Sermon, 3 Easter, Acts, Revelation, John

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

Will you seek and serve Christ in ALL persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?

On Easter Day you were asked this question. And everyone present replied, "I will, with God's help."

The darkness began on Maundy Thursday and extended through Good Friday and Holy Saturday. The darkness of sin and death threatened to overtake us. And on the first day of the week, at early dawn, we came to the tomb and found the stone rolled away. We gathered in the dark, the light was kindled and the darkness did not overcome it. On that day a new way of being and relating to all creation was birthed.

This idea of ALL is central to God's desire and mission. As we move through this Easter season I would like us to explore the inclusivity of God through the lens of the resurrection. I do this because we are a welcoming people. I do it because we understand God's mission to draw all people to himself. I do it because we are a resurrection people who believe in the power of light and life over darkness and death. And I do it because we proclaim an Easter faith that can be summed up in three sentences: Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.

It is through his crucifixion that Jesus draws all people to himself. Or, as is said in Morning Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace." Jesus is looking to reconcile all people to God. Through his resurrection he opened for us the way of everlasting life. And not for us only, but for the whole world.

So let's look at God's inclusiveness through the lens of death and resurrection.

In the reading from Acts we are introduced to Saul. The same Saul who, about a chapter earlier, oversaw the stoning of Stephen. The same Saul who was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples. Saul was persecuting the early church because they were a threat to the established Jewish religion of the day. He persecuted the early church because they were a threat to the status quo. And he persecuted the early church because he knew God didn't want those outsiders messing things up.

But God has other plans than maintaining the status quo. As a result, this zealous Pharisee, this enemy of the church, experienced one of the most famous conversion stories of all time. He was struck blind by Jesus and taken to the home of a disciple. For three days he was blind. For three days he neither ate nor drank. For three days he was in the dark. Sound familiar?

The disciple Ananias received a vision from God to go to the house, heal him and baptize him. This would be similar to one of us receiving a message from God telling us to heal and baptize Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. Ananias is rightly skeptical and says, "I've heard about the evil he has done and what he is authorized to do."

God's response is simple: "He is an instrument whom I have chosen."

In the passage from Revelation we hear of John's vision around the throne of God. He looked and he saw "myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands." In other words, he saw so many angels, creatures and elders singing that they could not be counted.

He not only saw myriads of myriads and thousand of thousands, but he saw EVERY creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth in in the sea. Every creature from angels to humans to sea anemones to plankton was gathered together around the throne of heaven.

God is ultimately looking to bring every living creature back into relationship with him. He is looking to bring every creature back from death and darkness into life and light.

And finally, in the gospel today we hear of the third appearance of Jesus to his disciples. In this passage we hear Jesus ask Simon Peter three times if he loves him. Each time Peter answers, "Yes." To Peter's response, Jesus himself responds, "Feed my lambs; tend my sheep; feed my sheep."

One question that immediately arises is, "Who are Jesus' sheep?" Are they the eleven disciples? Are they the wider circle of unnamed disciples? Are they those who come to follow the apostles? To answer this, go back to Chapter 10 of John's gospel - the sheep chapter.

In that chapter, Jesus talks all about sheep and shepherd. The sheep are those that follow Jesus. The sheep are those who are protected by the shepherd so that they may live. The sheep are those for whom the shepherd is willing to die. And the sheep are those outside of our immediate circle who we may not recognize. It stands to reason, then, that the sheep Jesus is talking about are all of humanity.

God did a new thing with the resurrection. Not new to God, but perhaps new to us, is God's desire to bring all people into the fold. If God called a person intent on squashing the church to be an Apostle to the Gentiles, perhaps we should be more open about welcoming those we initially distrust or simply don't like. If all of creation is gathered around the throne of God singing, perhaps we should look at the world around us as something to be cared for. And if God is asking Peter to feed and tend his sheep, then perhaps we should be willing to do the same.

The darkness has been defeated and the light shines forth. Death has been overcome and new life reigns through the power of the resurrection. God is doing a new thing. As we look at these passages through the lens of the resurrection and our Easter faith, let us try to see God's inclusive nature and desire to bring all creation within reach of his loving embrace.

And a good place to begin is by seeking and serving Christ in ALL persons -- just like we promised on Easter morning.