6th Sunday of Easter Year A
Lectionary Readings
Acts 17 v22-31 Paul in Athens.
1 Peter 3 v13-22 Suffering for doing right.
John 14 v15-21 The Holy Spirit is promised.
We are not orphans, we are children of a loving God.
In the passage from Acts, Paul is telling his sceptical audience that there is only one true God;
“This God made the world and everything in it. He is Lord of heaven and earth, and he does not live in temples built by human hands,” (v24).
Paul had observed that the people of Athens worshipped a ‘pick and mix’ variety of gods, in the shrines and temples dotted about the city.
Paul spoke of the one true God who had made himself known to humankind in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. (v31)
Paul asserts that “God isn’t far from any of us and he gives us the power to live, to move and to be who we are; “we are his children” just as some of your poets have said”. (v27)
This idea of an all powerful God, a creator God, yet one who loves us as his children, is echoed in the passage from John’s gospel where Jesus says “I won’t leave you like orphans” (v18) and promises to dwell within those “who love him and obey his commands” (v15); by means of the gift of the Holy Spirit, “who will help you and always be with you” (v16)
Peter is counselling his readers to honour God by the way they conduct themselves, by doing the right thing; and not by any wrong doing that would give the Roman authorities just reason to punish them. Their ‘right doing’ (loving God and obeying Jesus’ commands) is to be their witness to God’s self giving love, modelled in Jesus; thereby showing others ‘that Christ is the Lord of their lives’ (v15) not Caesar.
As Methodists, we are challenged to do the same, by remaining faithful to ‘Our Calling’, ‘to respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission’.
If we recall our blessings, that:
- God is with us, His spirit dwells within us. (John 14 v23)
- We are His children (Acts 17 v27)
- We are adopted into His family (Galatians 4 v 6)
- We are much loved by God and Jesus (John 14 v21)
we can be assured that we are both equipped and encouraged to be a means of blessing,
as we show God’s love to others in what we do and say. (Matt 5 v16)
Bible quotations from the Contemporary English Version
Thanks to Mike Peck for submitting these reflections