I thought that we might have a squint at the first reading from the book of Acts. Acts is the story of the early Church written by Luke as a sequel to his gospel. Those who decide what readings we have on a Sunday, put a chunk of Acts for the first reading in Eastertide to highlight the theme of new life. If you watch closely over the coming weeks you’ll see that the early church gets itself into all sorts of bother and there is a serious amount of argy bargy. The most contentious issue of all was the issue of whether new male converts had to be circumcised. That really got both sides of the debate fired up. From our perspective in time we really can’t see what all the fuss was about; but for them when they are right in the heat of the argument, it was a matter of serious contention.
But this morning, we are right at the beginning of Acts, before we get to a church that we might recognise today, it's all smashingly fabulous. The Parish Council of Jerusalem is working in harmony and has boatloads of cash. Listen to this. “All the believers were one in heart and mind.
They shared everything they had. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.”
Sounds like a dream parish / diocese. Further Luke gives us an example of this generosity of spirit and dollars. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
So how come…?? How come they have this marvellous attitude? Where did it spring from and what is their secret?
Part of the answer lies in the bit that I have mischievously left out.
“No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had”. They understood that their stuff, their cash, their bits and pieces, are really just given to them for a little while. And their responsibility was to use it wisely for the good of all. And that is true of us today. Any undertaker will tell you that coffins don’t come with pockets. So now, today, is time to share what we have. A poor example of this is when I can share a muffin at Tosca browns on Thursday. It’s not much but it is a symbol of a dynamic that is much greater. The cash from the book fair that goes off to those in need is a better example. So what else is driving this perception of how flimsy our things are.
I think it's this
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”
The early church knew that the resurrection of the Lord was not just pie in the sky when you die, with angels and archangels, although that is quite magnificent in itself. They also understood that the resurrection had important ramifications for their life on this side of the grave as well.
Once you get that this life is fleeting, swift, precious and that the next life is even more mind blowingly fabulous, then the importance of material bits and pieces that we insist on accumulating .. their importance, value and significance is seen in a whole new light. You begin to understand that what is really important is the life of the world to come. This little life is fleeting and exquisite and therefore any opportunity to help someone else should be grasped immediately.
And this is great news. And it's why the early Church couldn’t keep silent about it, but just had to share it with the world. It is like when you become engaged, or when a child is conceived, or you get the job of your dreams. You simply just can’t keep it to yourself and you have to just share this with anyone who will listen. The resurrection absolutely must affect our lives on this side of the grave just as surely as it will affect our lives on the other side of the grave.
A point to hammer home.
As you read the book of Acts over the coming weeks and watch the early church wrestle in so many ways about so many things, you will discover that they are just like us. But we have the benefit of time. We should know that what is absolutely crucial, die in the ditch issues for us today will be laughable in a thousand years time. Do not give in to Satan's subtle tricks of despair and a hankering for the good ol days or fear of the future. God has put you in this place, in this time, because He wants you here and now and you are exactly where you should be.