Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Reflection - Come Together
We will come together in times of crisis. It seems that the news shows this more and more as developments are instantly available for all of the world to witness. We see women and men banding together with one voice as we protest the taking of girls from a school in Africa. We see people coming together to help each other as tornadoes strike in the southern United States.
People come together to help one another when in need. The early Church was much the same. People came together after the resurrection of Jesus to live with one another and to help each other along as they were rejected by society and family and friends.
But as we look to the Church today, we see people leaving one another over differences. We see people coming together in unity over differences and leaving those who they once would commune with in the same space. We see people in need avoiding the Church all together because the world has lost sight of the Savior and many think it is all a story or a myth of old.
Yes, it seems today instead of coming together at the feet of the crucified Christ and falling to the feet of the resurrected Jesus we divide over political disagreements or opinions or loosely held convictions. Where is the Holy Spirit in all of this? Where is the common meal in all of this? Where are the generous hearts of the people praising God in all of this? Where are the people being added day by day to the Lord's number?
What's wrong with this world? What's wrong with the churches? What's wrong, that causes all of the division. We multiply yet their are those that have their minds set to divide! It all must stop. The Church is so much larger than any one of us or even all of us. The Church is so much more than we can imagine. God is so much larger than we think and God is so much closer than we realize.
As I reflect on the ministry, the suffering, the death and the resurrection of Jesus; I witness a man and yes more than a man, the God, that came into this world not to divide but to multiply and gather. Jesus gathered disciples and taught them to give. Give away their very lives and occupations to follow him... and him being God. Jesus healed the suffering and gathered the people together in crowds to hear God's Word spoken. Jesus was the Word in flesh for all people to see and hear... not only in that space and time... but throughout all space and time. Yes, Jesus came to gather us at the foot of the cross to witness the sacrifice for all the sin of this world. The sin that divides and separates and condemns. Our sin... our evil... We are gathered at the foot of the cross to witness our sin and our evil die upon that cross and be carted off to the tomb forever.
Yet, that wasn't the end. Jesus rose again. He couldn't be held by the tomb but rose again to multiply. And then he ascended into heaven with a promise to come again. But until that time we would be given the Holy Spirit to lead and guide and give us the gifts that we need to continue to speak this Word to all the world in order that all people would have a chance to believe and multiply and come together as one.
We have all we need. We have been given more than enough by God. We must take this Word into all the world and offer this salvation. Not in order to project some agenda of our own... not in order to put people in the pews of our church or on the numbers of a denomination... but in order for people to be able to see the risen Savior of all the world. In order that all people may come to be disciples of Jesus and live eternal life in and with God here and now.
Forget about the multiplying and give up on the dividing, let's just spread the wonderful Word of a Savior... yes the One God that came to grant forgiveness of sin, and free us from the fire of hell to bring us to the resurrection of life with God. Jesus wants us to be with him forever. Jesus' love is that great that he wants all of us to live eternal life with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
No, we don't need to multiply and we certainly don't need to divide... we need to see the risen Jesus and come to him and follow him and believe in him and be his and his alone as Jesus leads us through this life of sin and death into a life of eternal hope and joy in God.
And yes we come together. We come together in the unity of God to commune and care one for another. We come together to learn. We come together for the girls in Africa, we come together to rebuild after the storms, we come together to comfort those who mourn, we come together to feed the hungry, we come together to visit the prisoner, we come together to set the homeless back to a life they can live, we come together to read to the children, we come together to love one another, we come together to go out from the pews of our churches and serve and live out the love of God day by day. We come together to praise and glorify God our Savior, our Creator, the One who sustains all life. Yes...
"Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved."
Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM8dWbYgJeI
Prayer
Lord, may your Word simply and truly and honestly spread through your disciples that all the world may come to you... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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