What Seems Good to the Spirit & to Us
What a story in Jerusalem...
On the Christian calendar, many mark today, February 2, as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord based upon it being 40 days after Christmas Day. Some call it “Candlemas” and retain decorations and lighting set out to celebrate Christmas. (So…if you’ve “forgotten” to take down your Christmas tree…this may be your excuse.) If nothing else, reading the gospel text of the Christ-child’s presentation at the Temple would be appropriate today.
Luke 9:18-27 | Acts 15:1-35
The story of the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem deciding about the non-essentiality of circumcision is truly remarkable and a model for the Church today.
Circumcision was as crucial to the faith as anything else - it marked the Jew as dedicated to the Torah for life. The early Church has already come to terms with the drastic change that the people of God are now no longer limited to the people of Israel. And now, even the mark of the Law is no longer necessary. It’s really hard to overstate the seismic shift in understanding going on.
Perhaps the most powerful words here are (in the NIV): It seemed good the Holy Spirit and to us.
Wow. Here we have a group of Christian leaders discerning what God would have them do about a particular issue and even disagreement among themselves. There’s no record of a voice from heaven or writing on the wall. Rather, they noticed how God had been at work among them (and the Gentiles) and decided with reason and experience what they should do (and need not do).
Note: it was also no single individual, but the collective heart and mind of the group, led by the Holy Spirit.
Imagine…
Luke 9:18-27
Once when Jesus was praying by himself, the disciples joined him, and he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”
They answered, “John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others that one of the ancient prophets has come back to life.”
He asked them, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “The Christ sent from God.”
Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. He said, “The Human One must suffer many things and be rejected—by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts—and be killed and be raised on the third day.”
Jesus said to everyone, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will save them. What advantage do people have if they gain the whole world for themselves yet perish or lose their lives? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Human One will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I assure you that some standing here won’t die before they see God’s kingdom.”
Acts 15:1-35
Some people came down from Judea teaching the family of believers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom we’ve received from Moses, you can’t be saved.” Paul and Barnabas took sides against these Judeans and argued strongly against their position.
The church at Antioch appointed Paul, Barnabas, and several others from Antioch to go up to Jerusalem to set this question before the apostles and the elders. The church sent this delegation on their way. They traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling stories about the conversion of the Gentiles to everyone. Their reports thrilled the brothers and sisters. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the church, the apostles, and the elders all welcomed them. They gave a full report of what God had accomplished through their activity. Some believers from among the Pharisees stood up and claimed, “The Gentiles must be circumcised. They must be required to keep the Law from Moses.”
The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. After much debate, Peter stood and addressed them, “Fellow believers, you know that, early on, God chose me from among you as the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and come to believe. God, who knows people’s deepest thoughts and desires, confirmed this by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, but purified their deepest thoughts and desires through faith. Why then are you now challenging God by placing a burden on the shoulders of these disciples that neither we nor our ancestors could bear? On the contrary, we believe that we and they are saved in the same way, by the grace of the Lord Jesus.”
The entire assembly fell quiet as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God did among the Gentiles through their activity. When Barnabas and Paul also fell silent, James responded, “Fellow believers, listen to me. Simon reported how, in his kindness, God came to the Gentiles in the first place, to raise up from them a people of God. The prophets’ words agree with this; as it is written,
After this I will return,
and I will rebuild David’s fallen tent;
I will rebuild what has been torn down.
I will restore it
so that the rest of humanity will seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who belong to me.
The Lord says this, the one who does these things
known from earliest times.
“Therefore, I conclude that we shouldn’t create problems for Gentiles who turn to God. Instead, we should write a letter, telling them to avoid the pollution associated with idols, sexual immorality, eating meat from strangled animals, and consuming blood. After all, Moses has been proclaimed in every city for a long time, and is read aloud every Sabbath in every synagogue.”
The apostles and the elders, along with the entire church, agreed to send some delegates chosen from among themselves to Antioch, together with Paul and Barnabas. They selected Judas Barsabbas and Silas, who were leaders among the brothers and sisters. They were to carry this letter:
The apostles and the elders, to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings! We’ve heard that some of our number have disturbed you with unsettling words we didn’t authorize. We reached a united decision to select some delegates and send them to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul. These people have devoted their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are sending Judas and Silas. They will confirm what we have written. The Holy Spirit has led us to the decision that no burden should be placed on you other than these essentials: refuse food offered to idols, blood, the meat from strangled animals, and sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid such things. Farewell.
When Barnabas, Paul, and the delegates were sent on their way, they went down to Antioch. They gathered the believers and delivered the letter. The people read it, delighted with its encouraging message. Judas and Silas were prophets, and they said many things that encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters. Judas and Silas stayed there awhile, then were sent back with a blessing of peace from the brothers and sisters to those who first sent them. Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, where, together with many others, they taught and proclaimed the good news of the Lord’s word.
Prayer
God,
I want to pray for your Church today. A people so divided, so different, so separate. We are separated by doctrine, by geography, by socio-economics, by race and culture, and a host of other things. In this nation, we are particularly divided by partisan politics. Yes, even in the Church.
So help us, God: Give us again the movement of your spirit. I know this is not a new prayer and many others are praying it with me. But God, I’m not sure I’m so much asking for power as much as movement in and through us. Of course, I believe in human agency, so it’s up to us as well. I can’t change other’s minds and hearts…
…but I want mine to be open to you. So use me and speak through me. Actually, I suppose firstly my prayer is that you speak to me. So be it.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.