Skip to main content

Acts 2:22-28, 36 - Questions for Reflection & Meditation


This week we went further into Peter's sermon before the crowd gathered on the day of Pentecost.  He turns his attention to dispelling the "critics" in his midst, including those who are already out to squelch the joy and new life emerging in this community.

Peter's language is severe and harsh, but his desire is to wake up his audience enough to see (a) God's triumphant work in Jesus Christ and (b) how entrenched we can become in binding ourselves to what some authors call "less-wild lovers" - activities, titles, relationships, etc. that do not actually lead to true life. (see the book A Sacred Romance)

It is very important to make this next point very clear.  This is not about scape-goating or blaming the Jewish people for the death of Christ.  Too often, Christians have slipped into this tendency, and it has has led to many and unfortunate examples of anti-Semitism.

Instead, I believe it is important to see Peter's sermon as an opportunity for us to reflect upon the deeper spiritual truths, which include the following lessons from Peter's sermon:

1.  God is bent on overcoming "death and all of his friends" (to quote a Coldplay song).  Our God is a life-giving god to the core, which means YHWH will seek to overcome all that has crept into our lives and world that is restricting or ending life.
2.  Jesus - as God's transforming agent - has opened the doors to a new righteousness and to true reconciliation, a fact Peter sees as being evident even in certain Old Testament passages.
3.  Luke has Peter lift up a critical word to describe Jesus in this role:  "Lord."
4.  "Lord" is an interesting word that - in Old English - means "bread-keeper" (from the two words "hlaf" (loaf) + "weard" (ward)
5.  True life comes from letting God in Christ satisfy our deepest desires and nourish us in our hunger/brokenness.
6.  We, as human beings, have this incredible/relentless capacity to resist God's desire to tend to us and provide for us in Christ.
7.  In fact, we can become so entrenched in our bondage to other "bread-keepers" that we can resist and even slay Jesus since he challenges our other "bread" systems of security.

Knowing this, we can read Peter's sermon in a different way, one that speaks more directly to us and makes us look inward instead of casting blame outwardly.  It forces us to ask:

1.  What systems of salvation have I become dependent upon in my life?

  • Pete Scazzero in his book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality reflects upon Jesus' temptation in the desert, and he says we are drawn to three specific systems of salvation outside of living in childlike faith before God:
    • Putting our value into "what we do"
    • Putting our value into "what we have"
    • Putting our value into "how others see us" (our popularity/relevance)
2.  Where in my life am I trying to play God?  What is motivating me?  Fear, pride, anxiety?

3.  "Anything.  Anything, we honor and enshrine above God’s voice in our life is ultimately dangerous to us.  Because we are trading a true bread-giver for something that will only satisfy us for awhile, that is temporal, that cannot quench the deepest parts of our spirit."  Is there a place in your life where you have traded God's love for a false "bread-giver."  Take a moment to ask for God's help in letting go of needing this thing or person or status.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 2:42-47 - Questions for Reflection & Study

This past Sunday, we took a look at Luke's first summary passage in the story of Acts:  chapter 2, verses 42-47.  Here, Luke is presenting a billboard of what the Church looks like at its best.  He is trying to convince Theophilus that Christianity is worth his attention.  The early Church captures what all of us are looking for, whether we know it or not.  This is a close community that truly cares for one another, where everyone truly is seen as a brother and sister, and where no one person is considered more or less important as the other.  Needs are being met.  There is joy in their fellowship.  Take a moment to think about a time in your life when you experienced the joy and blessing of a deep, loving community?  Where was it, and what made this community so different?  What role did you play in this community? Luke tells us the disciples "devoted themselves" to four essential practices.  The Greek word for "devoted" ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Acts 5:1-11 - Questions for reflection & prayer

This past Sunday we looked at one of the more unsettling stories in the Book of Acts :  the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira.  As shared by Luke, this couple sold a piece of land and then proceeded to bring only a portion of the profit to the apostles - laying it at their feet for the good of the community.  However, what appeared to be their grave mistake (pun intended) was their collusion in claiming to have brought all the proceeds to the apostles when - in fact - they were keeping some back for themselves.  Peter announces first to Ananias the Lord's judgment, followed by a similar verdict being handed down to Sapphira a short time later. Seen by itself, this is a strange story, but it begins to make more sense when we see it as "part of the whole."  The story of Ananias and Sapphira comes right after we hear once again of the community's unity and generosity, including their willingness to share their own goods and resources to take care of one another (ch....
Post a Comment
Read more

Touchdown Jesus

For the second consecutive year, I traveled up US 31 to South Bend, Indiana on a beautiful fall day. I traveled with Curtis Lawrence, and we went for the sole purpose of watching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team take the field. Now, I must note that it was my childhood dream to attend Notre Dame. Even loftier, it was also my dream - like many young boys growing up in Indiana - to suit up for the Fighting Irish. Surprisingly - even with such hopes - I had never actually visited the campus. For the first thirty years of my life, I never set foot on one of the more storied and celebrated college campus and football meccas in America. That absence was broken, though, when I made that first trip up to South Bend last year. Let me tell you: even after all those years of waiting, the campus and football stadium at Notre Dame lived up to all the out-sized expectations I had. Like most places of prominence, Notre Dame Stadium really cannot be described through words. It is so...
Post a Comment
Read more