For The Love of God
Rev.
Charles
Lewis
Acts 11:1-18
Snohomish
P.C.
Introduction
The
church in Acts has made its first non-Jewish converts. First, there were
the Samaritans that Peter preaches the good news to. Then the
Ethiopian is baptized by Philip. Then there are Gentiles in the
larger Roman world. Jesus’ very last words are being fulfilled as
the disciples are witnesses to
Sermon
I grew up loving major league baseball. As a kid, my dream
was to be a professional baseball player. As you can see, I didn’t
quite make it. One of the things I find fascinating and like most about
professional baseball teams today is the international flavor of most
teams. Take the Mariner’s, for example. Where else can you
find a Venezuelan or Korean pitcher throwing to a Japanese catcher while an
African American batter hits to an infielder from the
In that sense, it reminds me a little of the church. While I never came
close to making it with professional baseball, I’m much more satisfied having
ended up on another kind of “big league team,” a team whose boundaries far
exceed that of any baseball team. The church is the only group of
people I know who transcend all the traditional boundaries we superficially
erect, united not by nationality, race, ethnicity, economic status, gender, or
politics, but simply by a love for one another and the world. And
it’s not the attraction of a five million dollar annual big league pay check
that keeps us together, it’s the call of God to
something far beyond salary, status, and stardom. What brings
us together and keeps us together across all the boundaries is a love that
reaches out, like that of Christ, to be inclusive of all.
With Peter’s vision in Joppa that boundary-breaking, earth-shaking message came
through loud and clear.
You
see, Peter and his fellow Jews, including the disciples of
Jesus, had been steeped and trained in an exclusivist religion that
thrived on erecting boundaries between those acceptable to God and those who
were not. No respectable Jew, for example, was allowed to eat with
Gentiles nor even to talk with outsiders who’d be
considered unclean and unfit for the kingdom.
So
it’s no surprise that when Peter is found wining and dining with those outside
the faith tradition – the uncircumcised – some of the hard-line
Jewish-Christian leaders in
Peter’s
made his defense not by trying to argue his case – you can seldom argue a point
with those who’ve been socialized to think a certain way for hundreds of
years. Instead, Peter’s defense is simply to share the facts of his
own experience. He’d seen a vision. He’d had a dream
about non-kosher food coming down from heaven that was pronounced clean, a
symbol not about food, of course, but about unclean Gentiles who God had
pronounced acceptable. His evidence was that he’d personally met
and seen non-Jews, uncircumcised Gentiles, receiving the very same Spirit as
they had. The faithful Cornelius, a Roman centurion was a case in point, a non-Jew
but a faithful man, generous in giving and devout in prayer living by the very
same fruits of the Spirit that they were taught to live by.
So
critical is this vision of Peter’s, so world changing, that the vision is told
in Acts not just once, not twice, but three different times.
Over and over and over again the message comes through: "I truly
understand,” Peter would say after the third time it was hammered home, “that
God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and
does what is right is acceptable to him." What gradually dawns on the church in the pages of
the Book of Acts is that God has called us into a community of faith that knows
no bounds, no distinction by race or ethnicity or class or gender or
nationality – a church that welcomes and is inclusive of all. What
finally dawns on the church after repeated times hearing it is that because
Jesus loved everybody and treated all with equal respect, not just the people
of his own religious tradition, we are called to love everybody as he did.
Here we are
three weeks past Easter and were’ being reminded that Easter is not over.
The living power of God continues to role stones away, to break down (ethnic)
boundaries, leap over (gender and class) walls, overcome hurdles of nationalism
and break up races segregated from one another.
There
are supposedly seven great wonders known in the world, but this wonder called
“the church” goes light years beyond them all.
Think
of it…For there to be a group of people that comes together not as the world
sets it boundaries on the basis of race, gender, class, economic condition, or
national identity, this is a wonder. For there to be group of people in
our isolated, individualistic society that gathers to share in someone else’s
struggle or pain, this is a wonder. For there to be a group of
people who gather not just to stand up for their own kind, but for any,
anywhere who have no voice, this is a wonder.[1]
This doesn’t happen on professional baseball teams or in any other group
anywhere that gathers. But it happens in this amazing
community of faith we call “church,” people who are united with one another and
with their Savior for no other reason than love. What a gift we have in
being part of the community of faith. What a gift to be part of
this particular faith community, of friends and family and loved ones who come
together across our diversity week after week and serve together day after day
for no other reason than love.
Some
of you know that the United Methodists have adopted a an
advertisement slogan that says, "Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open
Minds." I’m a little upset with it. I'm upset because
they got a great, catchy motto like that before we did. I wish it was our
slogan because I believe that to be the kind of church we want to
be. It’s the kind of church that Peter’s vision from God calls us
to be, a church where God shows no partiality.
There
is no greater reminder of that great truth of our faith than at this
table. Here all are welcomed. Here no distinction is
made. Here, as Paul would say, there is no Jew or Gentile, slave or free,
male or female, here no rich or poor, no straight or gay, no American or
foreigner, no mentally ill or mentally healthy, no saint or sinner.
Here at this table the playing field is leveled. Here, we all fall
short. Here we all stand in need of God’s forgiving, redeeming, healing
grace. Here, God shows no partiality but welcomes all.
"Bruce Rigdon, a Presbyterian pastor in
"To his great
surprise, when he looked up from the table and looked out at the congregation,
he saw virtually everyone regardless of who they were or what their faith
tradition - everyone in that congregation was coming forward. His minds
began racing. “What am I to do? Say, 'Stop! Only the baptized are invited
to the table!' What a travesty that would be to our Lord.” So he
welcomed all to the table.
"After the wedding a
Jewish couple came up to him and explained that they were children of Holocaust
families and that even though they had lived by a rule never to enter a
Christian church, their love for the bride had brought them there that night.
The gentleman said, 'When you invited people to the table and everyone around
us began to move, we couldn't remain seated. We know, Pastor, it's Jesus' table, not ours. But we were drawn . . . by some
kind of love, so please, we hope we haven't offended you or your community. But
we were received at the table tonight and were deeply moved.'
"Shortly after this confession, another
couple came up to him, identifying themselves as a Muslim couple, originally
from
This is not
my table or yours, not is it the churches we are invited to. This is the Lord’s table, the Christ who demonstrated in his life and in
his death and in his resurrection the of radical good news that God shows no
partiality, God’s love knows no boundaries.
If we really understood the inclusive ways of God, one pastor said we’d see the
following changes come to the world:
“Instead of being
so quick to judge and condemn others, both inside and outside the church, we
would be even quicker to forgive, understand, and care for one another.
Instead of choosing issues, dividing into opposing camps and waging war against
one another, we would seek the wisdom of the scriptures, welcome the insight of
the Holy Spirit, and trust that Christ has enough love to go
around. Instead of coming with our own agendas,
we would come together with the agenda of Jesus Christ. Instead of
talking about others, we would talk with them. Instead of assuming that
we know 'what Jesus would do,' we would get to know Jesus. Instead of
imitating the culture of hatred, envy, violence, exclusion, and judgementalism, we would imitate our gracious and loving
God. Instead of seeking our own power, own our recognition, our own way,
we would seek the way of Christ through humility, service, and mercy."
"Then,
and only then, will we be ready to go forth and serve in Christ's name.
Then, and only then, will the power of the Holy Spirit fill us to
overflowing. Then, and only then, will God's great love and grace be seen
in our lives…"[2] the God who shows no partiality, whose love knows no
boundaries. May that be so for us.
Prayer
By your Spirit, O God, bring
this ancient story of your inclusive love home to our hearts. May
your word form and inform the choices we make, the attitudes we take, and the
breadth and depth of our actions. We pray through Christ, our
living and all-loving Lord. Amen.
[1] William Willimon, Pulpit
Resource,
[2] As quoted in the sermon
“Breakthrough”, 1/13/02, by Dr. Mickey Anders of Pikeville Christian Church. Quoting from Katerina K. Whitley, Church of the Brethren.