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Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of "Digging into God's Word"! This week we're
looking at the readings for the 5th Sunday of Easter! This is also a special day because
this is our 25th episode. Woo hoo! The time is sure flying by!
This week we hear the account of Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian Church.
Then we'll hear more from Peter in his letter that we've been reading from for the past
couple of weeks. Finally, in our gospel reading, we'll hear Jesus make a pretty exclusive claim
about Christianity.
But first, just a quick reminder that I'd love for you to send me your questions about
the lectionary texts. You can leave questions in the comments or send them via Facebook,
Twitter, or email. Look for more info below. That being said, next week is the last Sunday
in the Easter season and the readings will be Acts 17:16--31, 1 Peter 3:13--22, John
14:15--21. Take a look at them and send me your questions!
Our first reading comes from Acts 6-7. The account of Stephen is actually quite long
-- it takes up 2 chapter, but the editors of the lectionary have cut it down to the
key elements.
We start in Acts chapter 6 with a problem. The gentile widows were being neglected in
the daily distribution. We heard last week about the believers having all things in common
and providing for each other's needs. Apparently there were some issues and some people weren't
being helped.
The apostles realized that they needed help. They needed people to focus on caring for
people's physical needs so that they could continue focusing on preaching the good news
about Jesus. So they picked 7 guys to help them out with this task. Stepehen was one
of these men. As they all continued to work at spreading the gospel and caring for each
other, God continued to draw people unto himself and cause the church to grow.
Not everyone was convinced though and some started fighting with Stephen over the message
that he was proclaiming. They finally confronted him and what we hear in our reading this week
is his response. He accuses them and their fathers of persecuting the prophets and now
of killing Jesus. He also accuses them of not actually keeping the law that they regard
so highly.
Needless to say this didn't sit well with the religious leaders and others who heard
him so they decided to stone him. We hear that Stephen looked up into heaven and saw
Jesus sitting at the right hand of the Father. This pushed them over the edge and they took
him out of the city and *** him to death. It is interesting because Stephen doesn't
curse them or call out words of hate, but rather uses words similar to Jesus on the
cross. His last words are "Lord, do not hold this sin against them"
Our Epistle reading is from 1 Peter 2. Here we get some of chapter 2 that we didn't get
in our reading last week.
Peter starts off by comparing his hearers to newborn infants. We may hear that as an
insulting phrase, but he's talking about growing in faith and an infant has to start with milk
before transitioning to solid food. In the same way, spiritually, we start off with milk
before we move to more solid food.
Then Peter talks about Jesus being a stone. Now stones can be good when we use them for
building, but they can be bad if we trip over one on a hiking trail in the dark.
Jesus is both kinds of stone. He is the cornerstone and Peter says that we are living stones that
are built up together into a spiritual house.
Jesus is also the stumbling stone. When people are hiking on the trail of life in the darkness
of their sins then Jesus is a stumbling stone that is tripped over.
Peter says though that believers have been called out of this darkness into God's marvelous
light. We are now a royal priesthood and God's own people because he has shown us mercy.
Finally our gospel reading today comes from John 14. This comes in the midst of the events
of Holy Week which we celebrated a few weeks ago. The disciples are at dinner on Thursday
evening. Jesus has just finished washing their feet and predicting Peter's betrayal and now
he's teaching them some more before he is arrested.
He assures them that the don't need to be troubled. He is going to prepare a place for
them with the Father. He says that by virtue of leaving to go and prepare a place that
he will return to take them to be with him.
Then he says something interesting. He tells them that they know the way to where he is
going. Thomas responds by saying that they don't even know where he si going so there's
no way that they can know how to get there.
It is here where Jesus makes a claim about the exclusivity of Christianity. He says that
he is the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
Jesus. There is no salvation apart from him.
Jesus also points out something interesting. He says that if you have seen him then you
have seen the Father and know the father.
Even with this statement, the disciples still don't really understand. Phillip asks Jesus
to show them the father. Jesus answers that the father is in him and he is in the father.
Here we see Jesus speaking about the mystery of the Trinity.
So there you have it. Stephen being *** to death, us being built up as spiritual stones,
and Jesus being the cornerstone, the way and the truth and the life.
Don't forget to send me your questions. The info is below!
God's blessings on your study of his word this week!