Y’know the phrase: “The more things
change, the more they stay the same.”
Well…when one encounters Jesus…things will
change…and nothing will be the same after that.
That’s clearly the message in both our
first reading from the Book of Acts and the Gospel lesson from John.
We hear about Saul…he’s still Saul he
hasn’t had that name conversion yet to Paul.
He’s on the prowl to find the followers
of Jesus…both men and women.
He’s breathing threats.
He’s the great bounty hunter…looking for
these outsiders…these people who are disrupting things in Jewish circles with
their confession of Jesus as the Messiah.
He held the coats of those who killed
the apostle Stephen…the first deacon and martyr of the emerging church (Acts
7:58).
Saul was an enemy of the followers of
Jesus.
That is…until he meets the risen
Jesus…in the most dramatic fashion…as a flash of light and a disembodied
voice…putting him on the spot:
“Saul, Saul: Why are you persecuting
me?”
He’s brought to his knees.
Not
by weapons, but by words.
A question that cut his conscience to
the quick.
What is possessing him to seek out and
intimidate and terrorize people?
Now blind and unable to see for himself…Saul
gets led into Damascus by his traveling companions…
Meanwhile…Jesus goes to work on one of his
devoted followers of the Way…Ananias.
In a dream…he comes to him and tells him
to go find Saul and lay hands on him to help him regain his sight.
We can understand why Ananias wasn’t too
keen on this idea.
As I said…Saul was an enemy.
Saul was going to Damascus to find
people like Ananias…to drag him back to Jerusalem… throw him into a prison
never to be heard from again… because Ananias professed a faith in Jesus as the
Messiah.
But Jesus had a plan…and Jesus knew that
Saul was integral to that plan.
And he knew Ananias was the one to have
the courage to help Saul see that his hatred would not overcome the Love that
would be right before his eyes.
Two enemies brought together…and in
Jesus…they become allies.
I think this is one of the greatest
stories in the Book of Acts.
It demonstrates the power of conversion.
Paul…as we know…would become one of the
most prolific writers of the New Testament canon…and an unwavering advocate for
following Jesus.
It’s also a portrait in courage and how
Jesus can build a bridge between bitter enemies…for the greater good…and to
God’s glory.
With his sight restored…the first person
before him one of those he was going to torture.
Instead…he received the Holy Spirit…was
baptized…and became a believer.
And that phrase we remember that the
angel Gabriel said to Mary…”For nothing will be impossible with God”… takes on
even more meaning in this moment.
The Book of Acts could also be called,
“The Gospel of Luke: Part II.”
It’s a continuation of Luke and his giving
of an orderly account of not only what he knows of Jesus… but what the apostles
did after the resurrection.
So…in a way…we have two Gospel lessons
this morning. And they share a common thread of conversion and call through
Jesus that will be instrumental for the spread of what would become
Christianity.
Lessons that we can look to in our own
lives and others around us.
John’s Gospel account has the apostles
still seemingly in a daze about what they are to do.
They’ve seen the resurrected Jesus…yet they
still don’t understand what that means.
That makes sense. Even though Jesus has
been resurrected…the Roman Empire is still in charge and still persecuting
them.
So they go fishing.
They go back to their old lives…their
old ways.
Now…Jesus shows them that if they keep
“fishing” as they always have done…they aren’t going to get very far.
Things have changed…and nothing is going
to stay the same.
Jesus tells them…drop the net off the
other side of the boat.
And then—oh my goodness—that’s a whole
lotta fish!!
Cool right?
But then there’s Peter.
Peter’s soul is heavy with remorse for having
betrayed his friend.
He let his teacher down by pretending he
didn’t know him.
Jesus takes Peter aside and gives him
the opportunity to undo his denials…by asking him three times “Do you love me?”
With each affirmation…it’s met with
“Feed my lambs…tend my flock…feed my lambs.”
Like with Saul…Jesus has a plan.
Jesus is confirming Peter for his new
role…to be the point person in the leadership of this emerging movement that
will become the church.
A church that will be gaining more
followers.
The further and wider they cast their
nets…going into figurative waters in places that they might not have gone
before…they will indeed fish for people.
Which is where we again meet up with the
account of Paul’s conversion in Damascus.
Between Peter and Paul…the message of
love and the importance of servant leadership will begin to spread.
Centurions…those commanders of Roman
army unit’s and their families…will convert.
An Ethiopian eunuch will seek to be
baptized when he learns the story of Jesus as Philip interprets scripture for
him.
Through encounters with those who have
found their faith in their own experiences of the risen Christ…others will come
to also believe in a God who could take the horror of a Roman crucifixion and
transform it into a powerful force of Love for the whole world.
This all sounds amazing, and it is
fantastic.
But Jesus has one more thing for Peter
to hear…and for us to also take into consideration as we get touched and
changed.
Taking the message of Love to other
people and places…feeding and tending the sheep… comes with a cost.
Not a financial one…but a personal one.
After Peter has confirmed his love for
Jesus…and hears that he has a new responsibility...Jesus reminds Peter that this
work that is before him is not easy.
“When you were younger you used to fasten
your own belt and go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will
stretch out your arms and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take
you where you do not want to go.” (John 21:18)
A lot of commentators like to draw the
analogy of this being like one of those gait belts that are used with the
elderly when they can’t walk on their own.
But this is about the trouble Peter will
face…the opposition that remains out there to love…and that ultimately…Peter
will also die by crucifixion.
It’s also a reminder that when God
enters our lives… when we become serious about following a path of mercy…love…compassion…and
justice for the world…and find ourselves changed…our changed self will not always
be accepted.
The things we used to do…the way we
lived our lives…will be disrupted.
And not everyone is going to be happy
with that.
We might not even be happy with that.
But the good news is that God is a
relationship builder….not a destroyer.
God looks to strengthen those bonds that
are life-giving and affirming.
And the changes that come with deepening
our relationship with God are ones that are meant for good…and bringing us to
becoming better versions of ourselves.
As we evolve and change and grow with
God… we become freer to live into the Love of God that is always around us.
We can begin to see as Paul did…to
realize that we don’t need to bully others…and to understand what Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. said…that it is better to stick to love because hate is too
great a burden to carry.
We might even begin to gain the wisdom
and the courage of Peter…letting our light shine in ways that help lead others
into finding their true selves.
Again…take these readings home.
Spend some time with these lessons this
week.
Think about those times when you’ve
experienced the presence of the Holy in your life… and maybe how it changed you
and allowed you to be more of who God made you to be.
And give thanks for those who supported
you along the way.
In the name of our One Holy and
Undivided Trinity.
