[Propertalk] 4 Easter a 2017 - part 1

[Robert P Morrison]

I'm glad I got a head start on this draft for Sunday!
Bob

	THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF ST. ALBAN, ALBANY    4 EASTER a

	ACTS 2:42-47   7th MAY, 2017

	1 PETER 2:19-25     PSALM 23

	JOHN 10:1-10

	  “Have you been saved?” – or its companion “Are you
saved?”.

	  Potentially two of the worst, most intimidating questions that can
be asked, in my opinion. If one is charitable, one might say that the
questioner is concerned about how you and I are going to spend
eternity. Now, I like being charitable. It’s kind. But cynicism has
its place too, and cynicism tells me that the person who asks me if
I’m saved is really trying to control me, to tell me how I should
behave, how I should speak, perhaps even what I should wear, what my
hair length should be, and, definitely, how I should think and act.
So, if I guess that someone is about to ask me if I’m saved, I try
to find a way of defusing the situation. That and escaping.

	 I’m SURE this isn’t what Jesus or, for that matter, most, if not
all of the messengers of God described in the Bible, want for me. This
isn’t how THEY behaved. In fact, if you look at everyone in the
Bible who was criticised for falling short of the critic’s
understanding of righteous life in God, you’ll see that it was
practically always because those criticized wanted to control people,
especially those shoved to the margins of society, those who’d
trouble defending themselves and having the means to care for
themselves properly.

	 I may be wrong, but I don’t recall Jesus ONCE ever saying to
anyone, “Are you saved?” Certainly not in these words. Jesus’
comment about sheep and goats, for instance, was all about how we care
for everyone. Instead, He asked what the people’s problems were and
whether or not they wanted a solution to them. And, as often as not,
Jesus engaged the disciples and pointed out ways in which they could
make life better for the poor, the broken-hearted, the sick, the
hungry, the abused, and so on.

	 Jesus’ message CAN’T possibly have been very different from
this. If it had been, then all those stories from the opening chapters
of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles would have a different thrust.
Like this morning’s first reading, for instance.

	 The first generation of Jesus’ followers were so engaged in taking
care of people that those to whom they talked were entranced by what
the apostles were doing and saying. These “second generation” of
Jesus’ followers took on the lifestyle and outlook of the apostles.
And so the numbers grew, simply by people listening to people tell
them stories; by being sympathetic and compassionate; by tending to
peoples’ needs. You’ll notice that nothing is said about signing a
statement of belief, or of promising to give up certain behaviours, or
even – don‘t tell Maggie Lang or the B.A.C. – or even of making
a pledge of money! What IS stressed here is the way in which everyone
came together – both for teaching and for fellowship. It was doing
these things TOGETHER that was the living sign of whether a person
knew Jesus and loved Jesus. It was because all the first, and second,
and third generation disciples were caring for one another in a very
positive way that, as the writer of this Book put it, “day by day
the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”

	 So it’s a person making a decision to ACT in a certain way that
marked them as saved. AND – and note this – the verse says
“those who were BEING saved.” It’s a process – a procession, a
pilgrimage, a journey – in which all Jesus’ disciples are engaged.
It’s not just the act of an isolated individual. It’s the way of
life in which the community works in living-out common goals that
shows that they’re working towards salvation. Each day, especially
when new people come into this building which symbolises Church for
us; each day, through acts of listening, of kind empathy, of support
and, most likely, not much talking on our part, certainly not
overwhelming someone, but mostly talking when we’re asked a question
or for an opinion; each day we ourselves as a community draw closer to
God’s reign as God wishes us to be. And THIS is salvation, if we
want to use that word.

	  You’ve all heard it before, I’m sure, how shepherds functioned
in both Hebrew and Christian eras. In fact shepherds STILL do this in
the area we call the Middle East. They lead. Unlike in this country,
or in Britain and the majority of European countries, in the lands
around the eastern end of the Mediterranean, shepherds walked in
front, checking out the terrain, making sure that there weren’t any
predators or other dangers. Perhaps if any of us had sheep and lived
in North Albany, perhaps this wouldn’t be a bad idea today. If we
cared about the sheep, at any rate. If, however, we’d rather throw
the sheep to a cougar than risk getting attacked ourselves, then, by
all means, we should continue to operate as shepherds do here today
– and simply push the sheep along from behind.

	 The good shepherds of the time of Jesus’ ancestors and of Jesus
Himself, however, led by example, talking so that the sheep were
familiar with the voices that engendered trust and confidence in them.
This way, the whole herd was kept together, or as together as they
could be. This was THEIR community, and it was in community that they
found their safety, their salvation. 

	
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