There are times in our lives when we show our age. For example, how many of you remember the television show, The Flip Wilson Show, from the early 1970s? On that show comedian Flip Wilson played a fictional character by the name of Geraldine Jones . . . a sassy, liberated Southern woman. The character was such a hit with viewers that some of her sayings entered popular culture: “When you’re hot, you’re hot; when you’re not, you’re not!” “What you see is what you get!” And, this one, “The devil made me do it!”
“The devil made me do it!” was a phrase Geraldine uttered whenever she was caught doing something she should not have been doing. Instead of taking responsibility for her own actions she found it convenient to blame it on the devil. The poor devil carried a heavy load thanks to Geraldine because we know that the devil does not make anyone do anything that he or she doesn’t want to do. It is always a choice.
In hearing our scripture reading this morning with 21st century and especially American ears, I think that we are taken back a little by what we are hearing. The writer tells us that all the believers were of one heart and mind . . . that no one owned anything individually, but that they shared everything . . . they sold their property and donated to the good of all . . . they took care of the needs of everyone. I think that what we are hearing would not fly in our culture today. It would reek of socialism and even worse of communism. It is un-American! And yet, the words we are hearing are coming straight out of our Bible . . . the holy scripture . . . the word of God. We cannot deny it no matter how much it does not make sense to our 21st century American ears.
What do you think Geraldine would say about such behavior? She would say that “the devil made them do it!” That is one way to explain it, but the people involved would probably tell us something different. They would tell us that “grace made them do it.” Which is what the writer tells us: “And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.”
Now the Book of Acts tells us the story of what happens to Jesus’ disciples after the resurrection. They go out and they share the “good news” . . . they tell about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead . . . they teach and preach the words he had taught them . . . they go out to build community—to build the Kingdom of God. Just as Jesus asked them to do. And, so, what we are hearing is the birth story of the “church” and how the disciples believed. Because they believed . . . because they had witnessed and received the grace . . . life changed. It changed how they viewed themselves . . . viewed others . . . and, viewed the world around them. Everything they were about was because of the grace of God demonstrated through Jesus . . . his life, death, and resurrection. Once they got it, they understood it. Grace made them do it.
Grace is the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God. It is God’s influence or spirt operating within humans to regenerate or strengthen them. Grace inspires virtuous action for God and towards others. Grace is what we received in the Easter story . . . grace is what we have witnessed . . . and, it is grace that allows us to change.
We can explain away the actions of those early disciples . . . they believed that the second coming of Jesus was going to happen at any moment; so, why own property, wealth, or anything at all? They weren’t going to be taking it with them when Jesus came back. Also, if they didn’t need it for themselves, then who cares if it goes to help those who have needs? We explain what we are hearing as a momentary glitch in the story because these early disciples were banking on the Second Coming.
Maybe so. Historically we can see that this experiment of community did not succeed then or ever really. History is littered with hundreds of examples of attempts at living a “one for all, all for one” community where everything is shared . . . and, we know that they did not survive. But let us forget about what it sounds like . . . what it looks like in our mind and let us consider it in the light of grace. After all, we are in the season of Easter.
One of my favorite movies that I enjoy in the weeks leading up to Easter is Chocolat. The movie is about a mysterious and single woman who shows up in a small French village and opens up a chocolate shop which is set up across the street from the church. They are greeted with curiosity and skepticism . . . they are not warmly welcomed into the community. Lots of things happen in the movie and I would strongly recommend the movie to anyone . . . it has an Easter message.
The climax of the film comes on Easter Sunday. The community is gathered in the church. Father Henri stands before the people after a series of events have shaken the community and open their eyes. He begins to speak: “I want to talk about Christ’s humanity, I mean how he lived his life on earth: his kindness, his tolerance. We must measure our goodness, not by what we don’t do, what we deny ourselves, what we resist, or who we exclude. Instead, we should measure ourselves by what we embrace, what we create, and who we include.” Here Father Henri is attempting to say that the faithful are measured by how they live their lives in light of the grace that they have received.
It is about how we see and live through grace.
Maybe those early disciples went a little too far to the extreme in demonstrating their care for one another. The point is that they cared. They cared that everyone’s needs were met. They cared that no one went hungry . . . naked . . . or without being seen. They cared about each other and came to be of one mind and heart. And, they cared because of the fact that God cared about them . . . because of God’s grace. Such grace was not to be kept hidden away . . . it was to be shared. And because it was shared they were that much closer to realizing the Kingdom of God.
Grace made them do it.
How do we respond to the gift of Easter? How does grace play out in our lives? We are told that “all the believers were one in heart and mind” . . . are we, the followers of Jesus of “one heart and mind”? Well, certainly not like those who were described in our reading this morning. Probably not even in the broader sense of being of “one heart and mind”. As we look around the world today, we are a long way away from being what the writer describes . . . there is too much poverty, too many hungry, too many homeless, too many oppressed, too much prejudice, violence, and hatred. We live in a divided and divisive world. Where is the grace?
Have we forgotten the grace?
The message of Easter is grace . . . God’s grace demonstrated through the resurrection of Jesus. God did it for us. Jesus shows us the way. We are to follow and do likewise with our lives . . . lives blessed with grace. We are called upon to not only tell the “good news”, we are tasked with living the “good news”. Here in this fourth chapter of the Book of Acts we witness grace in action . . . the story is shared, people are welcomed and cared for . . . they were of “one heart and mind”. And, grace made them do it.
Grace, as author Ann Lamott writes, is the glue that mends our brokenness . . . it makes us whole and holy . . . and, it must be lived and shared. Lived and shared so that others too know how their brokenness can be mended . . . how they can reclaim their place in the family . . . and, how they will be loved and cared for. We are an Easter people . . . a people of grace and it is up to us to embrace it, live it, and share it. It is up to us to be of “one heart and mind”. All we have to do is to let grace do it to us so that we can do it for others. Remember, Jesus showed us the way. Amen.
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