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Acts 4:32-37
The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.
Thus Joseph, also named by the Apostles Barnabas
(which is translated “son of encouragement”),
a Levite, a Cypriot by birth,
sold a piece of property that he owned,
then brought the money and put it at the feet of the Apostles.
The Word of the Lord.
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Tertullian, a 3rd century champion of Christianity, lived during a very intense time. While the Church was growing exponentially, there were also sporadic persecutions; Christianity would not be legalized for nearly another century.
Still, Tertullian publicly professed and defended his faith, not only writing about what Christians believed, but also about how they behaved.
Quoting one of his pagan critics, he wrote, “Look how the Christians love one another, how they are ready to die for each other, while the pagans hate each other.” Tertullian teaches us that from the beginning, Christians bore an intense sense of responsibility for their neighbor, regardless of one’s race or class.
Our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles further attests to this point. “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own.”
We hear of Barnabas, for example, who sells his property and lays it at the feet of the Apostles to be used for charity.
This was how Christians demonstrated their faith in Jesus. They did not cling to worldly things; they kept everything in common; they spoke kindly of their neighbor; they cared for the sick, for widows, for orphans; and they broke bread together.
They were even willing to die in each other’s place.
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To a large extent, the Church has held onto this tradition of charity.
No other institution in human history has founded as many hospitals, schools, orphanages, soup kitchens, high schools, universities, or has had as many people willingly die for their beliefs.
Still, we may need an occasional reminder that greatness is not measured in terms of worldly power or material things; rather, the greatest among us is always the servant.
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May what was said of our ancestors also be said of us, “Look how they loved one another.”
It’s just what Christians do.
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Image credits: (1) Lutheran at Penn State (2) It’s not about me, It’s about Jesus (3) QuoteFancy