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Second Sunday of Easter (c)

One theme that appears in both the Acts 11 and Revelation 21 is that of inclusiveness/exclusiveness: who gets into the Kingdom? How wide is God’s mercy? In Acts 11, the brothers back at Jerusalem discover that God’s welcome disintegrates their former Jim Crow laws approach to those who aren’t like them. God simply breaks out in a Gentile’s living room-the Gentiles experience a Pentecost that closely resembles the Jerusalem Pentecost. And what about Revelation 21? The new Jerusalem is offered to all without charge-but there are opportunities to turn it down.

PSALM 148-UNIVERSAL PRAISE FOR GOD

This psalm begins as the last five psalms in the psalter begin: with a robust and bold, "Praise the lord." What follows is a cavalcade of creation that the psalmist recruits to offer God praise-sun, moon, sea monsters, fire, hail, mountains, fruit trees, snakes, birds and people. In short, nothing escapes the high calling of offering God praise by the sheer fact that everything named and unnamed traces its existence back to the Source, which is God.

ACTS 11:1-18-MEANWHILE BACK AT HEADQUARTERS . . .

Peter has done the inexplicable. He has committed the mother of all faux pas-he has led the Gentiles (goiim) into the Christian fold! Egad! Holy contamination! Such a mess! So with rumors flying faster than arrows, Peter returns to Jerusalem and addresses the leadership of the Church. He must give an account to the others about his bold and highly unorthodox actions. In the end however, Peter is able to convince at least most of them that God has been the real force behind this mission to the Gentiles and so "they began praising God" (v. 18). And they apparently reach a consensus- whatdayya know, "God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of turning from sin and receiving eternal life" (v. 18).

REVELATION 21:1-6-THE NEW JERUSALEM

This is one of the most remarkable visions ever recorded-one that we hear at funerals and when people are facing tragedy: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . . God will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain" (vv. 1, 4). The vision opens with new heavens and earth and ends with "It is finished," which reminds us of another who uttered those words much earlier. While the lectionary team has steered away from the more unsavory parts of the vision (v. 8, for example), you may want to extend your preaching / lectionary boundaries to include verses 7-8.

JOHN 13:31-35-JESUS BEQUEATHS AGAPE

Jesus has finished his washing of the disciples’ feet, announced the betrayal, and predicted Peter’s denial. With Judas now out of the room to arrange Jesus’ capture, he now moves to an intimate setting with his disciples-the discussion about his impending suffering on the cross and the Holy Spirit as his replacement. "The time has come," says Jesus, for me . . . to enter into my glory" (v. 31). Almost said in a sequence that suggests a bequeath, Jesus gives a new-and certainly a radically different kind of command than they are used to hearing: love one another (v. 33).