Mercy, Miracle, Mission

Mercy. Simply defined, mercy is kindness or help given to people in desperate situations, or forgiveness of someone who could be treated harshly.[1] It comes from the Latin word mercedem meaning reward or wages.[2]

While it is important to understand the definition and origin of our words, visuals help us appreciate meaning. A web search for images of mercy turns up pictures of Jesus, Mother Teresa, Pope Francis and Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal. These give us an idea of what mercy looks like.

What does mercy sound like? Fifty years ago, Joe Zawinul, an Austrian jazz pianist, wrote a tune for Cannonball Adderly called Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. It quickly became a jazz standard.[3]

Introducing the song to an audience, Adderly prefaced his performance by saying this. “Sometime we’re not prepared for adversity. When it happens, sometime we’re caught short. We don’t know exactly how to handle it when it comes up. Sometimes we don’t know just what to do when adversity takes over. And I have advice for all of us. I got it from my pianist, Joe Zawinul, who wrote this tune. And it sounds like what you’re supposed to say when you have that kind of problem. It’s called Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.”[4]

It sounds like what you’re supposed to say when you have that kind of problem. Mercy is the groundwork for our Gospel because out of context the passage sounds like a miracle story rather than one of mercy and mission.

Our passage opens with the words, “After he finished all his sayings … he entered Capernaum.”[5] What sayings? Those found in chapter six: Beatitudes, Love of Enemies, and Judgment of Others; and the parables of the Blind Leading the Blind, a Tree and its Fruit, and Building Your House.

Apart from Jesus’ sayings, we focus on the miracle. Within the greater context, we understand and appreciate not only the miracle, but also Jesus’ mercy and his mission. Jesus said what he wanted to say, and people heard and understood the hardness of his words. Therefore, the phrase “all his words,” emphasizes the significance of Jesus’ teaching in relation to his miracles.[6]

One of the words Jesus taught was mercy. In chapter six, Jesus taught that God “is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. [Therefore,] Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. … Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give [mercy], and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use … will be measured back to you.”[7]

Mercy comes from God through Jesus and His Church. As a pastor, I announce mercy to you. As Christians, we announce God’s mercy to the world by our acts of forgiveness to believers and unbelievers. At times, I may find it difficult to hear and understand the hardness of Jesus’ teaching – God will measure out to me the measure of my forgiveness to others.

Sometimes we’re not prepared to measure out a generous portion of mercy because of the adversity we face. But we know what mercy is. We know what mercy looks like and how it sounds when we accept it. And sometimes, when we face adversity, all we need to say is mercy, mercy, mercy.

From mercy to miracle, my second point. A miracle is an amazing or unusual event or achievement caused by the power of God.[8] Sports fans say that when the Miracle on Ice and the Immaculate Reception occurred the sports gods smiled on the Americans and Steelers. The word miracle comes from the Latin mirari meaning to wonder at, marvel or be astonished. The Greek word meidan means to smile.[9] In short, we can say that when a miracle occurs, God smiles.

Before we get to how God smiled upon the centurion’s slave – our miracle, let us examine the text. First, note the differences between Matthew’s account and Luke’s. Yes, there are similarities. The main characters are Jesus and the centurion. The slave is the object of healing.

However, Matthew wrote that the centurion came in person to Jesus, whereas, in Luke, Jesus and the centurion never met. He spoke to Jesus through the elders of the Jews and friends. The elders are significant intermediaries who present the request from a Jewish point of view. They pleaded with Jesus, “If anyone deserves your help, he does for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”[10] The centurion is a wealthy God-fearing man attracted to the Jews’ teaching and worship without formally converting.[11]

The irony is that a Roman centurion, a Gentile, sent Jewish leaders to Jesus, a Jewish teacher. Another irony is that the leaders thought him worthy, while the centurion considered himself unworthy. But Jesus had the last word. He commended the centurion for his faith – something unfound in Israel.

The centurion expressed repentant faith. He respected Jewish purity laws that prevented Jesus from visiting a Gentile’s house. Therefore, a word would do, for Jesus’ word is the vehicle of miracles. He recognized Jesus’ authority over demons, disease and death. Luke wrote this because his hearers and readers saw and appreciated the relationship between Jesus’ word – his teaching – and his healing, between mercy and miracle. They knew what it looked like and how it sounded. Luke framed the miracle with references to the slave’s sickness and healing in order to demonstrate the power of Jesus’ word.

With this passage, Luke reinforced the historical foundations of faith, which surpassed that of Israel. He established a new milestone of the word that came first to John, but was now identified with the word of Jesus. In chapter 3, we read, “the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.”[12]

However, by chapter four, we see that the power of the word dwelt in Jesus. We read, “All spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. … They were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’”[13]

Later, Luke recorded, “The crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God.” … And when Jesus ordered Simon to lower the nets for a catch, he “answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’”[14] The word identified with Jesus. So, when Jesus smiled because of the centurion’s faith in him, His heavenly Father smiled upon the centurion’s servant. A miracle indeed.

And so, we move from miracle to mission. Mission is from the Latin mittere meaning to send. In diplomacy, mission means a body of persons sent to a foreign land on commercial or political business. From this, we get the word embassy. Mission also means to dispatch an aircraft or a military operation, which we later extended to spacecraft flights. Hence, mission control.[15]

Corporations and congregations write mission statements, short summaries that identify who we are and what we do. Our Gospel expresses not only who Jesus was and what he did, but also the identity and work of the Church. The two – Jesus and Church – are inseparable. When we see what Jesus did, we see what the Church did.

Returning to our passage, we see that Jesus returned to Capernaum. Recall that after the leaders of Nazareth rejected him, Jesus went to Capernaum and taught in the synagogue where people “were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.”[16] They were amazed when he healed the man with the unclean spirit “and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’ And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.”[17]

At this point you are thinking, “Oh, the centurion built the synagogue in Capernaum where Jesus healed a man! This is how the centurion knew about Jesus!” So, Jesus returned to Capernaum, but this time to minister to Gentiles, who were among the many who came to hear Jesus preach God’s word.

The centurion represented the believing Gentile community living within Jewish territory.[18] Luke often related parallel events from the life of Jesus and the life of the Church. Our passage foreshadows what occurred in Acts, chapter 10. Jesus’ ministry to the Gentiles provided an authoritative precedent to the Church’s ministry in Acts.

In that passage we read, “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.”[19] Prodded by the Spirit, Simon Peter entered the Gentile’s house, preached, baptized and broke bread with his household.[20] As Jesus reached out to the Gentiles, the early Jewish Church reached out to Gentiles, like Cornelius.

To whom do we reach out today? There are many ways to answer my question. Today, I provide a ready-made answer. It came to me in the mail: the June issue of Christianity Today features Charleston: One Year Later.

Two days after Dylann Roof killed nine and injured five members of AME Church, the nation simmered with outrage and disbelief, as the families were allowed to speak to Roof via closed circuit TV. Networks carried the event live as each of the victim’s family members stepped forward. One after another, they spoke words of forgiveness even as their voices shook with grief and anger. One person said this:

“I forgive you. You took something very precious away from me. I will never get to talk to her ever again – but I forgive you, and have mercy on your soul. … You hurt me. You hurt a lot of people. If God forgives you, I forgive you.”[21]

If God forgives you, I forgive you. Folks, that is our mission as Church for the power of Jesus’ words extends mercy to men like Dylann Roof. If you want to see a miracle, forgive without measure, and the measure with which you give will be poured into your lap, pressed down and flowing over. Who of us can pass on such a generous portion of divine mercy?

Friends, as you reflect on today’s Gospel, call to mind what mercy is, how it looks and sounds. Call to mind the power of Jesus’ words to heal. Finally, in light of that, ask yourself what our mission is as individual believers and as Church. And if all of that is too much to remember, just breathe and repeat these words, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” When you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy

[2] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=mercy

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercy,_Mercy,_Mercy

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRrFWp4DUho

[5] Luke 7:1.

[6] Arthur A. Just, Jr., Luke 1:1 – 9:50. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1996), 303.

[7] Luke 6:35-38.

[8] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miracle

[9] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=miracle

[10] Luke 7:4-5. New Living Translation.

[11] For this section, I rely upon the work of Arthur A. Just, 304.

[12] Luke 3:2.

[13] Luke 4:22, 26.

[14] Luke 5:1, 5.

[15] http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=mission

[16] Luke 4:32.

[17] Luke 4:36-37.

[18] Fred B. Craddock, Luke. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), 94.

[19] Acts 10:1-2.

[20] Acts 10:24ff.

[21] Jonathan Hanson, “A Fragile Forgiveness: Portraits of Resilience,” Christianity Today (June 2016), 32 ff.

We Are Three. You Are Three. Have Mercy on Us!

Anthony de Mello in The Song of the Bird tells of a bishop whose ship anchored at a remote island.  Since he only had one day there, the bishop was determined to use the time profitably.

He strolled along the seashore and came across three fishermen, mending their nets.  In broken English, they explained to him that missionaries converted their village to Christianity. “We Christians!” they proudly proclaimed. The bishop was impressed. In talking some more, he discovered that they had never heard of the Lord’s Prayer. The bishop was shocked. “What, then, do you SAY when you pray?”

“We lift eyes to heaven and say, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.’”

The bishop was appalled. This would never do. In fact, it sounded almost heretical. So, the bishop spent the whole day teaching them the Lord’s Prayer. Even though the fishermen were slow learners, they were finally able to struggle through it before the bishop sailed away the next day.

Months later, the bishop’s ship happened to pass by that same island. The bishop paced the deck, recalling with pleasure the three men who were now able to pray, thanks to his patient efforts. While he was lost in his thoughts, he happened to look up, and notice a spot of light to the east. The light kept approaching the ship and, as the bishop gazed in wonder, he saw three figures walking on the water. The captain, too, was amazed and he stopped the boat so everyone could see. When they got within speaking distance, the bishop recognized the three fishermen.

They exclaimed, “Bishop! We see your boat go by the island, so we come to see you.”  Awestruck, the bishop asked, “What do you want?” “Bishop, we are very sorry. We forget lovely prayer.  We say, ‘Our Father, in heaven, holy be your name….’ Then we forget.  Please tell us prayer again.”

With a quiet voice, the bishop answered, “Go back to your homes, my friends. And each time you pray, say, ‘We are three, you are three, have mercy on us.”

Trinity Sunday – most preachers like to skip today because people expect them to explain the Trinity in layman’s terms. So, in addition to the story of our three amigos, let me outline it for you in three P’s. From John, Persons; from Acts, Pentecost; and from Proverbs, proverbs.

First, from John. We often use symbols to explain the Trinity – from Patrick’s clover to geometric designs. We find symbols of the Trinity in our churches – equilateral triangles and overlapping circles. Mathematicians and engineers may prefer triangles and circles, but they are static. If you want to understand the dynamics of the Trinity, you really have to observe and live the family experience.

Families are dynamic. Think of any family – the First Family or the Royal Family, your in-laws or your neighbors. Based on your observations of the outer dynamics of any family, you determine the breadwinner and the spender, the problem solver and the troublemaker. You surmise their mission in life and predict where the children will be in 20 years. You rely on them for assistance or aggravation. We base our assumptions solely on what we know as outsiders.

Hollywood tries to give us an experience of the inner dynamics of family life – be it the Robertson Family, aka, Duck Dynasty or Dog the Bounty Hunter. Nevertheless, reality TV cannot provide the experience of living in that family. The only way you experience a family’s inner dynamics is by living in it.

So it is for Jesus – as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. He knows the Father. The Father knows him. Together, they dwell with the Spirit. John tells us that Jesus revealed himself to believers. Over the past few weeks, we heard Jesus’ promise to send the Holy Spirit. In today’s passage, he disputes unbelievers who claim him a Samaritan or possessed, and states, “Before Abraham was born, I Am.”[1] Jesus claims that the Father reveals Himself through the Son, but even an infusion from the Holy Spirit could not have enlightened these unbelievers.

As believers, we accept the truth from Scripture that there are three Persons of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Spirit. We observe their outer dynamics – creation, redemption and sanctification – all performed with loving-kindness. We surmise that the inner dynamics of the three Divine Persons is stronger than any F-5 tornado – strong enough to overcome Satan, sin and death. Moreover, we can rely on their love.

From Persons to Pentecost, my 2^nd point. Today’s passage picks up where we left last week – Peter’s Pentecost sermon. Pentecost was an agricultural feast where Jews celebrated not only the harvest but also the giving of the Torah. It was known as the Shav – u’ – oth or the Feast of Weeks. This festival, celebrated 7 weeks or 50 days after Passover, brought farmers from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Asia, Egypt, Libya and Rome to Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot. They came to thank God for the harvest and for the Law. To them Peter makes a fundamental presentation of the Gospel. … CFW Walther would have been proud of how Peter incorporated both Law and Gospel into his sermon. … And while Jesus could not convince his hearers, by preaching Christ crucified Peter stirred the hearts of some 3,000 that day. Scripture tells us that he converted and baptized 3,000 people. Through baptism, Peter brought them into the inner family. They observed the community of believers from the outside, and then experienced it from the inside. People who hear the Gospel are baptized as members of the Church, a dynamic, believing community of people who reflect the loving relationships of the Trinity in their inner and outer activities.

Believers are members of a believing community, a Pentecost community. … Are we members of a Pentecost community? Are we a Pentecost people? … We are. … Turn to Roman numeral x in your Lutheran Service Book and read the lower right hand corner: “The Time of the Church – The Season of Pentecost.” From now until Advent, our corporate worship reminds us that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives. Hence, we celebrate the Sundays of Pentecost.

Like the first converts, we too were baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We received forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Because we are attuned to the Holy Spirit active in our lives as a faith community and individual believers, we are a Pentecost people.

Are we a Trinitarian community? Well, if you turn to Roman numeral xxi, you will find that these Sundays are also Trinity Sundays. They remind us to focus on the dynamic power of all three Divine Persons of the Trinity active in our lives. Therefore, according to our worship, we are members of a Pentecostal and Trinitarian community.

However, there is another way to know if we reflect the loving relationships of the Holy Trinity in our inner and outer activities – by asking outsiders what they observe. This week, ask some outsiders how they see us. Do they see us as Spirit-filled people? Do they see us as a dynamic community? Would they say that we reflect the loving relationships of the Persons of the Holy Trinity? Does our living proclamation of the Gospel stir their hearts to the degree that they are kicking in the doors to get in? I want you to think about that this week, and really ask someone. Ask anyone. If we are a Pentecost people, a Trinitarian community, it should be easily observable.

That brings me to my third point – Proverbs. The Book of Proverbs is a collection of sayings and instructions composed between the 11^th and 6^th centuries. Its primary purpose was to teach wisdom not only to young men, but also to the advanced. (I consider myself advanced.) Wisdom in the ancient Near East was not theoretical knowledge but practical expertise. Jewelers who cut precious stones were wise; kings who made their dominion peaceful and prosperous were wise. One could be wise in daily life by knowing how to live successfully (having a prosperous household and living a long and healthy life) and without trouble in God’s universe. Ultimately wisdom or “sound guidance” forms character.

Proverbs helped form our New Testament. … The New Testament saw Jesus as wisdom personified (today’s reading from chapter 8). The Letter of James is an instruction that resembles Proverbs. It also influenced the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which derive their father-son language from the parental language of the book. The Gospel of John regards Jesus as incarnate wisdom descended from on high to offer human beings life and truth and make disciples of them.

Wise people follow God’s commands revealed through God’s Word. Allow me to complete the verses of chapter 8.

Now, children, listen to me; happy are they who keep my ways. Listen to instruction and grow wise, do not reject it! Happy the one who listens to me, attending daily at my gates, keeping watch at my doorposts; For whoever finds me finds life, and wins favor from the LORD; But those who pass me by do violence to themselves; all who hate me love death.[2]

Wise people follow God’s commands revealed through God’s Word. That is basic Lutheranism. “Since the Holy Spirit speaks only through the Scripture, the intent of the Holy Spirit is not to be separated from the words of Scripture.”[3]

Wise people who follow God’s commands revealed through God’s Word do not hesitate when tragedy strikes. When I lived in Oklahoma, people across the nation responded generously with donations for Moore after a tornado destroyed blocks of the city. People are generous when tragedy strikes friends, neighbors and even strangers. Believers and unbelievers alike respond to tragedies.

When one’s cry for help is as loud as the winds of an F-5 tornado, our human nature reacts. In one of his Daily Devotions, Pastor Ken Klaus addressed the response of Charles Ramsey, the Cleveland man who heard the shouts of Amanda Berry, broke down the door and allowed her to call 911. Pastor Klaus says, “I’d like to think you and I would have done the same thing. I’d like to think that, but I’m not sure. You see it’s not always easy to do the right thing. It’s much more comfortable to come up with excuses on how it’s not my business and how somebody else ought to get involved, even in those situations when there is little or no danger. You doubt me? Then let me ask: What is the percentage of eligible voters who attend annual or quarterly congregational meetings? How many times do you read about your church’s need for officers or VBS teachers? How many really good voices come forward to sing in the choir?”

We react when the cry is deafening, but are we attuned to every cry? Imagine how difficult it must have been for Ramsey to free those women from bondage, especially when he knew and picnicked with their captor, Ariel Castro.

If we want to claim our congregation, district or synod reflects the dynamic loving relationships of the Trinity, should we make it our business to get involved and make some feel uncomfortable, or should we settle for the status quo? We should respond not only to the loud cries for help following a tornado, but also the whimpers of unborn children.

Mollie Ziegler Hemingway, an LCMS member and media critic, spotlighted mainstream reporters’ lack of coverage of the murder trial of Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell.[4] Because her Lutheran awareness of vocation helps her understand her role in the world as a media critic, she was able to bring this trial to light in spite the pushback she experienced from the mainstream media. Quote: “Through my various vocations, I aim to serve God by serving my neighbor. When I’m writing a news story, I don’t think my job is to convert anyone but, rather, to just share the basic information that helps the reader. When I’m doing media criticism, I push journalists not to share my political or religious beliefs but, rather, to just practice their journalism fairly. When I’m writing opinion pieces, then I get to argue for a given cause.”[5]

Hemingway is a courageous, thoughtful, spiritual, wise woman who heeds and practices God’s revealed teaching, and she provides an example for all of us. Whether we practice medicine or law, manage a restaurant or a sales force, crunch numbers or raise children, Mollie Hemingway gives us an example of how a baptized believer understands her vocation and serves God by serving her neighbors, whether they are victims of a deadly tornado or a cruel abortionist. … Like Charles Ramsey and Mollie Hemingway, we too must attune our ears and respond to not only the loud cries for help, but also the cries and whimpers of little ones.

To do so means we set aside social media and the remote and practice the art of listening to God’s Word and His loving creatures. When we listen and respond lovingly we are on our way to loving like the Trinity loves. To be a dynamic community like the Trinity, we will love as the Trinity loves. And for those times, we do not, may we pray: We are three, you are three. Have mercy on us. And may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] John 8:58.

[2] Proverbs 8:32-36.

[3] The Abiding Word, Vol. 2, p. 39.

[4] Molly Ziegler Hemingway, “Time to ask Obama about Gosnell, “ USA Today, May 13, 2013. http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/05/13/mollie-ziegler-hemingway-gosnell-column/2156421/

[5] https://blogs.lcms.org/2013/media-critic-spotlights-abortion-trial

Four Eyes

 Four-Eyes! Kids called me that as soon as I started wearing glasses. Kids have called their classmates four-eyes for over 100 years. Four-eyes is simply slang for a person who wears glasses. Four I’s is also the title of my sermon. Four I’s as in the letter between H and J, and not the organ for vision. Four I’s: intoxication, indwelling, involvement and indifference. Intoxication and indwelling from our readings, primarily Acts; and involvement and indifference from our place in the world today.

First, intoxication. We commonly understand intoxication as drunk. Picture Mayberry’s Otis or the lovable Foster Brooks. Drunks. Only for 400 years have we understood intoxication as drunk on rum, rye or red wine. Before that, intoxication meant poisoning. The root word – toxic – pertains to Greek warriors who dipped their arrows in poison before combat and shot them at their enemies.

Intoxicated is what the apostles’ opponents claimed they were. And while I enjoy the way the New Living Translation puts it – “They’re just drunk, that’s all!” – the one that reads – “They had too much new wine” – is ironic. Ironic because in the Old Testament, new wine or sweet wine symbolized the joy and abundant blessings that God would give his people in the messianic age.[2] In Joel, we read, “On that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk.”[3]

In Amos, we read, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.”[4]

Jesus hinted that he would give the new wine of divine life when he turned water into wine at Cana. In another place he said, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins – and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”[5]And so, at Pentecost, new wine is the Holy Spirit, the gift of love that is poured forth into our hearts.

Though the crowd heard diverse languages from a group of Galileans, their reactions differed widely, from bewilderment to scoffing accusations that the believers were drunk; however, miraculous signs invite faith but do require an explanation of what they signify.[6] In other words, the apostles were intoxicated, but not poisoned. Intoxicated with the Holy Spirit, but not wine.

From intoxication to indwelling. Indwelling describes a medical condition, such as a catheter, but more commonly describes an inner guiding force. Something takes up residence within you and becomes part of you, such as a catheter or a spirit.

Something took up residence in the apostles and became part of them. Acts described this force as the Holy Spirit that descended from heaven like a terrifying wind, filled the house and then rested on each believer.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost reminds us how indispensable the Spirit is for our faith and salvation. Pentecost reminds us that we are not saved by doctrinal orthodoxy or our determination to follow scrupulously rules and commandments. We are saved by the acts of God.

The indwelling Holy Spirit bestows on us the virtues of faith, hope and love from which all other Christian virtues and actions follow. As it did in the first believers, the Spirit produces in us a particular kind of fruit. St. Paul listed the fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.[7] In short, the Holy Spirit dwelling within the believer produces the character of Jesus.

On Pentecost, the Trinity imparted a gracious gift that produced in each believer the character of Jesus. Frightened men and women who hid from authorities no longer feared dungeon and death. They faced it because the character of Jesus now dwelt within them. The character of Jesus now dwelt within them.

From indwelling to involvement. Acts teaches us that on Pentecost, the believers did not remain in the place where the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Rather, as soon as they received the Holy Spirit, they began to witness.

Following Jesus’ last command – You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth[8] – their witnessing flowed naturally.

Their witnessing began in Jerusalem, and quickly reached Italy, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Libya – the cities and regions mentioned in verses 9 and 10. The Gospel spread like wildfire because Christians – filled with the Holy Spirit – cut people to the heart with words like repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; and save yourselves from this crooked generation.[9]

Christians spoke like that because they were intoxicated with the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Spirit brought about their ability to speak other languages, but it was clear that the church was not building a language institute but a body of believers sent to every nation on earth.[10] Christians involved in the world resulted in 3,000 baptisms on Pentecost.

Folks, I have preached and pastored since 1987. I participated in gatherings of a million Christians, and last year traveled to Ecuador where I witnessed the phenomenal growth of Evangelical Church, but I never heard of a baptism of 3,000 people. This occurred because Christians intoxicated with the Holy Spirit were involved in the world.

Christians intoxicated with the Holy Spirit involved in the world. … Folks, are you intoxicated with the Holy Spirit? Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you to the degree that you speak and act like you drank too much? Are you involved in the world?

Apart from voting, most Christians avoid involvement in the world. We excuse ourselves because we dislike politics and despise dirty tricks. Yet, we see that Jesus involved himself in the lives of thousands of people by teaching God’s Word, forgiving their sins, healing their infirmities and quenching their hunger. In short, Jesus challenged the establishment.

Jon Kuhrt, a Christian involved with London’s homeless recently wrote, “We have no choice about being political because if we choose not to engage then it is a vote for the status quo … Christians [must] be involved because we believe in a God who cares passionately about his world and his creation, and consequently how it is run. The Bible is hugely political – in that it is about how God wants people to behave and act towards him, and towards each other. This involves economics and law because these are tools that need to be used to build justice.

As believers in God we have much to bring to politics – a deeper commitment to justice and compassion which throughout history has made a difference in the political sphere through people like William Wilberforce, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu and many others.”

Kuhrt goes on to say, “Be involved in your local community – what issues do local people care about? How can you help make a noise about key issues local to you?  How does your church or youth group connect with issues of justice either locally or globally?  How can you build knowledge of what is going on and get passionate with others about making a stand?

Join the Christian group of the party that you believe in and be an advocate for Jesus’ politics within it.  Be brave and courageous – don’t just follow the crowd, but be willing to ask the difficult questions.”[11] Be involved, but be indifferent.

Hence, my last point, indifference. My last point does not contradict my previous point. By indifference I do not mean apathy or a “who cares” or “whatever” attitude. On the contrary, holy indifference means total openness to God will in one’s life. In other words, whatever God wills for me, I will strive with all my heart, mind and soul to conform to His will. I will not prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to a short one.

How did Jesus expect His disciples to attain holy indifference? How did the first Christians achieve acceptance of God’s will? How did sentenced Christians bring glory to Christ? Through a constant, dynamic prayer life which led them to total confidence in God and a willingness to give themselves wholly to the Trinity.

They were indifferent because they knew God directed them. Their love for Father, Son and Spirit was so deep that all obstacles between God and themselves were removed to the point that they knew how to use things properly, for example, talent, money, property or politics to glorify God. They were able to do so because they recognized that all things came from God, and that all people were from God. Hence, the first Christians not only withstood their enemies’ insults about intoxication, but also welcomed them if they brought glory to Christ and His Gospel.

Friends, four-eyes is not the worst insult people will hurl at you. Intoxication is not the worst accusation people will make. A Christian intoxicated with the indwelling Holy Spirit involved in the world who employs holy indifference will make all the difference needed to bring about God’s Kingdom because of what Father, Son and Spirit have done. Allow this God to work in you, and know that when He does, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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[1] Psalm 122.

[2] William S. Kurz, Acts of the Apostles. (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing, 2013), 46.

[3] Joel 3:18.

[4] Amos 9:13-14.

[5] Mark 2:22.

[6] Kurz, 46.

[7] Galatians 5:22-23.

[8] Acts 1:8.

[9] Acts 2:37-40.

[10] John W. Martens, “Continuing Education,” America. May 16, 2016.

[11] Krish Kandiah, “Why Christians should be involved in politics,” https://resistanceandrenewal.net/