11 May 2014 - speak life

11 May 2014 - speak life

“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”

How does the crowd respond?  We hear the fire and brimstone in Peter's preaching.  We might imagine that they become infuriated.  We know how people would respond to us if we started accusing them of crucifying Jesus by their sinful behavior.  They wouldn't listen.  If they had been friends we'd be putting that relationship in jeopardy.  But not so here.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”

What is different?  Peter in particular speaks with the voice of the Good Shepherd.  He is the one who is called by Jesus to feed the sheep of his flock (cf. Joh. 21:17).  These are the sheep who, like us, "had gone astray".  But when they hear the voice of the shepherd speaking through Peter they hear something that hits them in a way that is personal and direct, a way that "calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."  Leads them out from where?  From our lives of sin unto death he leads us into green pastures and running waters.  From the netherworld he leads his people to the banquet of heaven.

Only Jesus can enter this gate and lead his sheep out.  This is the gate through death to life everlasting.  And we follow him as he leads us.  We were lost sheep but now his voice guides us.  And Peter was once lost too.  He was scattered like the rest when the LORD was crucified.  But he heard the voice of the shepherd calling his name.  He heard, "Peter, feed me sheep" and now follows Jesus into the kingdom.

As his delegated shepherd Jesus speaks through Peter to us.  He is able to speak this way by the "gift of the Holy Spirit" which works in him in a profound and unique way.  But the gift is also for us, our children, and all who are far off.  He enables us all, to varying degrees, to speak with the voice of the shepherd and call those sheep who are still lost out from darkness.  On our own our words are powerless or even harmful.  But when the shepherd speaks in us marvelous things can happen.  We all long for our shepherd and when we find him there is nothing else we shall want.

So let us return to the source of the shepherd's voice.  Let us listen to the Church speaking in the power of the Spirit to us.  Let us be filled with that same Spirit so that we may speak the words Jesus wants each one of us to speak.  Let us disentangle ourselves from the many other voices which clamor for our allegiance.

“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

We must do this because there is no limit to whom "the Lord our God will call."  We need to make sure that the voice of the shepherd comes through loud and clear when they begin to listen.

Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Let us rejoice together with all who were once lost at the table he spreads before us in the sight of all of those who were once our foes.  Let us rejoice, anointed by the Holy Spirit, as we drink together the overflowing cup of salvation.