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Acts 15: 7-21
After much debate had taken place,
Peter got up and said to the Apostles and the presbyters,
“My brothers, you are well aware that from early days
God made his choice among you that through my mouth
the Gentiles would hear the word of the Gospel and believe.
And God, who knows the heart,
bore witness by granting them the Holy Spirit
just as he did us.
He made no distinction between us and them,
for by faith he purified their hearts.
Why, then, are you now putting God to the test
by placing on the shoulders of the disciples
a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?
On the contrary, we believe that we are saved
through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.”
The whole assembly fell silent,
and they listened
while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders
God had worked among the Gentiles through them.
After they had fallen silent, James responded,
“My brothers, listen to me.
Symeon has described how God first concerned himself
with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name.
The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:
After this I shall return
and rebuild the fallen hut of David;
from its ruins I shall rebuild it
and raise it up again,
so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,
even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.
Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,
known from of old.
It is my judgment, therefore,
that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God,
but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols,
unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.
For Moses, for generations now,
has had those who proclaim him in every town,
as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”
The Word of the Lord.
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Parents have a tremendous influence over how their children grow up.
Some parents are highly affectionate. They affirm their children by word and deed, honoring every accomplishment with praise; ending every phone call with, “I love you”; beginning each day with a hug.
Other parents are somewhere in the middle.
Still, others tend to be more silent. I’ve met some adults who’ve told me that, as a child, they never heard their parent say, “I love you.”
Often, that lack of affirmation leaves children feeling as if love must be earned, as opposed to being freely given.
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In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the early Church is struggling with a similar idea. Is God’s love earned or is it freely given?
There were some Jewish converts to Christianity who believed that Christians still had to honor the Law, following it to a “t,” as if God’s love is earned through obedience.
But Peter and James speak up, saying that God’s love – much like an affirming parent – is freely given. We neither deserve it, nor earn it. It’s simply pure gift.
As Saint Paul says, “the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).
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What is my own image of God the Father like?
Is he someone to be feared? Or is he my greatest cheerleader, my defender, who delights in me simply for who I am – his child in need of his love?
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Perhaps the prophet Zephaniah says it best: “The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, who rejoices over you with gladness, and renews you in his love, who sings joyfully because of you” (Zeph. 3:17).
Ponder that for a moment:
God sings joyfully just because of you.
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Image credits: (1) Olive Tree Bible Software (2) Forbes (3) Adobe Stock