The Truth Will Set Us Free

Christ is risen!

In the Epistle today from the opening verses of chapter 6 in the Acts of the Apostles, there is conflict within the early Church between the Hebrew Christians and the Hellenists. The Greek members of the Church believe that their widows are being neglected in the distribution of free food.  Therefore, the Greek members of the Church urge that “seven men … full of [the Holy] Spirit and wisdom” should be assigned to “this task.” The Acts of the Apostles record that the Greek members of the Church wish to “keep to prayer and the ministry of the word,” since “it is not acceptable for us to neglect the word of God to serve at tables,” concludes their approach.

This epistle is well known for the commissioning of seven deacons, especially St Stephen, who then became, quote: “full of grace and power [and] performed great marvels and signs among the people,” [end quote.] However, as the Orthodox theologian, Jaroslav Pelikan has written, those chosen “to serve at tables” were both Greek Christians and Jewish Christians; and the Greek names show that a majority of Greeks were chosen “to serve at tables.” Furthermore, in the next chapter of the Book of Acts, as Jaroslav Pelikan points out, St Stephen “proceeds to deliver one of the most [profound] and … powerful and scripturally learned exercises of ‘the ministry of the word’ in the whole of Acts, and well beyond.” [See Acts (SCM Press, 2006, p. 93].

What is going on here? The author of the Book of Acts, St Luke, is giving us a reliable account of what happened. The Greek Christians wanted their widows looked after; and both the Greek Christians and the Hebrew Christians were willing to do this when the problem was pointed out. Now, both Greek Christians and Hebrew Christians were fully capable of preaching the Word of Christ and of helping those in need. Nevertheless, tensions had arisen between the Greek and Hebrew Christians who had come to believe in Christ from quite different communities and experiences. Furthermore, there was a certain degree of mistrust between the two quite different communities, yet neither wished to accuse the other community of being dishonest. They just did not fully respect and understand each other.

That problem is still with us today when “outsiders”—people from different traditions join the Church—and we do not fully appreciate their motives and hopes.  Furthermore, for us in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as in many cultures, there is the further problem that we do not always say what we really think and hope. At times it is difficult to know what either long-standing or new Church members actually think. Now, of course, sometimes silence is prudence. It is not always appropriate to reveal what we are actually thinking to others whom we may or may not know well. However, our silence can also create further misunderstandings and suspicion. There is a basic need for honesty and the courage to discuss different opinions openly, in our lives and in the Church, in order to reach better understanding and agreement about difficult issues, both practical and theological. This is meaning we can draw from the Epistle. Now we turn to today’s Gospel.

The Gospel today from the 15th and 16th chapters of St Mark offers some helpful guidance about facing problems openly and honestly. As the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women go to the tomb of Jesus Christ to anoint His body with spices early on Sunday morning after His crucifixion and burial, they are discussing a big problem that they do not know how to solve: “Who will roll away the [large] stone for us from the door of the tomb?” They know that they will not have the strength to do this. Yet when they arrive at the tomb they find “the stone was rolled back.” Because these women had the courage to acknowledge and face a problem they knew they could not solve in their own strength, God came to their aid and sent an angel to resolve the problem.

We also celebrate today the life of St Brendan the Navigator, a leader of sixth-century monastic communities in Ireland and in Scotland, five miles south of the island of Mull. Twenty-one years before St Columba came to Iona, St Brendan was quite bold in his long voyages and in his missionary work. Like the myrrh-bearing women and the early Greek and Hebrew Christians, St Brendan sought help from God in tackling problems as they arose. It is difficult to separate facts from legends in the life of St Brendan. However, it is clear that he was a successful missionary who advanced the Christian faith in both Ireland and Scotland, confronting pagan kings and nobility and seeking to find and follow the will of God.

The Troparian we sing today celebrates his life. I quote: “The Divine Likeness has been perfected in thee, O holy Father Brendan,/ For taking up the Cross thou hast followed Christ,/ And by thy deeds thou hast taught us to disdain the flesh for it passes away,/ But to cultivate the soul for it is immortal:/ Wherefore, O holy father, thy spirit rejoices with the Angels,” concludes the Troparion.

Let us be inspired by the courage of the Holy Myrrh-bearing Women and the courage of St Brendan, as well as the resourcefulness of the early Greek and Hebrew Christians. Let us be honest with each other, share in depth with each other and pray for God’s help in resolving any problems in our own lives and in the Church.

Christ is risen! Father Emmanuel Kahn