Bible Text: Acts 10: 44-4, John 15: 9-17 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
There is one song that is part of the Canadian Rock song book that is my absolute favourite. It’s “Signs” by the Five Man Electrical Band. I remember the first time I heard it. I was in Waterloo, listening to Oldies 1090 on the AM band and the song came on and for whatever reason I felt moved to stop and listen to the lyrics. It’s about a man, who attempts to go places and do things but is always confronted with signs that tell him, he is not welcome. It beings, “And the sign said, “Long-haired freaky people need not apply” So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why. He said, “You look like a fine upstanding young man, I think you’ll do” So I took off my hat, I said, “Imagine that, huh, me workin’ for you” Whoa, oh, oh.
Throughout the song, signs prevent this man from enjoying nature and being served at a restaurant until the final verse, “And the sign said, “Everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray” But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all. I didn’t have a penny to pay
So, I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign I said, “Thank you, Lord, for thinkin’ ’bout me, I’m alive and doin’ fine, woo. Although the Five Man Electrical Band had other hits in Canada this was their only international hit song. Ironically, it was originally released as a B side song to their unsuccessful hit, “Hello Melida, Goodbye” in 1970 and then re-released in 1971 as the now popular single. Although this song spoke to the disenfranchised youth of the early 70s it is a song with a lasting quality because it deals with boundaries, borders, and of course signs.
It seems that we are always stuck in a dichotomous battle between us and them, you and me, the ins and outs, the qualified and unqualified, not to mention the continuing struggles between races, cultures, and religious differences. We like to put ourselves into categories that separate us and then we put up signs explaining who is welcome and who is not. Even the early church struggled with those boundaries and I would argue it is still a struggle today. The passage from Acts is a great lead into our Gospel passage about love.
In order to understand the conclusion that we heard in our Acts passage we have to go to the beginning. It begins with a man named Cornelius. Earlier in our chapter it says that Cornelius was a “pious and God-fearing person with his entire household, giving many alms to the people and praying often to God.” But the thing about a guy named Cornelius, is that he isn’t Jewish but Italian and there is one very distinct difference between this Italian man and the Jewish Christian, Peter. Although Cornelius is a practitioner of Jewish piety he is not a full convert He has not undergone the traditional Jewish boundary crossing ritual of circumcision nor does he follow the Kosher laws of clean and unclean food. The Greek word for Gentile is Ethne, from which the English word “ethnic” comes from and it means, “those folk” which is distinguished from the Greek word, laos, which means “our folk”. From the point of view of the circumcised community the Gentiles or ethne are immoral and inherently unclean. And yet, God gives Cornelius a vision and inspires him to find Peter.
Peter has a vision, in which all kinds of four footed animals appear before him and a voice says, “Peter get up and eat this meat”. Peter responds by saying, “By no means, for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” and God responds, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” It goes back and forth for a bit and then the vision returns to heaven. There is one verse that describes how Peter felt afterwards, that “he was greatly puzzled.” Well I guess so, how is it that God can suddenly declare something that was once impure, clean. How can the rules all of a sudden change? But Peter isn’t given much time to think about this problem because Cornelius appears on the scene. Peter contemplates whether he should speak to this man when the Spirit of God, tells him to go to them “without hesitation”. The actual Greek, meden diakrinomenos means, without discrimination. As one does when the Spirit of God speaks, Peter obeys, despite the fact that he would not normally have accompanied Cornelius to his home. Our passage from Acts is what happens while Peter is experiencing the hospitality of this man, which means, his eating food with this man. Being served by this unclean man unclean meat.
The lines have been blurred, the boundaries have been broken, the distinctions have become hazy. The signs have been taken down and a new one is put up, “everybody welcome.” In the midst of this fellowship and forming friendship, Peter has a realization verse 34 says “Then Peter began to speak, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God.” It is not about who one is, regarding race, culture, or what side of the fence they are on, dare I say, it is not about their orientation or gender rather it is about believing, fearing and following God in love. This revelation that Peter has creates an opening that transcends the traditional boundaries that were keeping others on the outside of the early church.
Then, and this is where our passage comes in, this incredible thing happens and everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sin and experiences the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit falls on all those who hear the word. Our passage says that those who were circumcised believers are astounded that the Spirit chose to fall on these Gentiles but it speaks to the power and inclusivity of God. Note this is important, the inclusion is not initiated by Peter, or by any of the other followers or by Cornelius who is head of this household, but by God and the in-dwelling and abiding of God’s Spirit which is indiscriminate on who it falls upon.
Last week Jesus began his statements to the disciples with the image of the vine and then talked about abiding in God and our Gospel passage this morning continues this conversation as Jesus also gives a new commandment. Again, those rules and distinctions that once separated one another have been rewritten with a commandment that promotes a wider scope of believers.
The verb abide is an imperative, meaning it is, itself a command, even an obligation. It is also a cycle, one abides in Jesus’ love by keeping the commandment to love, which allows us to abide in God’s presence. Just as the Son abides in the Father’s love by keeping his commandment, which is that Jesus expresses divine love for the world by coming into it and being present for it, by abiding in it. In fact, there is a fusion of language in this passage as love and abide are used interchangeably.
Jesus then brings this section to a close by talking about the completion of his joy through his friendship with the disciples. That’s the interesting thing about friendship, boundaries are crossed, and no distinction is necessary but Jesus’ friendship, love and joy are intertwined with the profound story of the crucifixion. The laying down of one’s life shifts the image of the relationship between Jesus and the community. Jesus’ love changes the entire relationship so that instead of there being a major boundary between Jesus and his disciples there is simply a relationship among friends. Another barrier is broken through the love of God made manifest in Christ.
And so, my challenge to us is that we truly live as friends where the lines and dichotomies are erased, where the us and them is no longer. The world is already full of boundaries and signs that separate us. But the story in Acts reminds us that God speaks through all kinds of people, no matter what our judgements are on their life. Because of the new commandment which summons us to abide in God’s love and to love one another as Christ has loved us the only sign that should mark our doors is “everybody welcome, come in and kneel down and pray.” Amen