Proclamation
of the Word
The section
of John’s gospel we heard read this morning is a continuation of Jesus speaking
after the healing of a man born blind.
-
The disciples asked who sinned – the man or his parents – meaning why is he blind, who is being punished?· Jesus tells the disciples that it doesn’t work like that and heals the man. Then the Pharisees investigate:o Is this really the same man who used to beg?o Was he really born blind?o How can he now see?o Then they talked to the parents, then again to the man; then they drove the man who had been blind out of the temple.· The man had received his sight, but was excluded by the religious leaders, because Jesus enabled him to see.· The we hear about shepherd who leads the sheep, who keeps them safe from thieves and robbers.Jesus said: I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.What does fullness of life look like for the man born blind?
What does it
look like for us?
I am
reminded of the TV show “The Good Life”.
Tom and Barbara decide to give up on the ‘rat-race’ and live a life of
simplicity and self-sufficiency. Their neighbours, Margo and Jerry, continue to
climb the professional and social ladder.
The reading
from Acts gives us some ideas about living life to the full. This section comes
at the end of Chapter 2. This chapter starts with the coming of the Holy Spirit,
then a long speech by Peter.
People asked
what should we do?
Peter responded: repent and be baptised.
Peter responded: repent and be baptised.
“Luke, here,
lays out the immediate consequences of the repentance and baptism”[i]
People responded
to the message of forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, they
responded by repentance and being baptised; but it didn’t end there. Their
lives were transformed. Their time was spent praying, praising God, learning,
sharing resources, and eating together.
Now I am not
going to suggest that we move into a commune or a monastery.
Do we seek
the good of the congregation, the community, the world?
One of the
complaints we often read about politicians is that they preference one section of
the community over another, usually the section of the community they belong
to.
Some of you
will have seen this T-Shirt: Uniting for the common good.
I think this
is what Luke is writing about here in Acts, living in ways that enables
everyone to have food and shelter. Living in ways that praise God.
“The Acts
community saw God as life-giving, breaking down barriers, including barriers of
economics and property, and calling us to new life through the resurrection of
Jesus and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” [ii]
“They
believed abundant life was possible for everyone and that God was moving in
their lives, giving them power to love, heal, and welcome.
They saw
their well-being connected with the well-being of every member of the
community.”[iii]
Abundant life,
life in its fullness, means not just for me, but for all people.
But this fullness
of life does not seem to exist, not for everyone. When we live in a world where
some people have so much they worry about protecting what they have, building
bigger fences and stronger gates to keep people out; while others have not
enough to survive; none of us has fullness of life.
Fullness of
life comes from relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It comes from following
the voice of the Shepherd, knowing the protection and provision and presence of
Jesus.[iv]
What stops
us from hearing the voice of Jesus, from following, from living fully alive to
God.
How do we
nurture our ability to hear the voice of Jesus the Shepherd over the noise of
life; demanding that we buy more, that we deserve the more expensive option and
that we need the latest technology.
How do we
hear the voice of the Shepherd calling us to follow; in ways that mean fullness
of life for all people. Including the unemployed, the mentally ill, the refugee
and the addicted.
Fullness of life
is for all, not just some.
Jesus said: I
came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.
What
does that look like for you?
What
does this ask of you?
