Word to the Wise
Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - 2nd Week of Easter - Tues
[Acts 4:32-37 and John 3:7b-15]"No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." [John]
For at least the next several weeks, the scriptures for daily Eucharist will be taken from the Acts of the Apostles and the Gospel According to John. These are two very different pieces of scripture and represent two different stages of the development of Christianity in the years following the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The Acts of the Apostles, basically the second "volume" of the Gospel According to Luke, is like a broad narrative of the spread of Christianity from a frightened group of disciples in a room somewhere in Jerusalem to the center of the Roman Empire. The Gospel According to John is like a dramatic presentation of the state of theological reflection in a particular community or strand of Christianity - the Johannine community. It is so different from the other three gospels that there was some debate about including it in the canon of scripture. Neither the Acts nor John should be considered as historical journalism. They are masterpieces of story-telling directed to particular audiences at the time, but bearing meaning for all time as the Holy Spirit inspired the authors. All of it is true but told from different perspectives at different stages to different audiences.
The encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus today speaks of baptism, the Holy Spirit and the broad meaning of Jesus' mission. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we will hear that very familiar line, "God so loved the world...." [John 3:16]. The Acts of the Apostles speaks of the first Christian community acting in accord with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. There is much ahead of us to consider! Stay tuned! AMEN