2217AFC042922 – Follow the Leader
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Revelation 5:13 – 13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!”
Acts 5:41 – 41 As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
John 21:18-19 – 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 13:13 – 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am.
John 13:20 – 20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Aloha nui loa, ʻŌmea! Here we are, already at the Third Sunday of the Octave of Easter. There are two types of octaves in the Catholic Church. The most common form we think of is an eight-day period the beginning day inclusive. Here’s an illustration to show that:
(See Divine Mercy Sunday and Robert Allard for more information)
Note the tie-in (↔ Click Link) with the 6th Feast in Leviticus 23 – Yom Kippur, the Feast of Atonement. It is also like Succoth, the “Feast of Weeks,” a seven-week period of powerful significance. This is the second form of Octave (↔ Click Link) we think of in the Church. It is a “Privileged Octave” during which no other feasts can be celebrated. In the fifty days from Easter to Pentecost, we celebrate this “long octave” which leads up to the birthday of the Church in the Cenacle at Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. “Pentecost” is the fiftieth day. Pentecost (Shavu’ot) The Feast of Weeks or Festival of Harvest is at the very center of the Jewish ordained feasts – the fourth of seven. It’s good for us to know and understand how deep and long this tradition is, and to consider it on this 3rd Sunday of Easter.
The coming Sunday is also May first and the beginning of a month-long celebration of the role of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. She really is the first Disciple, the first Apostle, and the first Theotokos – the God-Bearer. I often muse about how this good Jewish mother might have pondered her son’s mission and ministry. As he drew closer to Jerusalem, he told his Disciples – which likely included his Mother, several other women, and the 12 Apostles – the nature of his impending abuse, torture, death, burial, and resurrection. And then …
He told them this: John 13:13 – 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. John 13:20 – 20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. He had already called them by name and sent them out to preach and minister to the People – the meaning of Apostle → Gr. apostolos (ap-os’-tol-os). An Apostle carries with her/his faith the authority of the One who commissions the sending forth. He is indeed the Teacher – Διδάσκαλος (Didaskalos) – an expert in Scripture and theology. They – and we – have his teaching authority if we accept his sending forth. Are we baptized? Are we anointed? Are we commissioned? Do we serve the One True God? Then whoever receives us receives the One who sent us. He is our Teacher and Lord if indeed his Holy Spirit is within us. (See Romans 8:9) We love our Lord because he first loved us (See 1 John 4:19); we follow him because he chose us (See John 15:16). He chose us to redeem us; he has called us by name, and we are his. (See Isaiah 43:1c) As we are his, we are blessed in Christ and we bless God for our Redeemer: Ephesians 1:3-4 – 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. Now, why is that important?
It is important because the only things in Heaven made by humans are the scars in the hands of Jesus. (↔ Music Link) If we want to join in that heavenly chorus singing “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” – then we must be holy and blameless before him in love. We get that status in and through Jesus. Without that blessing from God, we most certainly will miss out on being there to praise, bless, and minister to God. I’m going to steal a little something from 2140AFC100121 – Bless God for Consecration. We see these words “bless the Lord” in scripture so many times, especially in the Psalms (see Psalms 16, 68, 104, and 134 for samples). When I say, “Bless the Lord,” I am acknowledging he is God and I am not. I am extolling, praising, exalting, applauding, revering, lauding, and glorifying God. And there’s another one of those words! Glorify God. God is the penultimate Glory. So that makes me wonder …
Q: What can my puny existence add to his Glory?
A: Nothing.
Q: What does God need from me?
A: Nothing.
Q: Then what can I give to God?
A: Everything.
Huh?
Q: If he’s got everything and he created everything and he is everything and he’s in everything, and everything I have comes from him … how can I give him everything?!?
A: By extolling, praising, exalting, applauding, revering, lauding, glorifying, and thanking God. That is how we bless God. But to do that, we first have to be perfected in Christ Jesus, and Jesus has already taken care of that. In our baptism (the remittance of original sin), confirmation (the Gift of the Holy Spirit), and Eucharist (the fellowship of Grace by which we share in his Divinity by surrendering our humanity to his Will) we are prepared to bless God – first in our lives here on Earth, and later for eternity in Heaven. TAKE CAREFUL NOTE of the beginning of that passage from Revelation: “13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing …” We participate in that choir through Grace. (See Ephesians 2:8-9) (↔ SERIOUSLY Click that Link) Now, let’s finish up with the last two Key Verses:
Acts 5:41 – 41 As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.
John 21:18-19 – 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
The Apostles REJOICED when they suffered dishonor for the sake of the Name of Jesus. Every Apostle suffered martyrdom … GLADLY. For all of them, Easter was the beginning of their ending. A couple of weeks ago I asked, “Are we ready for that Easter which includes Calvary and the Tomb?” We, too, will find in our lives some form of dishonor, mortification, and for some even martyrdom if we are worthy to extol that Name which is above every name. (See Philippians 2:9-11) Please notice that the last words in this passage are “to the glory of God the Father.” You see, Heaven isn’t just about walking around in your shimmering robe and golden slippers on streets of gold and gems whilst visiting with family, friends, and people you’ve always longed to meet. Heaven is about Praising and Blessing God. Always. Over and over. We picture standing at the Threshold of the Pearly Gates, craning our necks to see who else made it, and waiting for The Apostle Peter to issue our harp and halo. Jesus gave his Rock the clearest command in the APP. It’s the same command he gives to us. It’s not a suggestion, not a wish, not an easy task, but it is an Absolutely Perfect Mandate:
“FOLLOW ME.” I, you, we – together – must go where HE goes because he’s The Leader. WE REPENT, BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, AND FOLLOW HIM. 1, 2, 3 – EASY AS CAN BE.
I can stand in agreement with Bob Dylan and say, “I was born very far from where I’m supposed to be, and so I’m on my way home.” ― Bob Dylan, (No Direction Home: Bob Dylan). I’m excited about getting there, and I’m excited about being on The Road Home with all of you! I think one of the first things I’ll do is listen for the band and the choir and then look for “SomeOne’s beat up, fuzziless Teddy Bear. Standing. Grinning. DANCING“(↔ Click Link)
When I cross that threshold I am hoping I will hear,
SomeOne calling out, “Come near!
I AM Lord of All That Dance,
The Was, The Is, The Evermore.
The Maker of The Band.”
I’m learning to dance, praise God, as planned! I’m following the Leader!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
