Third Sunday of Easter, Year B

April 30, 2006
Psalm 4

Luke 24:36b-48

Acts 3:12-19
1 John 3:1-7


I'm intending to spend time in the Epistle Lessons during the season of Easter. However, with one week already gone by (annual meeting), and me planning to take a much needed vacation day at the beginning of May, I may end up adjusting the passages for my actual preaching. However, I'll try to offer commentary on the passages as they appear in the lectionary, as opposed to how I may end up preaching the texts.

Be sure to check out the First John passage in multiple translations, particular verses 4 and 5. Compare especially these words:

• "Everyone who sins..." (NIV)
• "Everyone who commits sin..." (NRSV)
• "All who indulge in a sinful life..." (MSG)
• "Everyone who commits (practices) sin..." (AMP)
• "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning..." (ESV)
• "Everyone who practices sin..." (NASB)

The NIV and NRSV do not appear to translate the notion of "continuing in sin," or "practicing sin" the same way the other translations do. From the larger context, this passage doesn't speak of someone who stumbles into sin, or sins without being aware of their sin. Instead, the verses seem to be implicating those who habitually practice known sin and don't seek freedom from that sin.

However, it would be easy to get caught up in that debate as though it were the focus of the passage. Other themes which deserve equal development are: God's love, adoption, and seeing God as He is.

Juxtaposed against the Gospel Lesson, one could build a great message about having our eyes opened and seeing God. How often are our eyes blinded by our own expectations of who God is? We don't expect to see the miracle, and so we miss it even when it is in front of our very eyes. We give lip-service to the Resurrection, but we don't behave as though the empty tomb really changes anything.

Like the disciples on their way to Emmaus, we need to have our eyes and ears opened to God's presence in our lives. Like the disciples in Bethany, our doubt in the reality of the resurrection needs to be replaced with conviction that the empty grave changes means that the Spirit of Christ is present with us.

Do we really believe that Christ goes with us whereever we go? Or do we segment our lives into sacred/secular compartments thinking that we can leave Christ behind...or that He doesn't care about the mundane aspects of our life? Do we think that we must "go to church" in order to have an encounter with God? Or are we seeking His face daily--in every experience of life?

A wide variety of hymns and choruses would help round out a sermon developed along these lines:

• Open our Eyes, Lord
• Open the Eyes of My Heart
• I Want to Know You
• Our God Reigns

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon