Fifth Sunday of Easter 2022

Peter H. Davids

Easter • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago

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Jesus left the disciples to build a community characterized by his love, a community that goes beyond Jews to Gentiles and is structured for the long term. This is the New Jersualem in which God lives on earth, for the future of humanity is not going to heaven to be with God, but God's coming to a renewed earth to live in our midst. That gives meaning to our work on behalf of the kingdom now.

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Where I go you cannot come

Outline

Why would Jesus say, “Where I go you cannot come?”

Will they not eventually follow him in death, even if not right away?

Are they not going to end up in heaven?

There is obviously more to this than meets the eye

First, their job will be to create community

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Again we remind ourselves that love is not a feeling but a seeking the good of the other, seeking the good as defined by God, and that seeking the good will be visible to “outsiders” and mark them as disciples of Jesus - forget about the “invisible church” thing. John 17 will make this clearer.

The “one another” starts with the group around him in the upper room, of course, but Jesus has made clear that he has “other sheep” that “are not of this [Jewish] fold” and that they will become one flock with one shepherd. He also makes clear that the disciples are to “feed my sheep” led by Peter.

Creating such a community takes places on earth, it is the gathering of the tribes, the coming of all nations to Jerusalem.

Second, Paul and Barnabas are point men in gathering those “other sheep.”

They always started the mission in each city with gathering Jews, but they ended up with gathering Gentiles as well - they were following God’s will so it is natural that they “made a considerable number of disciples.”

In order to conserve their converts they return to cities out of which they had been ejected and stabilize the communities. They “strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith.” And this included undergoing many hardships on their way into the kingdom of God.

They also set up a community structure: “They appointed presbyters for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.” Presbyters are always appointed by an apostle or apostolic delegate (such as Timothy or Titus).

They were in it for the long run. So when they get to Antioch again they report “what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” The new thing was the gathering of the Gentiles.

The final goal is not our going to be with God so much as God’s coming to be with us.

Revelation does not picture no earth and only heaven, but a new earth without the hostile chaotic sea. Jerusalem, God’s dwelling place, is not where the Gentiles go up, but it is that which comes down from heaven. We later learn (1) that it has gates with the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and foundations with the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb - it is the whole people of God, Jew and Gentile, and (2) it is a gold-lined cube, for it is the Holy of Holies, the place where God lives, so of course there is no temple in it, for it is God’s innermost temple.

In other words, we are with God when we die, but that is temporary in that the final goal is God with us in the new temple, which is our Jew-Gentile community, on the new earth, which is Eden raised to a higher plane.

Thus the goal is not going where Jesus is, although for most it will be their temporary stopping place, but our forming the community that welcomes and makes God a home on a transformed earth.

So, sisters, that gives us the perspective we need

Loving one another in the same self-giving way Jesus loves us is not just the path of virtue to get us ready for heaven; it is attractive force of the light of Christ that enables us to, by God’s grace, build that new Jerusalem that attracts “all men.”

You are not just individual brides of Christ, although you are that, but by the individual-collective logic of God you are also cells in the grand collective bride of God.

And the Church is not just an interim solution to get us to heaven, but the structure of that bride to which all nations will stream and from which Jesus will rule the world through his apostles and prophets and presbyters.

And in that grand perspective we can both find rest and refreshment and also find meaning in our everyday life of building the Church-community one person at a time in this time of “many hardships.”

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 5-15-2022: Fifth Sunday of Easter

FIRST READING

Acts 14:21–27

21 After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. 22 They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 They appointed presbyters for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith. 24 Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. 25 After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished. 27 And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Catholic Daily Readings 5-15-2022: Fifth Sunday of Easter

RESPONSE

Psalm 145:1

1 Praise. Of David.

I will extol you, my God and king;

I will bless your name forever and ever.

PSALM

Psalm 145:8–13

8 The LORD is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in mercy.

9 The LORD is good to all,

compassionate toward all your works.

10 All your works give you thanks, LORD

and your faithful bless you.

11 They speak of the glory of your reign

and tell of your mighty works,

12 Making known to the sons of men your mighty acts,

the majestic glory of your rule.

13 Your reign is a reign for all ages,

your dominion for all generations.

The LORD is trustworthy in all his words,

and loving in all his works.

Catholic Daily Readings 5-15-2022: Fifth Sunday of Easter

SECOND READING

Revelation 21:1–5a

CHAPTER 21

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them [as their God]. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.”

5 The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.”

Catholic Daily Readings 5-15-2022: Fifth Sunday of Easter

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 13:34

34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.

GOSPEL

John 13:31–33a, 34–35

31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 [If God is glorified in him,] God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him at once. 33 My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you.

34 I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. 35 This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 5-15-2022: Fifth Sunday of Easter

SUNDAY, MAY 15, 2022 | EASTER

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

YEAR C | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Acts 14:21–27

Response Psalm 145:1

Psalm Psalm 145:8–13

Second Reading Revelation 21:1–5a

Gospel Acclamation John 13:34

Gospel John 13:31–33a, 34–35

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