loneliness with someone else via a phone call
- sending cards
- whatever your unique gifts allow us to do
Prayer: Christ, our Lord, forgive us when our fears and selfishness overcome our compassion. Fill us with the generosity of your love so that we can love one another as we work together to end the pandemic. Amen.
*https://biblehub.com/greek/2962.htm
**https://biblehub.com/greek/5547.htm
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.