Daily Readings - Thu May 02 2024

⁷And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.⁸And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;⁹And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.¹⁰Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?¹¹But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.¹²Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.¹³And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:¹⁴Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.¹⁵And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,¹⁶After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:¹⁷That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.¹⁸Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.¹⁹Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:²⁰But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.²¹For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

John

Chapter 15

⁹As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.¹⁰If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.¹¹These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter profound lessons about unity, love, and the essence of our faith. The first reading from Acts 15:7-21 recounts the Council of Jerusalem, where the early Church grappled with whether Gentile converts needed to follow Jewish law. Peter and the apostles concluded that faith in Jesus Christ was sufficient for salvation, emphasizing that God's grace, not external observances, unites us. The second reading from John 15:9-11 shifts our focus to the heart of Jesus' message: love. He tells us to abide in His love by keeping His commandments, promising that this obedience will fill us with joy. These readings are deeply connected. Both emphasize unity—first, the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the early Church, and second, the unity we share with God through love. The Council of Jerusalem shows us that true faith transcends cultural or ritualistic boundaries, while John's Gospel reminds us that love and obedience are the foundation of our relationship with God. Together, they teach us that our faith is not about external rules but about living in harmony with God and one another. Applying this to our daily lives, we are called to embrace diversity and avoid imposing unnecessary burdens on others, just as the early Church did. We are also reminded that staying in God's love requires us to follow His commandments. This is not about restriction but about living in the freedom and joy that come from a life rooted in love. Let us strive to be instruments of unity and love, just as the apostles were, and let us find our joy in abiding in God's love.