Sunday, May 5, 2024

Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 10:34-48
Psalm 98
1 John 5:1-8
John 15:9-17

You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

You really have to be involved in an organization to care about the things that happen. People who are not involved with band events do not understand how or why band people get so caught up in it all. But for those involved, band is a great way to make friends, to learn, to share talents, and to succeed in school and life. Theater geeks (the work ‘geeks’ is used very affectionately) make no sense to those outside the theater. Clubs that revolve around interests and hobbies are very closed to those outside, not because others aren’t welcome, but because they are very narrow in their focus. Everyone can join the law enforcement club, but it isn’t necessarily a club everyone wants to join. Some clubs have certain requirements, but for most the only requirement is an interest in the focus of the group.

We generally do not think of Church as a club, and most modern churches don’t have certain requirements to join, but in the days of the early church, there were those who thought that the Gospel message was for only certain people. They insisted everyone live according to the rules of their faith as they continued to do. They were not comfortable fellowshipping with foreigners in church that they couldn’t eat with in their homes according to their laws. The book of Acts takes us through the growing realization that God’s grace was given not only for certain people, but for all.

In today’s story, Peter preached the Gospel to a group of people who on hearing the grace of God received the Holy Spirit. It was obvious that they had been anointed by God because they began to speak in tongues, and they glorified God with their worship. This didn’t make sense to those who thought that their fellowship would remain closed to outsiders, but Peter tried to show them what he learned in a vision when God reminded him that everything He made was good.

So, Peter said, “God has offered forgiveness and mercy and grace to these Gentiles, who are we to suggest they can’t be part of our group?” So, he called the gathering to join in the celebration of baptism, to welcome all those who had been touched by God in such a powerful and transforming way into the fellowship of believers. Baptism is the means of God’s forgiveness, but in this particular story we see that the Gentiles received that forgiveness from God’s own hand first. Baptism is also a way for the Church to say, “Welcome to our club” and for us to promise to be a part of their new life with Christ. Some who hear and believe the Gospel might be people who don’t seem to fit in our group, but God does not have the same requirements for becoming part of His Church. We are called to care about everyone, to share our faith, and do whatever we can do to make them a part of our fellowship. Since God loves them, there is no reason why we shouldn’t.

It is amazing to watch how animals understand the idea of acceptance of others. I have had cats for most of my life. A few years ago, we welcomed two kittens into our home. Samson and Delilah were born in the same litter and the family did not want to separate them. We already had Tigger, but had recently lost another cat named Felix, so Tigger knew how to live with other cats, but he would now be the elder cat. We quickly learned that having two kittens doesn’t mean two times as much kitten trouble; it multiplies exponentially with every added kitten. These two got into everything. They were small enough to fit into places where they should not fit. They climbed on furniture where they are not welcome. They got their noses into cups of drink, usually managing to spill everything in it.

Tigger was not entirely sure what to think of the two kittens at first. Sometimes it was obvious that he wanted to be their friend. He sat and watched their play, perhaps amazed at their energy. He tried to get them to play his games, but they didn’t quite understand what he wanted them to do. Felix and Tigger used to play a game of chase tag where one of the cats would start the run up the steps and the other would follow. Somewhere upstairs they would change direction and the first cat would chase the other down the steps. Tigger will do the things he used to do to get Felix to chase, but the kittens just look at him with question marks in their eyes.

Unfortunately, sometimes Tigger greeted the kittens with a hiss or growl. They were always in the middle of everything Tigger wanted to do. If we began playing with Tigger’s favorite toy, they jumped right into the game. If we wanted to give Tigger a treat, they followed their noses to the food and tried to steal whatever we had given to him. On those rare occasions when the kittens tried to get close enough to Tigger to have a sniff, Tigger batted at them with his paw.

He was trying to establish his dominance, to show them who was the boss. His worst moments of hissing and growling usually came soon after the kittens have been caught doing something bad, like climbing on the dining room table or knocking the TV plug out of the wall. He acted like the Daddy disciplining his little ones. Unfortunately, it took Tigger awhile to figure out how to love the kittens in a way that made them comfortable in his presence. So, when he wanted to play, they were still too afraid to get close enough. They soon got used to each other and were soon great friends.

In the beginning I worried that Tigger would be a bully; I wanted them to learn how to love the kittens, to share in their playtime and to even be comfortable sleeping near them. He wouldn’t be happy if he lived his life as a bully, always fighting and hissing and growling with the other cats. There was hope; I could see it every time Tigger got playful. They all eventually figured out how to play. It wasn’t easy, but Tigger figured out how to overcome his own fear and faced living with the kittens with a positive attitude. Though animals often display human traits, they don’t have the human ability to reason. It took the kittens continually trying to love him for him to finally become comfortable and happy.

I have noticed that human bullies can be similar to animals. They do not find comfort or peace in their bullying, and often do not know how to form relationships. They are, more often than they would admit, afraid of something. Bullies don’t pick on people larger or stronger; they pick on those smaller and weaker. The best way to deal with a bully is to find a way to build a relationship with them.

We are often bullied by the world because of our Christian faith. Non-believers do not understand our perspective or attitude; they are, perhaps, afraid of what they see in our lives. Faith means change. It means transformation. It means living differently than the world. We are commanded to love our God and our neighbor. Jesus taught that we should love our enemy and do nothing to bring him or her harm. Jesus taught that it is better to suffer persecution for the Gospel than to turn to the ways and methods of the world.

It is easy to respond to bullying with similar actions. Though Tigger was bigger than the kittens, they could gang up on him. They never responded that way; they wanted to love Tigger and Tigger was not really a bully, he was just trying to learn to live in the new situation. He missed Felix and had a different roll in that relationship. We all know that it can be hard to get used to active and outrageous personalities. As Christians, we are to obey God, live by His commandments, and show the world our gifts. We’ll face many people who do not understand our faith and they will respond with anger and bullying. God loves them and when we love as God has commanded us to love, they might just see that life is better when lived in hope and peace.

There was a time when Delilah was sick with an infection and had to take medicine. If you have tried to give medicine to a kitten, you know it is not a fun experience. The medicine was effective, and she felt better quickly, but diligence was necessary even when everything seemed better. It is not enough to take some medicine for a few days until the symptoms seem to disappear. It is important for the patient to continue taking the full course for the disease to completely disappear. I found some tips online and learned the best way to give her the medicine and she learned to accept it. She accepted it because she knew that she would get treats afterward. She also became a model of kindness to Tigger and Samson.

I was in the kitchen one day when Delilah sat at my feet. I thought she was being a mooch, begging for a bite of breakfast, but she did not run when I got her medicine out of the refrigerator. She waited patiently as I readied the dropper. She allowed me to pick her up and calmly accepted the medicine. When it was over, she went to the place where I kept the treats and waited patiently as I put the medicine away. She excitedly received her treats and returned my love as I praised her for being so cooperative.

Now, Tigger and Samson don’t need medicine, but they know the sound of the treat bag and they know that Delilah gets a treat when she’s had her medicine. They both ran quickly to the kitchen and began sniffing the air near where I was with Delilah. Cats fall into habits very quickly, so it is no surprise that they were anxious for treats, too. Delilah welcomed the other kitties into her treat time. Sometimes she even shared some of her treats. One time they were gathered around me, enjoying their treats. Delilah and Tigger were standing very close to one another. When Tigger finished his, he looked at Delilah and she looked at him. Then she pushed one of her treats his way. I’m not so sure she did it on purpose, although it happened twice, and she did not get upset when Tigger ate them. We don’t often see the same attitude from children or even adult humans. We don’t like to share when we have something special, especially if we know that it is a reward for something we’ve had to suffer through. We might even wonder why the others got the treat when they didn’t have to take the medicine.

I don’t know if Delilah willingly sacrificed for the sake of Tigger and Samson. Cats are creatures of habit, and as long as she had enough, I don’t think she minded one way or another. And yet it made me very happy to see her “sharing” with others. It was like she was trying to love him and be his friend. It seemed like she was working to build their relationship.

Christ’s commandment is that we love one another and lay down our lives for our friends. We are commanded to bear fruit, lasting fruit, fruit built on love. His command is that we live as He lived, in selfless, sacrificial love, not only to those who treat us well, but to everyone. Sacrifice means giving up something, perhaps something we love or something we have earned through our own suffering. It means changing our ways.

When we practice sacrificial love, we do not experience a sense of loss or emptiness because we find real joy in the relationship we have with Jesus Christ through our obedience to His commands. The grace of God does not come to us because we are obedient. Instead, we receive God’s grace which fills us with His love until we can do nothing other than be obedient. We thank God for His grace by joyfully abiding in His love, sacrificing for others as Jesus Christ sacrificed for us.

Thanksgiving is an important part of our relationships with others, not only thanks to God, but thanks to those who serve us. As we near the end of the school year, many parents are thinking about ways to thank their children’s teachers. We usually bought a small gift for each classroom teacher, and sometimes even gave gifts to their specialty teachers. It was harder when they reached Junior and Senior High because they had so many teachers. It can be very expensive to buy so many gifts. They were not as attached to so many teachers, which they only saw for an hour or so a day, and they didn’t always like all those teachers. It wasn’t easy to find appropriate and affordable gifts for every teacher, after all, how many “#1 Teacher” mugs can one person own? Some parents pool their resources to purchase something nicer for the teacher; even then it can be difficult to find a gift that really makes the teacher feel appreciated.

We struggle with gift giving, although most teachers are just happy being thanked and recognized for the work they do. Teaching is a thankless job, perhaps even more so for those teachers that are not well liked. It doesn’t get easier at the end of the year when most students are just anxious to get out of school. Some children and their parents do not even realize how much the teachers care for them. A kind word, a simple gift of homemade treats, or a handwritten note from the child is far more meaningful than another chotchke to dust. It is the simple pleasures of life that make us know how much we are loved.

Today’s psalm is a song of praise and thanksgiving for the good things God has done; how God won the victory over Israel’s oppressors and how He saved them from exile. The psalmist sang about God’s faithfulness and His lasting love for His people. The creation gets involved with the heavens and earth joining in the noise of praise. The sea roars, the floods clap their hands, the hills sing.

We can sing God’s praise in so many ways. We can join the psalmist by telling others about the great things God has done. We can sing a new song. We can sing praises with a harp. We can play trumpets. We gather in worship together, hear the Word and study the Bible together. We gather in fellowship and at meals. We celebrate the sacraments. Our worship and praise do not stop at the front door of our churches, however. We praise God when we share a word of hope with someone in distress and when we give a cup of water to the thirsty. We praise God when we pray for the healing of the nations and our neighbors. We praise God when we tell His story and introduce others to the saving grace found through Jesus Christ our Lord. We praise God when we try to build relationships with others, even the bullies who would do us harm.

There are plenty of bullies in our world.

There is a museum in Xi’an, a city in central China. This museum is located underground and is the excavation of an army of terra-cotta warriors created to guard the tomb of China’s first Emperor. These more than eight thousand life-size clay statues were carefully exhumed and restored for modern archeologists to study and people to see.

The ruler was Qin Shi Huangdi. He began his life as a ruler in China when he was just thirteen. He was a warlord who fought against other warlords for twenty-five years, taking control of more and more men until he had an army of over a million. He was a bully, dominating the people, using violence to gain power over his enemies until he was the most powerful man in the land. He then took on the name Qin Shi Huangdi, which means “First Divine Emperor in China.” He was in some ways a good ruler. He unified China, built the great wall, and developed a capital city with excellent infrastructure. He was so confident about his power and position that he claimed that his dynasty would last ten thousand years.

But, Qin Shi Huangdi was afraid of death. He built hundreds of palaces that were connected by underground tunnels. He could sleep in a different palace each night to avoid assassination. He even refused to die a normal physical death, so he sent his wise men to locate the fountain of youth, which they never found.

Though the Emperor accomplished great things, he did it with excessive cruelty, slaughtering people and destroying the treasures of the culture. Finally, the prime minister conspired with others and the emperor was assassinated when he was just forty-one years old. The conspirators sent a forged letter to his only son and convinced him to commit suicide, leaving the legacy that this dynasty was the shortest in China’s history. Qin Shi Huangdi lived in fear, for though he was a very powerful man, he did not know grace, mercy, or love. He knew only his desires to live forever and treated his people as if they were only the means by which he would get what he wanted.

He was the exact opposite of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, which we see revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus came not to gain power, but to bring forgiveness. He came not to build a kingdom through violence, but to build relationships and unify people by His Word. He came to give us the love of God so that we can live in that love and share it with others. He did not fear death but laid His life down for our sake.

The terra-cotta warriors stand as a testament to the first man to unify China who brought good things to the people of that great land. Yet, it is also a testament to how human ways pass quickly. The dynasty of Qin Shi Huangdi lasted less than a lifetime because he did not know the power of love, only the power of the sword. He came to an end as he brought the end to many.

But the kingdom of God is eternal; He reigns here and now and will reign in the future, because His kingdom is built on love and mercy. Our Lord Jesus grants salvation freely to those who believe in His name. Through Him we are heirs to a kingdom that is built to last, to endure even longer than ten thousand years. It is in that kingdom we are called to live.

The passages from John’s Gospel and Epistle use the words “obey” and “command” several times. It is so easy from our human perspective to miss the true message of these lessons. We like to know that we have done something good, that we’ve had an impact on the people of this world by our power and ability. We are quick to list our good deeds before men as proof of our love for God. We even point to these passages and say, “See, this is how God told us to live!”

That’s the way it was for the Jews in Jesus’ day. They thought that if they lived according to the Law, if they were good enough, gave enough, did enough, then they would be children of God. The trouble is no one is able to carry this heavy burden. Those who thought they could be God’s by their own works were blind to their own sin, hiding behind a facade of self-righteousness and justification by excuse. They pointed their fingers at others while denying their own inability to live rightly before God. They saw themselves as greater than the others and had no mercy on those they deemed as sinners. But God turned things around. He sent Jesus to reveal to the world the truth of His love which is found only in His grace.

John tells us in his first epistle how we can know that we are children of God. When we are born of God, we become His child. What happens for those who are born of God? We overcome the world. What does this mean? Last week we heard that the only way to bear fruit is to be connected to Jesus, who is the vine. We are part of Him by faith and as such He bears His fruit through us: salvation, forgiveness of sin, and reconciliation to God achieved by His blood. That fruit is the relationships between people that are created by God’s grace. In Him we are made perfect, justified by His grace, and called to remain in His love.

We are commanded to love, but there are many times when this is very difficult. We struggle with bullies and wonder how we could ever obey. It is only by faith that we can abide in the love of Christ, obeying His command to love others with a sacrificial love while bearing fruit that will last. Faith and community are connected. Christ loved us, chose us, and calls us friends so that we will obey His command to love each other. In love He has made us part of a body, calling us to love that body. We love because He first loved us. As we love one another, we will see the fruit God calls us to bear, the fruit that is the witness to our love for God.

In faith, we love as God first loved us with a sacrificial love, a willingness to give everything we are for the sake of another. Peter did this by visiting the home of Cornelius, a Gentile which was against the Law of the Jews. He spoke to them about Jesus, which must have seemed like a waste of time to the circumcised believers because they did not believe the Gospel was for those who had not been obedient to God’s Law?

Yet, God gave them those Gentiles same gift of faith in Jesus Christ. He gave them salvation and the Holy Spirit. He made them part of the vine, part of the Kingdom, part of the body of Christ. They were embraced by His love and became part of the circle of friends of Jesus. By His power they loved others into the Kingdom, until today. God also embraces those who do not fit our understanding and expectations of faith, but He calls us to be like Peter, to take the risk to be obedient to His command and share the Gospel with the very people we do not believe deserve it. In doing so, we will join with Peter in the joy of knowing that God’s kingdom has grown because we were willing to make the sacrifice for someone else’s sake.