Grace and peace to you and through you
We read…‘After these things, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.’ (John 21:1)
On this Resurrection Day we celebrate the world-changing news “Christ is risen!” And we celebrate how Jesus shows himself again and again … and again. In different ways Jesus shows himself and the result is always the same … life unlocked.
One example of Jesus showing himself again is found in Acts 10, which is one of the set readings for today. Here we find Peter struggling to pray (who doesn’t?). He is distracted by a spread of food (who isn’t?) – and most disturbingly this food was not Kosher. Peter hears a voice commanding him to eat. He protests because this food was deemed unclean by long held belief and tradition. An argument ensues leaving Peter puzzled as the voice reprimands him saying: “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” Just then the doorbell rings and Peter welcomes into his home three visitors who had been sent to invite him to visit Cornelius. Cornelius was not a Jew. Up until that minute Peter would have considered the invitation to visit Cornelius as a profane act and yet the stone is miraculously rolled away from the tomb of his prejudice and fear. Peter is resurrected from the false belief that some people are more precious to God than others. Foreigners are discovered to be family and he declares: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality …”
Here Jesus shows himself even through distracted prayer and the surprise visit of strangers at the door. But more importantly we must see why Jesus shows himself again and again? Jesus shows himself to resurrect us from our tombs of death as well as the tombs we lock others into.
In Acts 10 Jesus shows himself to both the perpetrator of prejudice and the victim for the sake of setting them both free. Peter is resurrected out of the tomb of prejudice and into the house of Cornelius. He is resurrected to new life – to new relationship. In the world today and in particular in South Africa today we desperately need to be resurrected from our prejudice, fear and suspicion of people who look, speak, vote, love or pray differently to us.
May Jesus disturb our prayers and gatecrash our homes!
Grace,
Alan
Nothing is lost on the breath of God
Nothing is lost for ever;
God’s breath is love, and that love will remain, holding
the world for ever.
No feather too light, no hair too fine,
no flower too brief in its glory;
no drop in the ocean, no dust in the air, but is counted
and told in God’s story.
Nothing is lost to the eyes of God,
nothing is lost for ever;
God sees with love and that love will remain,
holding the world for ever.
No journey too far, no distance too great,
no valley of darkness too blinding;
no creature too humble, no child too small for God
to be seeking, and finding.
Nothing is lost to the heart of God,
nothing is lost for ever;
God’s heart is love, and that love will remain,
holding the world for ever.
No impulse of love, no office of care,
no moment of life in its fullness;
no beginning too late, no ending too soon,
but is gathered and known in God’s goodness.
Colin Gibson 1996 Hope Publishing Company Used by permission CCLI Number 78945
