The second Sunday of the Apostles’ season 

The Church put in front of us the following readings:

 

*The first reading from Acts 4: 5-22

After healing the paralyzed in the temple, Peter and John preached to the people, calling them to conversion, faith in Jesus, and repentance. The Pharisees and the Sadducees were displeased by the apostles' behavior, so they seized and imprisoned them. Meanwhile, thousands believe in Jesus. The miracle caused the leaders to worry more, and they wanted to end the matter before it worsened and the people went out of their control.

 

All leaders gathered to consider the issue and take necessary actions. They previously objected to Jesus taking his freedom against the temple and interfering in his affairs. They objected to him: “With what authority do you do your deeds? Who gave you this power? (Matthew 23:21). Today they ask the same question to the disciples of Jesus: "With what authority or by what name did you do this?" Peter replies with the power of the Holy Spirit that it was accomplished in the name of “Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified, and God raised him, and he is the cornerstone” for the building of the kingdom of God on earth. There is no other “name,” neither Moses nor Elijah, David, nor anyone with it the people will be saved. The members of the Judicial Council are surprised by the “boldness of the two disciples, who knew that they were common people.” The miracle is evidence that cannot be denied. Any violent action against the apostles will turn into a plague on their heads. They found no solution but to condemn them and warn them of a fate worse than the fate of Jesus, so they prevented them from preaching the name of Jesus. But the disciples will no longer frighten them, neither threat nor condemnation. They were baptized with the Holy Spirit and were filled with it. They will not exchange obedience to God for someone else and are ready to bear the result of their faith and preaching. The leaders repeatedly warned them of punishment and did not dare to do more “fearing the people.” Their hearts were blinded by pride, so they continued to resist everything against them and fight all those who were out of their belief. They are determined to go on resisting everything inconsistent with their teaching and eliminating every preacher that does not agree with their interests.

 

*Second reading from 1 Corinthians 5: 6-13

There was a public incident of fornication in Corinth. Nevertheless, the Corinthians continued to be “puffed up with pride” with their wisdom and culture. Instead, it was better for them to be ashamed and “mourn and remove the corrupt from among them.” Paul writes to them profoundly and bitterly, admonishing them. He invited them to think about the negative consequences of this wrong, shameful act, which is blamed on every generous human being. Only being silent on such a shameful thing is to support it and be proud of it! The wrong proverb in itself is a fatal disease, so how does one accept it? It's encouraging. Paul likened adultery to yeast, just as a bit of yeast ferments the whole dough. ”Thus, the corruption of one believer infects the entire group of believers. The Christian should thus become a “new leaven” spreading holiness in “purity and truth.” It is not appropriate for them (Christians) to even “mix” with the corruptors of the people of the world, so how much better for them to avoid believing brothers “fornicators, immoral people, thieves, or idolaters”? God had previously asked God to “remove the corrupt” from among his people so that they would not regard Him with their corruption (Deuteronomy 17: 7), and on the other hand, that they will “be saints like the Lord Himself.” Just as the body of Jesus was not corrupted by death, it is not appropriate for a Christian to corrupt his body with sin. It is not suitable for a single believer to become the cause of the corruption of the entire body of Christianity. So the Christian community should reject evil in others and avoid evil brothers who refuse to change their shameful behavior.

 

*The third reading from Luke 7: 31-50

Luke tells us the news of the sinner woman who fell on the feet of Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee, weeping until his feet were wet with her tears. She then dried them with her hair and perfumed them with perfume. The Pharisee inferred from this that Jesus was not a prophet; otherwise, he would have known that she was a sinner and would expel her and would not let her approach him if he were the Holy One of God. In front of Jesus, he became clear that he was a wise man and a believer. But Jesus showed him that his wisdom was false because he did not know what Jesus knew about the woman. He did not know that she knew God and loved him and regretted her bad, so she repented at the feet of Jesus. He knew that her tears were her repentance and that her perfume was God's forgiveness for her. She has changed her behavior and decided to end her relationship with evil and then follow the path of righteousness, the way of loving God and preserving his law

 

By this, Jesus showed the Pharisee that he pretended to believe and know God but was deceiving himself with his hypocrisy. He called Jesus for food, but he fell short of his right to the duty of hospitality, love, and respect. A Pharisee condemned the wisdom of Jesus, while his knowledge failed. Jesus proved that his understanding is accurate and successful because it conforms to God's will. And God alone is the measure of wisdom and the balance of truth because He knows and can do everything. He is the maker of man and the organizer of his life. He does not want him to die if he makes a mistake, but rather to repent and live before him.

 

Human leaders make mistakes, and people generally make mistakes when they rely on themselves in their decisions and actions. God banishes his life. In his vision of things and his judgments in social life, he depends only on his mind and heart, while his mind and heart are only part of the ray of God's thought and love. It was more appropriate for him to relate to the source of wisdom and righteousness, the sun of truth and the model of morality, God Himself who sent Jesus Christ, and Jesus Himself takes advice from God and submits to His will with humility and love. Wisdom is to understand and accept Christ and to be like him in our actions and our wisdom.