God s Favorites The Rev. Dr. Arlene K. Nehring Eden United Church of Christ Hayward, California April 5, 2015 Acts 10:34-43 (NRSV) Last night I attended the Community Seder hosted by Congregation Shir Ami, which was held in Oliver Hall, and I was privileged to sit at a table with the president and vice president of the congregation and their families, and one of their student rabbis. The eight of us had a delightful conversation about present and prior Passover celebrations that we have been part of, and the various ministries that our two congregations have been involved with over the years. We noted, for example, how our experience of Passover celebrations varied depending on the ethnic heritages of our hosts, since different haggadahs (liberation liturgies) have been developed in different parts of the world and passed on through the generations. All haggadahs are based on the same story of the Hebrew people s liberation from bondage in Egypt that is described in the book of Exodus, but each has its own style and flair, depending on the people and place from which the haggadah emerged. In a similar fashion, recipes for traditional Passover foods vary depending on their origins, and the ingredients that are locally grown in those areas. Some at my table said that they are Ashkenazi Jews (from Central and Eastern Europe), and others said that they were Sephardic Jews (from the Iberian Peninsula, now known as Spain and Portugal). The Ashkenazi Jews explained that they make their charoset with apples, walnuts, and red wine, while the Sephardic Jews explained that they add dates and apricots to their charoset mixture, because these fruits were common in their homeland. II Our Christian Easter celebrations, beginning in the first century, also vary depending on ethnic heritage of the people who celebrated this occasion, and which Easter story they received and shared.
For example, there isn t just one Easter story in the Bible. There are five or six depending on whom you ask. Matthew, Luke, John, and the Acts of the Apostles have an Easter account, and the gospel of Mark contains two. No two Easter stories are the same in the Christian New Testament. Each one is different, and their difference makes a statement about the ethnic group out of which it emerged, for whom it was recorded, and to whom it was passed on. The short version of the Easter story in Mark, for example, is likely the oldest and most historically accurate, while John s version is likely the most recent version and far more interested in explaining the meaning of the Easter story than capturing the historical play-by-play of events that occurred on the first Easter Sunday. Culturally speaking, Matthew, Mark, and John s gospels were associated with Jewish converts to Christianity, while the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were associated with a more diverse population comprised largely of Gentiles (non-jews.) The primary text for today s service is from the book of Acts, which was written by the author of Luke s gospel, so the audience associated with today s story was the most diverse of those associated with the New Testament Easter stories. III If you set the New Testament Easter stories side by side and compare them, you will see quite a few differences among them. For example, Acts makes no reference to an empty tomb, while the four gospels all mention an empty tomb. In addition, I think it s interesting to note that although belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus became a central tenant of the Christian faith by the third century AD, Mark s shorter version of the Easter story which is considered the oldest makes no mention of the bodily resurrection of Christ at all. The shorter version simply ends with Mark explaining that the women found the tomb empty, and that they were instructed by an angel to go and tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus was going ahead of them to Galilee and that the disciples would see him there. Some have understood this forecast as a way of explaining that the risen Christ would be revealed in the witness of his followers who continued his mission in the world by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, and visiting the prisoners, while others later interpreted this seeing him in more literal terms. The characters in the first Easter account also varied from story to story in terms of which women went to the tomb, discovered it empty, and told the Disciples. These quick comparisons of the Easter accounts reveal that the story we have received was passed on from at least four different groups of disciples who hailed from four The Rev. Dr. Arlene K. Nehring, God s Favorites, 4/5/2015, p. 2 of 5.
distinct cultures, and their written traditions were grounded in five different periods of time. The cultural and historical circumstances of each influenced how the tradition was received and passed on, and whether, for example, Jesus resurrection was understood to be spiritual, physical, or both. The diversity inherent in the Easter accounts confounds some Christians, because it tampers with their need for uniformity of faith and factual certainty, but I find these differing views refreshing and liberating; because the very fact that they co-exist in the biblical cannon affirms and supports a diversity of beliefs about Easter and in every time and place, including our own. IV Another cross-cutting similarity that Jews and Christians share with each other, and probably with people of other faith traditions, is that our religious holidays are typically celebrated with our families and close friends, and the prospect of bringing the family together for such occasions as these can surface some very interesting dynamics. My own family get-togethers often prompt my sister, Marlene, to make comments about family favorites. For example, she invariably makes comments such as this: Mom likes you better than me. I find these comments silly and tiresome at times, but try to be patient because I understand the emotions that prompt them. Periodically when sister makes comments such as, Mom likes you better. I reply in exasperation, You re right. Why wouldn t she? What s not to like? These questions force my sister to hit the pause button on her monologue, and think about what I m saying, since she never expects me to agree with her. In that brief moment of silence, I then say to her: Yes, Mom probably likes me better than you some days, and other days she likes you better. But, bottom line, she loves us both the same. As it turns out, 30 years in the ministry has taught me that my family doesn t have a corner on the market of favoritism debates. I have discovered that conversations about favoritism are common among many families and they are found in other social settings such as schools, workplaces, and, yes, churches. Today s scripture text is a case in point. V Peter (one of the chief apostles) who is featured in today s scripture thought that he was one of God s favorites. He thought that Christ came for the Jews (not the Gentiles), and that if one wanted to be among God s favorites (the elect) one had to be a Jew or become a Jew before one could be welcomed into the kingdom of God. This means The Rev. Dr. Arlene K. Nehring, God s Favorites, 4/5/2015, p. 3 of 5.
that only people who spoke Hebrew, only men who had been circumcised, and only people who kept kosher could be saved. Many early followers of Christ, like Peter, thought that only Jewish Christians who believed that Jesus was the Son of God, that he was crucified on a cross as an expiation for our sins, and that he rose again (in body) from the dead would be saved. Many shared Peter s views, but then something happened. Peter had a change of heart. He had a conversion experience, and as a result, he embraced a more generous view of God and a universal understanding of salvation, and he passed on that more generous view to everyone he encountered. And as a result, Christianity became an international religion, instead of an obscure Jewish sect, and you and I are here today, celebrating Easter. How did this happen? What accounts for Peter s conversion? VI According to Luke, the author of the Acts, a man named Cornelius, an Italian soldier, a Gentile, sent for him and asked Peter to share the gospel with him and with his entire household. Cornelius was a God-fearing person, who was generous with others especially the poor and who led a disciplined spiritual life. One day while Cornelius was saying his prayers, God inspired him to send two of his servants to Joppa to invite Peter to his house to share the gospel message. Meanwhile, Peter also received a vision from God that inspired him to accept Cornelius invitation. So Peter went to Cornelius house and shared today s message with him and with everyone under his roof, saying, I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. These words that Peter preached were an about face for him, and an indelible reminder for Christians in every generation that God does not have favorites that Jesus Christ came for all people, not just some, and that he came for all creation, not just human beings. Peter s interpretation of the Easter message was and is disappointing news to those who desperately want to be God s favorites. His message was disappointing news for those who believe that one needs a certain set of credentials to be a true Christian. And his message was disappointing news to those who believe that one must subscribe to certain set of beliefs in order to be saved. But for those who doubt our worthiness, for those who question whether they have the right credentials to be Christians, and for those who have more questions than answers The Rev. Dr. Arlene K. Nehring, God s Favorites, 4/5/2015, p. 4 of 5.
about the Christian faith to those, to us, Peter s interpretation of the Easter message was and is very good news. Friends, believe the very good news of the gospel: God shows no partiality. We are all God s favorites. And we are all called to be witnesses of these things. Amen. The Rev. Dr. Arlene K. Nehring, God s Favorites, 4/5/2015, p. 5 of 5.