Thursday of the Second
Week of Easter
(Acts 5:27-33; John 3:31-36)
A couple of years ago a florist in Seattle was sued by a patron
when she wouldn’t provide flowers for his “marriage” to another man. The florist, a woman, did not harbor personal
dislike for the client. Rather she
believes that homosexual marriage violates God’s law and that her providing
flowers would comprise sinful complexity in evil. In a letter to the Seattle Times the florist wrote:
“Rob (the patron) was asking me to choose between my affection for him and my
commitment to Christ. As deeply fond as
I am of Rob, my relationship with Jesus is everything to me.” The florist expresses the same sentiment as
the apostles in today’s first reading.
The Jewish authorities have told the apostles that they are
not to preach the name of Jesus. But
they cannot not do it. They have been
commissioned by Jesus and charged by the Holy Spirit to witness to him as the
world’s salvation. Obeying the
authorities would be defying God’s will.
We need to ask ourselves whether our relationship with
Jesus is the most important element of our lives. Do we love him above all because of what he
has done for us? He created us, shared
our struggles, and then died to free us from sin’s claws. More than anyone or anything, he is worth our
allegiance.
