Dear Audience,
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0As the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So, the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
(P) The word of the Lord.Exult, you just, in the Lord; praise from the upright is fitting. Give thanks to the Lord on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. (R)
Upright is the word of the Lord, and all his works are trustworthy. He loves justice and right; of the kindness of the Lord the earth is full. (R)
See, the eyes of the Lord are upon those who fear him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine. (R)
Beloved: Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it says in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame." Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "a stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall." They stumble by disobeying the words, as is their destiny.
You are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
(P) The word of the Lord.Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father's house, there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way." Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still not do know me, Philip?" Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father"? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."
(P) The Gospel of the Lord.Following the crucifixion of Jesus, His disciples were terrified, sorrowful, demoralized, and in hiding for fear of the Jewish religious leaders. They did not foresee Jesus rising from the dead even though Jesus had explicitly told them many times that He would. After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to them many times over 40 days, greeted them with "Peace to you", showed them His wounds, and ate with them to prove that He was physically alive and not a ghost or spirit. Yet, they continued to struggle with fear, doubt, and disbelief.
Fifty days after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended upon them, fulfilling Jesus' promise to send an Advocate and enabling them to speak in foreign languages which they did not know and proclaim the Gospel to a diverse crowd in Jerusalem. They began to preach daily in the streets of Jerusalem, in the temple courts, and in homes despite threats and persecution from religious and political authorities. They proclaimed that Jesus is the Messiah. When told to stop preaching in Jesus' name, they replied that they must "obey God rather than human beings", Acts (5:29). When they were imprisoned and beaten, instead of being discouraged or intimidated, they considered the suffering a badge of honour for their faith in Jesus, Acts (5:41). Under their guidance, the believers voluntarily pooled their possessions and resources to support the needy among them, Acts (2:44-45; 4:34-35). Thus, things were moving along just fine. The church was booming. Daily, the Lord added to their number. The radical transition happened due to a series of encounters with the risen Jesus and the subsequent empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
However, as the number of believers increased new challenges arose within the community, creating a "more people, more problems" scenario. Today's first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7) describes one of the challenges they faced and the apostles' response to it. "The Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution", (v.1). Who were "Hellenists" and "Hebrews"? The word "Hellenists" derives from the ancient Greek word Hellenistes, meaning to "speak Greek" or "act like a Greek". It is named after the mythological figure Hellen. In the Book of Acts, "Hellenists" refer to the Jews who had lived outside of Palestine or Israel, especially in areas heavily influenced by Greek culture, such as Alexandria, Cyrene, Tarsus and so on, but returned to live in Jerusalem later in life. The Hebrews were Aramaic-speaking native Jews. In essence, the Hellenists were ethnically Jewish but culturally and linguistically Greek whereas the Hebrews were "locals" who were deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and looked down on the Hellenists as less traditionally Jewish. This tension continued to grow even after embracing faith in Jesus. So, the complaint about food distribution went far deeper than simple administrative oversight. It was a clear case of cultural and linguistic bias between two groups of Jewish Christians.
In response, rather than ignoring the grumbling, the apostles called a meeting of all believers to address the problem, recognizing it as a serious matter. Imagine how difficult it might have been to gather thousands of people in one place under circumstances of severe threat, persecution, and death. But they did. They did not dismiss or overlook the complaint. Instead, they addressed it promptly, compassionately, and generously to ensure fairness and unity in the community, as they knew all members, especially the poor and vulnerable, regardless of their differences, deserved to be cared for.
However, they said that it was not suitable for them to take on the role of food distribution for it would distract them from their primary calling of preaching God's Word and the practice of prayer. So, they recommended that the whole congregation select seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to handle the logistical, material, and physical needs of the community, specifically to address the crisis of inequality in food distribution. All the believers agreed with the apostles' proposal, selected seven men, including Stephen, who later became the first martyr for the faith and presented them to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them, formally commissioning them for service, which is seen as the appointment of the first deacons. This allowed the apostles to continue their spiritual ministry while ensuring the practical needs of the community were met with integrity. By addressing the complaint, the conflict was resolved, the community maintained its unity, and the number of followers increased even more.
What is the message for us?
Jesus' call to "be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect", Matthew (5:48), means to grow in love and faith, rather than achieving sinless perfection in life. It is a call to a lifelong, gradual process of progressive sanctification and participation, not flawless instantaneous perfection. Therefore, while pursuing this divine standard, we are to accept both our local and universal church as a community of redeemed, imperfect people. No church or community of believers is perfect. It is composed of flawed, fallen, and sinful people including you and me.
Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners", Mark (2:17) and Luke (5:31-32). This statement implies that the church - as the body of Christ - is meant to be a place for the spiritually broken, wounded, weary, and lost people seeking mercy, forgiveness, healing, restoration, and transformation. Therefore, instead of seeking a flawless church, let us focus on a community that meets our spiritual needs, handles internal crisis and imperfections with godly wisdom and grace, and stays focused on its core mission.
As a church or a community of believers grows, diverse perspectives, disagreements, misunderstandings, miscommunications, differing needs, and complaints are inevitable, especially in churches which are increasingly becoming multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual, including our community, St Peter's Church. Today, we are reminded that diversity within the body of Christ should not lead to division, and that the church is one, regardless of differences. Every member or believer or churchgoer, regardless of his/her background or role he/she plays, is essential to the function of the body of Christ. Therefore, we, as a community, must be willing to make and accept changes that ensure fairness and inclusion. We must actively work against all forms of discrimination - within our community and in the broader society - to ensure our actions reflect God's impartial love and character.
When complaints and grievances arise within our community, we must bring them directly to priests or other leaders in-charge in a humble, respectful and constructive manner rather than murmuring or backbiting or gossiping. The leaders on their part should not run away from issues or ignore the problems or allow the complaints to fester or act defensively or blame others but rather acknowledge the reality of the situation and handle the issues directly, wisely, and promptly to maintain unity and foster an atmosphere of grace, ensuring that grievances are resolved in a way that reflects the love of Christ. That is how Christians are supposed to act. Everyone must act with love in their hearts because we are all trying to be like our Lord and Teacher, Jesus Christ.
While we should be active in community services like education, healing, and welfare, and should ensure the basic physical and material needs of the believers are met through organized service, we should not neglect our primary calling to preach and teach God's Word, specifically, the gospel of Jesus Christ. The core message of Jesus, which the apostles continued, was to facilitate reconciliation with God. So, we must boldly teach that Jesus is the Saviour and that forgiveness of sins is available to all through Him. We should not let other needs get in the way of the work that we are all called to do, that is to continually teach the word of God to all, starting with our immediate communities and families, often described as "small churches" or "domestic churches."
As Christian parents, we should not be content with providing merely the physical and material needs of our children - food, clothing, shelter, education, sports, extracurriculars - but should also, and more importantly, prioritize their spiritual needs, raising them in the knowledge and love of God and to be more like Christ.
Like the apostles, we must devote ourselves to prayer. Because prayer will enable us to overcome weariness and disappointments, help us to navigate internal conflicts and challenges, empower us to perform tasks with spiritual wisdom, faith, and effectiveness, and guide our focus on God's mission of expanding His kingdom to reach all people on earth.
God Bless You!
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