SERMON/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF EASTER 1ST MAY 2024

HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 5TH WEEK OF EASTER

Acts 15:1-6; Ps. 122; John 15:1-8

Religious Piety

The adoption of gentiles into the faith was unexpected but eventually welcomed by the believers. However, there was great dispute as to how these gentiles will be incorporated into the believing community. This led to the first council of Jerusalem. Some believers taught that the gentiles must first be circumcised according to the Law of Moses before they can be saved. This position reveals the understanding of such believers about the faith.

For them, the Law of Moses is the channel of salvation. Ordinarily, the Mosaic Law was binding on only Jews. So, these believers invariably taught that one must become a Jew in order to be saved. The fact that Jesus was a Jew and subjected himself to the Mosaic Law may strengthened this conviction. For them, salvation is the heritage of the Jews; so, when God was allowing gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit, he was invariably granting them passport to becoming Jews.

This mindset is dangerous to the Christian faith. First, the Mosaic Law was given by God. Since Jesus is God, he satisfactorily and perfectly replaces the Mosaic Law. To insist on circumcision  side-by-side accepting Jesus Christ as the Messiah as conditions for salvation means that one is saying that Jesus alone is not enough. Second, Jesus being a Jew testified to his humanness and his alliance with the prophecies spoken about him from of old. It does not in any way authenticate Jewish culture as condition for salvation. If becoming a Jew is necessary for salvation, then it contradicts John 14:6 when Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life.

The simple message here is that faith in Jesus is the way to salvation; nothing more. In our practice of the Christian faith, we may take up some acts of piety that positions us comfortably to keep our gaze on Jesus. That notwithstanding, we should not legislate on such pious acts as though they were the only way to attain steadfastness in the faith. For example, some persons may be very comfortable with midnight prayers, but that does not mean that another who is not comfortable with it, is a lazy Christian. Some persons respectfully pull off their footwears before entering the adoration chapel; but that does not mean that another who enters with the footwear lacks respect for God.

Salvation remains a personal encounter between God and man. Live out this encounter in the best way you have experienced it while recognizing the fact that another may have experienced it differently. The common denominator for authentic Christian faith is love of God and hatred for evil. Once we understand and accept this fact, we will be able to appropriately apply it to our different existential conditions of life. Without understanding, we cannot effectively practice and teach the Faith.