Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
In the Acts of the Apostles, we learn that Peter was originally skeptical about preaching the Gospel to non-Jews. Then one day, the Holy Spirit summoned him to preach to the pagan army officer Cornelius and his household. The result, as we shall see, is the first recorded conversion of Gentiles to Christianity.
1 John 4:7-10
The tradition of the apostle John’s teachings is expressed in the first letter of John. There is a legend that John in his old age would simply repeat over and over to his people, "Love one another." Today’s passage particularly illustrates that story.
John 15:9-17
Bishop Untener’s Homily
Jesus speaks of us as "friends." That word, as it is commonly used, may be a bit thin to describe the relationship Jesus is talking about. Actually, the Greek word John uses is from the root word meaning "love" and might better be translated "beloved."
But even "love," as we use it, might not capture the depth of what is involved here. We might do better to use the word that gets to the heart of it – "covenant." Let’s take a closer look at that.
In early Hebrew society, written documents were rarely used. The spoken word was all they had, and it meant everything. A "covenant" was a spoken promise, plus ritual. Often the ritual involved blood. At that time they thought that the breath was in the blood. Thus, when blood was used it meant staking one’s life on what on what was said. The words became sacred, unbreakable.
The covenant for the Jewish people was the one sealed at Mt. Sinai and expressed in the words: "I will be your God and you will be my people." Here is how it is described:
"Moses took half of the blood and put it in large bowls; the other half he splashed on the altar [which represented God]. Taking the book of the covenant, he read it aloud to the people, who answered, `All that the Lord has said, we will heed and do.’ Then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying, `This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words of his.’" (Exodus 24:5-8)
Blood, the source of life, now bound God and the people together in the most sacred bond possible – life.
When we realize this background, Luke’s account of the words Jesus spoke at the Last Supper take on much more meaning. Jesus takes the cup of wine and says, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you."
And... when we realize this background, the words spoken at Mass take on much more meaning. The priest takes the cup of wine and says, "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant."
The truth is, we don’t have to go back to early Hebrew society to appreciate the depths of what a covenant is. We have an example close at hand – the words the bride and groom speak to one another at marriage:
I, take you, to be my wife... my husband... to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death to us part.
Now... do you want to take in and begin to experience the implications of what God does for us through his Son? It is very striking. Picture God speaking these same "covenant words" to you, personally:
I, God, take you (speak your own name aloud)... to be my own... to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse (this includes sin), for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until... [here, the phrase "until death" has to be changed]... and when you die, my Son will walk with you through death and bring you safely home, to peace and joy and life... forever."
God will never break this covenant. Never. No matter what. God doesn’t break covenants.
One more thing. A covenant involves both parties. We have to speak our part. We do it most dramatically when, at Eucharist, we approach this same cup over which the words of covenant were spoken, and we say, "Amen." And then we drink from it.
There is a lot in that "Amen." Do you want to take in and experience the implications of that "Amen"? It’s not hard. Take a moment, and speak the other half of the covenant.
I... (speak your own name aloud)... take you, God, to be my God... to have and to hold, from this day forward... and so on, and so on, and so on. Amen.
Originally given on May 28, 2000