FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER

FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
ACTS 7; 55-60
PS 311-5,15-16
1 PETER 2; 2-10
JOHN 14; 1-14

THERE IS A CHILDHOOD POEM ABOUT CHRISTMAS
THAT SAYS

THERE WAS A KNIGHT OF BETHLEHEM
WHOSE WEALTH WAS TEARS AND SORROWS;
HIS MEN AT ARMS WERE LITTLE LAMBS,
HIS TRUMPETERS WERE SPARROWS

IN JOHN'S GOSPEL
THE FIRST TWELVE CHAPTERS
HAVE JESUS PREACHING
IN WORD AND ACTION
LARGELY TO UNBELIEVERS
BOTH JEW AND GENTILE

IN CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THERE IS A CHANGE
JESUS HAS SUMMONED HIS DISCIPLES
TO GATHER WITH HIM
FOR THE PASSOVER
FOR A MEAL
A MEAL
THAT WE HAVE COME TO CALL
THE LAST SUPPER

IN CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JESUS HAS WASHED THEIR FEET
JUDAS HAS LEFT TO BETRAY HIM
PETER
HAS DECLARED HIS LOYALTY
EVEN ONTO DEATH
AND JESUS HAS TOLD HIM
THAT BEFORE THE ROOSTER CROWS
TO BEGIN THE DAY
HE WILL HAVE DENIED HIM THREE TIMES

THERE WAS A KNIGHT OF BETHLEHEM
WHOSE WEALTH WAS TEARS AND SORROWS;
HIS MEN AT ARMS WERE LITTLE LAMBS,
HIS TRUMPETERS WERE SPARROWS

IN CHAPTER FOURTEEN
BEGINS THE LAST DISCOURSE
THE LAST SERMON
THE LAST CHANCE
BEFORE HIS DEATH
FOR JESUS
TO CONVINCE HIS FOLLOWERS
WHO HE WAS
AND WHAT HIS MESSAGE WAS

LOOKING BACK THROUGH HISTORY
WE MARVEL
HOW DUMB THEY WERE
HOW DENSE THEY WERE
LOOKING FORWARD TO NOW
WE WONDER
HOW DUMB WE ARE
HOW DENSE WE ARE

ENTER NOW IN JOHN'S PORTRAYAL
OF THE LAST SUPPER
ENTER NOW
THOMAS AND PHILIP
THE QUESTIONERS
THE DIALOGUE GOES LIKE THIS

THOMAS SAID TO HIM, "
LORD,
WE DON'T KNOW
WHERE YOU ARE GOING,
SO HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WAY?"
JESUS ANSWERED, "
I AM THE WAY
AND THE TRUTH
AND THE LIFE.

NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER
EXCEPT THROUGH ME.
IF YOU REALLY KNEW ME,
YOU WOULD KNOW MY FATHER AS WELL.



FROM NOW ON,
YOU DO KNOW HIM
AND HAVE SEEN HIM."
PHILIP SAID, "
LORD,
SHOW US THE FATHER
AND THAT WILL BE ENOUGH FOR US."
JESUS ANSWERED:
PHILIP
DON'T YOU KNOW ME,

EVEN AFTER
I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU
SUCH A LONG TIME?

PHILIP
ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN ME
HAS SEEN THE FATHER

NOW JOHN
USES THOMAS AND PHILIP
TO BE A VOICE
TO SHOW
WHAT THE MIND OF THE PEOPLE WAS
WHEN JESUS WAS TEACHING

TO BE A VOICE FOR ALL THOSE
WHO FOUND HIS TEACHING HARD THEN


TO BE A VOICE FOR ALL THOSE
WHO FIND HIS TEACHING HARD NOW
.

THERE WAS A KNIGHT OF BETHLEHEM
WHOSE WEALTH WAS TEARS AND SORROWS;
HIS MEN AT ARMS WERE LITTLE LAMBS,
HIS TRUMPETERS WERE SPARROWS

WHAT WAS THAT HARD MESSAGE

IT WAS
THAT WHEN YOU LOOKED AT JESUS
YOU WERE LOOKING AT GOD

AND IN THE TIME OF JESUS
TO LOOK AT GOD
WAS INVITING DESTRUCTION

REMEMBER WHAT GOD
TOLD MOSES ON THE MOUNTAIN
YOU SHALL SEE MY BACK
BUT MY FACE YOU SHALL NOT SEE

WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING
WAS THAT GOD
WAS NOT TO BE FOUND
ON SOME MYSTIC MOUNTAIN
OR TRAPPED IN A TEMPLE
TO BE APPEASED BY SACRIFICE

WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING
WAS THAT GOD
HAD BECOME DOMESTICATED
HE WAS LIVING AN ORDINARY LIFE
AMONG MEN.

IT IS JESUS WORKING
WHO GIVES WORK DIGNITY

IT IS JESUS WEEPING
OVER LAZARUS
THAT GIVES GRIEF
JOY
FRIENDS
AND FAMILY MEANING

IT IS JESUS DIPPING BREAD IN OIL
AND FEEDING JUDAS
THAT SHOWS A GOD
THAT KNOWS PAIN AND SORROW
AND WHAT BETRAYAL FEELS LIKE

IT IS JESUS
LABORING TIME AND AGAIN
TO EDUCATE HIS FOLLOWERS
WITH LITTLE SUCCESS
THAT GIVES MOTHERS OF FAMILIES MEANING

IT MEANS TAKING CARE OF THE WORLD
BECAUSE GOD LIVES HERE

IT MEANS TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER
BECAUSE WE ARE IMPORTANT
BECAUSE GOD MADE US IMPORTANT
WHEN HE BECAME
ONE OF US

THERE WAS A KNIGHT OF BETHLEHEM
WHOSE WEALTH WAS TEARS AND SORROWS;
HIS MEN AT ARMS WERE LITTLE LAMBS,
HIS TRUMPETERS WERE SPARROWS


AND HE COMES WITH A MESSAGE
HE GIVES TO EACH OF US TO TEACH
THE MESSAGE
THAT GOD IS
HE LOVES
HE CARES
AND WALKS AMONG US
THAT THERE ARE NO CASTAWAY PEOPLE

THIS IS WHAT PETER MEANS
WHEN HE WRITES IN OUR LESSON

BUT YOU ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE,
A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD,
A HOLY NATION,
A PEOPLE BELONGING TO GOD,
THAT YOU MAY DECLARE
THE PRAISES OF HIM
WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS
INTO HIS WONDERFUL LIGHT.

ONCE
YOU WERE NOT A PEOPLE,
BUT NOW
YOU ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD;
ONCE
YOU HAD NOT RECEIVED MERCY,
BUT NOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED MERCY.

AND THAT MERCY
THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED
WE ARE ASKED TO PASS ON.
EVEN IN SUCH AN EXTREME CASE
AS STEPHEN
WHO WHILE THEY WERE STONING HIM,
PRAYED, "
LORD JESUS, RECEIVE MY SPIRIT

AND FALLING ON HIS KNEES
CRIED OUT, "
LORD,
DO NOT HOLD
THIS SIN
AGAINST THEM."

AND WHEN HE HAD SAID THIS,
HE DIED.

WE ARE TASKED
TO MAKE THIS WORLD BETTER
BETTER THAN HOW WE FOUND IT.
WE ARE ASKED TO FORGIVE
BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN

WE ARE ASKED
TO DO THIS BECAUSE
JESUS
LOVED THIS WORLD
SO MUCH HE CAME TO LIVE HERE
AND TO DIE FOR IT

SO JESUS IS ASKING US
AND IS ALWAYS ASKING US

LITTLE LAMBS
WILL YOU HELP ME

LITTLE SPARROWS
WILL YOU HELP ME

WILL YOU HELP ME
BUILD A BETTER WORLD

AND I SHALL BE THE CORNER STONE
THE STONE THAT THE BUILDERS REJECTEDAMEN