RE: 05.14.14 - Commentaries

Commentary – 5th Sunday of Easter Year A

 

MAY 18, 2014

 

FIRST READING - Acts 6:1-7

As the number of disciples continued to grow,

the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews

because their widows

were being neglected in the daily distribution.

So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said,

“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.

Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men,

filled with the Spirit and wisdom,

whom we shall appoint to this task,

whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer

and to the ministry of the word.”

The proposal was acceptable to the whole community,

so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit,

also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,

and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

They presented these men to the apostles

who prayed and laid hands on them.

The word of God continued to spread,

and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly;

even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Commentary

“As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews.”  If I understand correctly, the new Christian community’s problem is paradoxically a result of its success: “As the number of disciples continued to grow”: it was growing so quickly that the unity of the group became difficult. All groups are faced with this problem when their numbers grow: how to stay united in the midst of diversity.

 

Actually, if you think about it, the seeds of this problem were already there on the morning of Pentecost. According to Luke’s account in the Book of Acts: “there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem” (Acts 2, 5). That very morning the conversions started, apparently three thousand, and the number grew in the following months and years. These new converts are all Jews (the question of the admission of non-Jews only arose later); a number of them are no doubt from elsewhere, having come to Jerusalem on pilgrimage; they are called the Jews of the Diaspora (that is to say, scattered throughout the Roman Empire); their mother tongue is not Hebrew or Aramaic, but Greek - which means that the brand new community will be faced with what I call “the language problem.” We know from experience that the language barrier is much more than a question of translation: our mother tongues carry with them different cultures, customs, world views, and different ways of thinking and solving issues. I found this formula in the preface of a dictionary: “Language is a net thrown over reality. Each language is a different net. The strands rarely coincide.”

 

To return to the young Jerusalem community: there is a problem of cohabitation between those who speak Greek and those who speak Hebrew. The straw that breaks the camel’s back comes down to the daily care of widows; it is not surprising that the community is keen to support widows, since this was obligatory in the Jewish world; but it seems that those responsible for this task (logically recruited from the majority Hebrew group) tended to favor widows who were Hebrew. This kind of dispute could only get more heated with time, until it reached the ears of the apostles.

 

Their response is threefold. First, they summon the whole congregation of disciples - the decision will be taken within the plenary assembly. Here we have what seems to be the traditional functioning of the Church ... we might ask why this tradition has been abandoned? Secondly, they restate the community’s goal, which is to remain faithful to the three requirements of apostolic life: prayer, the ministry of the word and service to others. And thirdly, they unhesitatingly propose a new organization. Innovation does not mean lack of loyalty; on the contrary, loyalty requires the ability to adapt to new conditions. To be faithful is not to be stuck in the past (here, for example, this would have resulted in assigning all tasks to the Twelve since they are the ones Jesus chose); to be faithful is to keep one’s eyes fixed on the goal.

 

The goal, as St. John says, is “that they may all be one…so that the world may believe…” (John 17, 21). This is surely why the apostles did not consider dividing the community into two groups: Greek disciples on one side, those of Hebrew language on the other. The acceptance of diversity is a challenge for any growing community (and I know some groups who prefer to keep their numbers down rather than risk disagreements); but when differences arise, separation is certainly not the best solution. It is the Holy Spirit who brought about these many and varied conversions; it is the same Spirit who inspires the apostles with the idea of a change of organization to deal with the consequences of these many and varied conversions.

 

The Twelve therefore decide to appoint men capable of performing this table service since this is where the problem lies: “select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Note that the seven men appointed bear Greek names - perhaps they are chosen from the group of Greek-speaking Christians because it is within this group that there were complaints.

 

So a new institution is born. However, these new servants of the community have not yet been given a title; notice that the word ‘deacon’ is not used in the text; therefore let us not be too quick to equate today’s deacons with those assigned to this table service in Jerusalem. The important message is that in each age the Spirit will inspire us with the innovations needed to faithfully ensure the various missions and priorities of the Church.

Psalm 33: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19

R/ (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Exult, you just, in the LORD;

praise from the upright is fitting.

Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;

with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.

R/ Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Upright is the word of the LORD,

and all his works are trustworthy.

He loves justice and right;

of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.

R/ Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,

upon those who hope for his kindness,

To deliver them from death

and preserve them in spite of famine.

R/ Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.

Commentary

I want to start with the end of what we have just read in this psalm, because it seems to me that here is the key to understanding the whole. Verse 18 reads, “the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness.” Here we have a good definition of what we call ‘the fear of the Lord’. To fear the Lord in the biblical sense is simply to put one’s hope in God’s love. The believer in the biblical sense is someone who is filled with hope – because he or she knows that whatever happens, “of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.”

 

 “The eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him.” To know that the loving gaze of the Lord is always upon us - that is the source of our hope. We should add that in the Hebrew text, the name ‘Lord’ always refers to the name revealed to Moses in the burning bush: the famous four letter word YHVH that, out of respect, Jews never pronounce, and which means something like “I am, I will be with you always and forever, every moment of your history.” This simple name always reminds Israel of the solicitude with which God has surrounded them throughout their Exodus journey.

 

This allows us to understand the following verse: “To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine” which refers to the Exodus from Egypt. By allowing them to cross the sea on dry ground, with Moses as their leader, the Lord freed them from certain death at the hands of Pharaoh; then, by daily sending manna from heaven while they were in the wilderness, the Lord truly kept them alive in the days of famine.

 

Therefore praise wells up spontaneously from the heart of those who have experienced God's loving care: “Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the LORD.” The term “you just” can surprise us. Yet it is very common in the Bible. The ‘just one’ in the Bible is the one who enters into God’s plan, who is in tune with God, just like a musical instrument. This is what is said of Abraham: that “he put his faith in the Lord who attributed it to him as an act of righteousness” (Genesis 15: 6). He had faith, that is to say he trusted God and God’s plan. We could actually translate “righteous ones” (in Hebrew: the “Hasidim”) by “those of the Covenant” or “belonging to God’s benevolent plan” - that is to say, those who have heard the revelation of God's benevolence and responded by following the Covenant. It would be wrong to see in these expressions ‘the just’ or ‘the upright’ a claim to high moral ground. These words do not refer to moral qualities; the “Hasid” (plural Hasidim) is a man like any other, a sinner like everyone else, but one who lives in the Covenant of the Lord, whose confidence is in the faithful God. Because he has discovered God’s faithfulness and kindness, he lives in the praise of God: “Exult, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.”

 

This psalm of praise was the entrance hymn of a thanksgiving celebration; and it gives us an indication of at least one of the musical instruments used in the Temple of Jerusalem:  a ten stringed harp probably accompanied this psalm.

 

Let us continue: “Upright is the word of the LORD, and all his works are trustworthy.” Contrary to appearances, these are not two separate statements, one concerning the Word of the Lord, the other the works God has accomplished. God’s Word is active; it is a verb if you like: “God said… and so it was,” repeats the first creation story in Genesis. Likewise in Isaiah chapter 55: “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.”

 

It is no coincidence that this psalm has exactly 22 verses (which correspond to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet). This is a tribute to the word of God, as if to say, God’s word is the A to Z of our lives, it is everything. This is hardly an empty compliment: Israel is speaking out of its own experience; from the very first moment that God has spoken to God’s people, this word was both promise and act of liberation. Throughout Israel’s history God’s word has called the people to freedom, and God’s power has given them the strength to win their freedom - freedom from all idolatry, freedom from bondage of any kind.

 

“He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.” This verse expresses the vocation of the whole of creation: God is love and the earth’s vocation is to be a place of love, righteousness and justice. In the words of the prophet Micah: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mi 6, 8).

 

SECOND READING - First Letter of Peter: 2, 4-9

Beloved:

Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings

but chosen and precious in the sight of God,

and, like living stones,

let yourselves be built into a spiritual house

to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices

acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

For it says in Scripture:

Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,

a cornerstone, chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame.

Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith:

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone, and

A stone that will make people stumble,

and a rock that will make them fall.

They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.

 

You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood,

a holy nation, a people of his own,

so that you may announce the praises” of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Commentary

In Hebrew the same verb is used to mean: “to start a family”, “to start a company” or “to build a house”. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Old Testament prophets, and especially Isaiah, have willingly compared the growth of the community of believers to a building under construction. God laid the foundation of this great project from the first day of human history; and the Messiah would be the cornerstone of this construction.

 

Peter likewise takes up this comparison to talk about Christ. Imagine a gigantic construction site: the colossal project is already taking shape. Jesus, the Messiah, is the most precious stone that God has placed in the center of the edifice. All human beings are invited to also become building blocks in this edifice; those willing to join themselves with Christ become part of the construction; they too become foundation stones.

 

But, of course, it is a choice to be made, and human beings may also choose otherwise – they may refuse to participate in the project and may even sabotage it. For them it is as if the most precious stone was not in the center of the building but remained lying on the construction site, an impressive block, but in the way all the same: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone… A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall.”

 

Our baptism was the hour of decision: now we are incorporated into the construction of what Peter calls the spiritual Temple, as opposed to the stone Temple of Jerusalem where animal sacrifices were celebrated. It is well known that since the beginning of history, humanity has sought to reach God by offering worship thought to be worthy of God. But over time the chosen people discovered the true face of God and learned to live in a covenantal relationship with God. And little by little, with the teaching of the prophets it was discovered that the true temple of God is humanity itself, and the only worship worthy of God is the love of others and service to them, and not the sacrifice of animals.

 

For us this is terribly important: The Temple was a sign of God's presence among his people ... now we are the visible sign of God’s presence to the world - we, the Church of Christ. Peter’s words therefore speak clearly of our vocation: “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.”

 

Another clarification: “For it says in Scripture: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion,

a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame…but for those without faith: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, a stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall.”  Indeed a choice is involved - one that engages our freedom; predestination has nothing to do with it. Peter distinguishes between those who place their faith in Christ and those who refuse to believe; both are free acts. Peter adds, “They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny.” This sentence indicates the consequence of free choice and not some arbitrary decision by God. The God who liberates can only respect our freedom.

 

Simeon had said to Joseph and Mary: “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed…” (Luke 2, 34). Let us be clear that when Simeon says “destined for the falling and the rising of many” he is not speaking of something preordained by God, but of the consequences of the coming of Jesus. Indeed, his presence was for some an opportunity for total conversion, while others hardened their hearts.

 

Peter concludes: “You are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own…” On the day of our baptism, we were grafted onto Christ. The Rite of Baptism says: “you have become members of Christ, priest, prophet and king.” This does not mean that each of us is now priest, prophet and king. Christ is the only priest, prophet and king, and we are grafted onto him, we are members of his Body. Through baptism we have acquired a new nationality, that of the people of God; our national anthem is now the Alleluia! Peter ends with: “so that you may announce the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

GOSPEL - John 14: 1-12

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.

You have faith in God; have faith also in me.

In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.

If there were not,

would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come back again and take you to myself,

so that where I am you also may be.

Where I am going you know the way.”

Thomas said to him,

“Master, we do not know where you are going;

how can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you know me, then you will also know my Father.

From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him,

“Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time

and you still do not know me, Philip?

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.

The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,

or else, believe because of the works themselves.

Amen, amen, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will do the works that I do,

and will do greater ones than these,

because I am going to the Father.”

Commentary

If Jesus begins by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” it is because the disciples were visibly troubled, and understandably so; they knew they were surrounded by the general hostility of their compatriots; they knew the countdown had begun. 

For some of them this anxiety is compounded by a horrible sense of disappointment; as expressed by the disciples on the road to Emmaus a few days later, “We were hoping he would be the one to redeem Israel” (meaning from the Romans). The apostles shared this hope for political freedom; however it seemed that their leader was about to be sentenced to death and executed ... putting an end to their illusions. 

And so, Jesus is doing all he can to shift their hope: no, he will not bring change through some miraculous intervention; no, he will not lead a national uprising against the occupying forces - since he consistently preached non-violence. The liberation that he brings is on another level. He may not be the one who will grant his people’s earthly expectations but he is nevertheless precisely the one they were waiting for.

 

He begins by appealing to their faith, that fundamental attitude of the Jewish people evidenced in all the psalms. Hope can only come from faith, and Jesus repeatedly uses the words, “have faith” and “believe”. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God…” 
However, it is one thing to believe in God (and for the apostles this is a given), but quite another to believe in Jesus precisely when he seems to be facing defeat. To accord to Jesus the faith they have in God, was for Jesus’ contemporaries an enormous step. So he must make them perceive the profound unity between the Father and himself; and this is the second powerful statement of this text: 
”I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (twice repeated).  “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” This sentence is particularly poignant when you realize what transpires a few hours later: it means that the revelation of the Father culminates on the cross; and what does Jesus do as he is dying on the cross? He continues to pour out God’s love and to love all human beings, forgiving even his executioners. 


 

It would be good to linger on each sentence of this last discourse of Jesus with his disciples, especially on each of the words laden with the long experience of the Bible: “to know”, “to see”, “to remain”, “to go to”, and the words “I am”, which for Jewish ears cannot but evoke God. For Jesus to dare say, “I am the way and the truth and the life” is to identify himself with God, yet all the while remaining quite distinct - as Jesus says, “I am the way” (meaning to the Father); and “no one comes to the Father except through me,” which is another way of saying “I am the way” or “I am the gate” as in the passage on the Good Shepherd.

 

 We should not read Jesus’ words as if they carried some kind of warning or obligation. I think his discourse goes much deeper than that: it touches on the mystery of our solidarity in Christ Jesus; it really is ‘mystery’ and therefore difficult to imagine... and yet it captures the essence of God's plan: the “total Christ,” as St. Augustine puts it, is all of humanity. 
This solidarity in Jesus Christ is written on every page of the New Testament. Paul, for example, speaks of this solidarity when he says that Christ is the New Adam, and that Christ is the head of the Body of which we are members. “We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now,” writes Paul. The birthing he is referring to is precisely that of the Body of Christ. Jesus himself has often used the phrase “Son of Man” to announce the final victory of the whole humanity gathered as one. If I take seriously the phrase “No one comes to the Father except through me” as expressing the solidarity of all humanity in Jesus Christ, then we must also add that Christ does not go to the Father without us. This is the meaning of the opening sentences of Jesus’ discourse: “so that where I am you also may be” and, “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself.” Paul says the same: “Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8, 39).

 

Jesus ends with a solemn promise: “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do”. From what he has just said about himself, the word works means much more than miracles; throughout the Old Testament the word ‘work’ when applied to God is always a reminder of God’s great work of liberation for his people - which means that the disciples are being associated with God’s liberating work for all of humanity - liberation from every form of physical or moral slavery. Christ’s promise that this is indeed possible should daily convince us of its reality. Christ’s promise should be our daily assurance that this total liberation of humanity is indeed possible.

 

Translated with permission by Simone Baryliuk, from: Dimanche 18 mai: commentaires de Marie Noëlle Thabut

http://www.eglise.catholique.fr/foi-et-vie-chretienne/commentaires-de-marie-noelle-thabut.html