Monday of the
Second Week of Easter
(Acts 4:23-31; John 3:1-8)
In Leonard Bernstein’s epic musical Mass, the epistle is sung as a tribute to the “Word of the
Lord.” Addressed to “men of power,” the
song exalts what the Acts of the Apostles teaches about the efficacy of God’s
message. Over the long run, the song
says, God’s message of love will conquer the pride, ambition, and contempt of
the powerful.
In today’s passage from Acts, Peter and John have just
returned from being told by the Jewish Sanhedrin never to speak the name of
Jesus again. The apostles, having openly
defied the order, now pray with the Christian community for strength. Their stance is confirmed as the room shakes
with the approval of the people moved by the Holy Spirit.
Although its contents are only words, the Word of God can
threaten the interests of the powerful. It
speaks of God’s desire that humans worship Him, not the heads of armies. We must study it, understand it, preach it,
and live it as God’s servants.
