Word to the Wise
Saturday, April 18, 2015 - 2nd Week of Easter - Sat
[Acts 6:1-7 and John 6:16-21]The word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly, even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith, [Acts]
I cannot help but be amused at the unintentional humor in the last part of today's quote! Yet, it is an important indicator in the story of the initial preaching. It helps to recall the overall geographic scheme of Luke's work: Gospel/Acts. The story of Jesus' ministry began in humble Galilee. From there he took it to Jerusalem. From Jerusalem it spread to other parts of the Mediterranean world of the Roman empire (see the list at Pentecost, Acts 2:9-11), and then ends in Rome, the political center of the world known to Luke. The increasing complexity of the community, a result of effective witness, leads to the creation of a diaconal ministry in today's first scripture, but the acceptance of the preaching by temple priests is also an indicator of success.
Today the number of Christians in the world is estimated at nearly two billion. The Catholic Church in all its manifestations comprises at least half that number. These kinds of figures are mind-boggling, yet there is much to be done because numbers don't tell the whole story. The sad state of war, disease, starvation and other catastrophic but avoidable woes indicates that many Christians do not take Jesus' teachings seriously enough. It is not enough to simply believe. An old poster put it this way: "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" AMEN