April 20, 2003
Acts 10: 34, 37-43Col 3: 1-4
Nativity, Brandon, Fla.
“Everyone who
believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins thru his name” (Acts 10: 43).
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| The Risen Christ appears to the apostles |
St. Peter’s words in
the Acts of the Apostles this morning are addressed to the Roman centurion
Cornelius and his household, and to men and women of every time and place. Jesus of Nazareth spent his earthly life
preaching God’s love and mercy, healing the sick, and forgiving sinners. God the Father showed that he was at work in
Jesus by “anointing him with the Holy Spirit and power” (10:38).
The Father further
ratified Jesus’ words and work by raising him from the dead and elevating him
to a place at the heavenly throne (Col 3:1).
Peter is a witness to Jesus’ public life and to the resurrection, and he
interprets their meaning for Cornelius and us.
That meaning is that Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament;
that God has appointed him the judge of every man’s deeds, unto eternal life or
eternal condemnation; that all sinners who believe in Jesus will have their
sins pardoned and be granted eternal life (Acts 10:42-43).
St. Paul addresses us
directly: “If you were raised with
Christ” (Col 3:1). We were raised with
Christ symbolically as we came out of the waters of Baptism; those waters
symbolized death, the penalty of sin, and our wish to die to sin and live for
God. So the waters that covered us or
were at least poured over us were our death in union with Christ’s death on the
cross, and our emergence from the water was our rising with Christ—sins
forgiven, life promised.
In that context, that
we are already united in promise with Christ in his heavenly life, Paul urges
us to “seek what is above,” to “think of what is above, not of what is on
earth” (Col 3:1-2). While we’re on earth,
we must necessarily have earthly concerns:
family and other personal relationships, war and peace, the good order
of society, food and shelter, work and play, and so much more. What Paul means is that our loyalty to God
and our moral convictions must always take 1st place in our lives. How we go about forming our relationships and
ordering our society and conducting our daily business must always be in
conformity with God’s plan, with the example of Christ, who “is seated at the
right hand of God” and is our life (3:1,4).
In the verse
immediately following today’s reading, Paul continues: “Put to death, then, the parts of you that
are earthly: immorality, impurity,
passion, evil desire, and … idolatry” (3:5).
He goes on to denounce other sins:
anger, slander, lying, and more (3:8-9).
And he urges us to act like “God’s chosen ones,” people God has chosen
for eternal life, people who have repented their sins and been forgiven. We should be compassionate, humble, gentle,
and patient. We should love one another
in practice and not just in words (3:12-14).
That is how we seek what is above and put to death what is earthly in an
unhealthy way—our vices.
Paul concludes
today’s passage, “When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with
him in glory” (3:4). The one appointed
to judge every man and woman who has ever lived (Acts 10:42) will return from
heaven. He will raise every human being
from the grave, from the depths of the sea, from ashes, and he will gather us
all and pass judgment on us all. Those
who have hidden their lives in Christ (Col 3:3), i.e., made him the model of
their lives, will be raised to eternal life with Christ their Redeemer: sins forgiven, death conquered, crowned with
glory.
“Christ indeed from
death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, Victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia.” (Sequence)
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