The Collect for the Third Sunday after Easter
Almighty God, Who shows to those that are in error the light of Your Truth, so that they may return into the Way of Righteousness ; Grant to all them who are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Church, that they may avoid those things that are contrary to their Faith, and follow all things that agree with that Faith ; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Epistle 1 St Peter 2:11-17
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor.
The Holy Gospel of St John 16:16-22
16 Jesus said to his disciples, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
Bishop Ian’s Thoughts
Today’s Epistle Reading is taken from the First Epistle of St Peter, Chapter 2, Verses 11-17.
It is generally accepted that the Epistles of St Peter were not written to any one particular Christian Community and were intended to be read by all early Christian Communities, who shared common experiences, and faced similar hardships.
The Epistle was physically written down, in around 60-64 AD, by Silas (mentioned in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles Chapter 15, Verse 22), who acted as St Peter’s amanuensis (a person who writes down another person's dictation, or copies manuscripts).
St Peter mentions his appreciation of Silas’ help in writing this Epistle in Chapter 5, Verse 12 of this same Epistle:
“12 With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.”
The purpose of the St Peter’s Epistle was to instruct new Christians in applying the Truths taught by the Lord Jesus, during His Earthly Ministry, to His Disciples, and the many other people who heard Him preach.
When St Peter preached and taught (and caused his Epistles to be written), his hearers and readers could tell that here was a man who was a faithful servant, and close, beloved friend of the Lord Jesus.
In this portion of his Epistle St Peter addresses his readers as “foreigners and exiles.” This is most likely a reference to Psalm 39, Verse 12 in which the faithful worshiper of God sees himself as living in a hostile world far away from his Heavenly Home:
“Hear my prayer, Lord,
listen to my cry for help;
do not be deaf to my weeping.
I dwell with you as a foreigner,
a stranger, as all my ancestors were.”
St Peter, in a like manner, regards new Christians as living in a hostile world populated by Pagans who did not know the One True God. They were at risk of being assailed by the immorality that was a feature of the Pagan world of St Peter’s time:
“11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
St Peter strongly exhorts new believers to live “such good lives among the pagans” that no false accusations can be leveled at the new Christian community.
At this early stage in the development of the Christian Churches, many pagans leveled many false charges at the young Churches, accusing them of sorcery, incest, and even cannibalism.
The accusation of cannibalism arose from an erroneous understanding, or a deliberate misrepresentation, of the Christians partaking of the Lord Jesus’ Body and Blood by the sharing of Holy Communion, in which Christians commemorated the institution of the New Covenant, by the Lord Jesus, at the Last Supper together, of the Disciples with their Master.
The Holy Gospel of St Luke records the Lord Jesus’ Institution of the New Covenant, and it’s solemn commemorative meal, which was a sign (Sacrament) that is now known as the Sacrament of Holy Communion (or the Eucharist by some Churches), in Chapter 22, Verses 19-20:
“19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
St Peter then urges all Christians to obey the laws made by their rulers, as he declares that all rulers, Christian, Jewish, Pagan or otherwise exist by the will of God, to keep the peace and punish evil doers, and to praise and reward those who obey the laws of the land:
“13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.”
St Peter then declared that God desires that all Christians must live exemplary lives, modeled on the earthly life of the Lord Jesus, to silence those malicious people who would speak ignorant and uninformed, and at times evil things, about His people:
“15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.”
The young Christian Churches were then commanded by St Peter to live as “free people.”
“16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.”
This means that they are to live free from fear of false Pagan gods, made of wood or stone, and free from the evil threats and spells of sorcerers, magicians, and false priests who called upon Satan and his demons to empower them.
With our faith fixed firmly on the Lord Jesus and through faith in the Power of the Holy Gospel these enemies of God cannot hurt us.
The freedom granted by the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus, from the fear of God’s wrath, must never be used as an excuse to cheat, or cause any other harm to pagans, and those with whom we come into contact with, who may have no knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
We are not given freedom to do what we please, irrespective of the consequences.
The Holy Gospel must be shared with all people who will listen. If they receive the Holy Gospel with joy, and are saved, we must welcome them as brothers and sisters.
This is how God saves sinners, and brings more people into his flock.
As “God’s slaves” we labour, and serve God, by proclaiming the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus.
Finally St Peter commands all Christian to show respect to everyone, to love fellow Christians, to worship the Lord Jesus, and stand in awe of God, and show respect for their earthly rulers:
“17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor.”
St Peter wrote in the time of the Emperor Nero, who was not the most stable or benevolent Roman Emperor, but never the less, St Peter taught that even Nero existed by the will of God and as such he was to be shown respect.
Let us give God thanks for the freedom we enjoy as the Lord Jesus’ people, redeemed through the Holy Gospel. May God give us His Grace to live in peace with all people, irrespective of their backgrounds, so that they may see the truth of the Holy Gospel in our lives, and so come, themselves, to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Today’s Holy Gospel Reading is taken from the Holy Gospel of St John Chapter 16, Verses 16-22.
St John opens this portion of his Holy Gospel with the Lord Jesus preparing His Disciples for His, soon approaching, arrest and Crucifixion, followed by His Glorious Resurrection from the dead:
“16 Jesus said to his disciples, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
The Disciples are greatly perplexed by the Lord Jesus’ Words and they started to discuss their Master's Words among themselves. After pondering their Lord’s sayings they are still unable to understand His meaning:
“17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
The Lord Jesus perceived that they were troubled by His Words and asked them if they wanted to ask Him what He was speaking about:
“19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’?”
The Lord Jesus then declared that they would be overcome with sorrow, weeping, and mourning for Him. This was the moment that the Disciples grasped that the Lord Jesus was speaking to them of His coming Death.
He then declared to them that while they would weep and mourn, the world (Satan and his allies) would rejoice over His Death.
The Lord Jesus further declared to them that their grief would be short lived and would very quickly be turned to joy.
The Lord Jesus used the analogy of an expectant mother who suffers great pain during the birth of her child, but when the baby is born she rejoices, and the memory of the pain quickly disappears:
“20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.”
The Lord Jesus completed His Revelation to His Disciples by declaring that they would lose Him for a short time, and that loss would hit them hard, but He would see them again:
“22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
This loss would, no doubt prove to be more painful as a consequence of the circumstances in which the Lord Jesus was arrested, flogged, tortured, and killed, at the hands of the Romans spurred on by the Jewish Chief Priests and their mob, all without the Lord Jesus being formally charged, or convicted in a legal trial.
St Peter’s three denials of the Lord Jesus would have cast a dreadful shadow over all the Disciples and made the weeping and sorrow more unbearable.
We can only ponder on the wonderful joy the Disciples would have experienced when the Lord Jesus appeared to them after His Resurrection and greeted them with the formal greeting “Peace be with you.”
As I read this passage my thoughts are lifted up to Heaven as I share the Disciple’s joy at the triumph of the Lord Jesus over sin, death, and all His enemies.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb, to anoint the Lord Jesus’ body with spices. early in the morning on the day after the Sabbath. They wondered how they would move the tomb's covering stone, but they found it rolled away and were met by a young man dressed in white.
This young man was an angel of God who told them that the Lord Jesus had Risen.
The account of this meeting is recorded in the Holy Gospel of St Mark Chapter 16 verses 1-7:
“1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
The Lord Jesus even had a special message for the Apostle Peter, in verse 7 of the above portion of the Holy Gospel of St Mark, when the Angel told the women to “go tell His Disciples and Peter.”
St Peter must have been especially joyful that the Lord Jesus, Whom he had denied knowing three times, had instructed His Holy Angel to command the women who first visited the empty tomb, to tell the Disciples, and Peter, that the Lord Jesus had Risen.
Had the women only been commanded, by the Angel to “tell His Disciples” and they had then passed this message to the Disciples, St Peter, on hearing the women’s news, would have thought what dreadful punishment lay in store for him, for denying his Master three times.
The two words “and Peter”, were a sign that the Lord Jesus had forgiven St Peter’s sin of denying his Master, had restored him to his Apostleship, and must have greatly magnified his joy on hearing the Good News of the Lord Jesus’ Resurrection.
God’s Great Gift of the Holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, had been accomplished.
Let us thank God for the Good News of the Lord Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead and for the Holy Gospel, which, through faith, clothes us in the Holy Righteousness of the Lord Jesus, and delivers us from the Great Judgement, and makes us adopted Children of God and Heirs of His Eternal Kingdom. Amen.
Bishop Ian