A sermon preached at Kowloon Union
Church on Sunday 17 April
2016, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, by the Rev. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that
day were Psalm 23; Acts 9:36–43; John 10:22–30.
Opening praying
Dear God,
may the Holy Spirit dwell and inspire us. May your word transform us to live
our life with your love and serve faithfully like Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Today I
would like to speak about a woman disciple in the early church. Her name is
Tabitha in Aramaic, in Greek, it is Dorcas. I will use the name Dorcas in my
sermon.
The book of
Acts is to reveal the mission and work of the early church community in
outreaching the Gentiles and to show the successful witness of Christianity in
the Roman world.
Professor Gail
R. O’Day, in her biblical commentary on the book of Acts, said Luke emphasized
on the role and works of the Apostle Paul and Peter in the early church
movement of the gospel. She said that
the story of Dorcas being raised from the dead was to highlight Peter’s work of
miracle.
It is quite
true that people in general like to see things that involved super natural
power in one way or another. Raising the dead is dramatic and of course may
attract a lot of attention.
There’s no
wonder then, according to the Acts, that the event about Peter and Dorcas became known throughout Joppa, and many
believed in the Lord.
People in
general like to hear and believe in super natural miracles, typical examples
are someone’s cancer healed after prayers, people surviving in an areophane crash
or an earthquake.
In reading
the story of Dorcas, what really attracted me is not Peter’s power of raising
her from the dead. What touches my heart was the weeping of the widows that
revealed their deep love to Dorcas. The widows were so distressed and in deep
sorrow because their beloved sister was gone.
Dorcas is
the only woman explicitly identified as a disciple in Acts. (9:36) The story did
not mention if Dorcas was a widow. According to some commentaries, Dorcas was
probably also a widow. She was generous to share what she had with other
widows. She made clothes for them and provided for them what they needed.
Widows were
second class citizens in the earlier church period. Without support from
husbands, this group of women was socially marginalized and economically
poor. Dorcas, recognized as disciple, had
been serving them wholeheartedly.
Dorcas,
amongst other women such as Mary, Lydia and Priscilla, were playing significant
leading roles in the early church movement. But they were seldom mentioned in
the scriptures. In a male-dominant structure both in society and in church
settings, the contribution of female was easily neglected.
In the early
church, Dorcas was representing the church community to serve the vulnerable
and the neglected. What she did was ordinary – making clothes for the widows.
Comparing to the miracle of raising the dead, it seemed nothing. But what she did
touch people’s live deeply. This was the reason for the deep sorrow of those
who have been helped by her. She had set a very good example for us to follow
today.
Dorcas
reminded me of many sisters in Christ serving the Lord in a quiet and humble
way. Because they do it in a very low key way and are thus quite invisible,
people usually do not pay attention. I remember a friend, let me call her Joyce.
Joyce is in her 50s. She suffers from heart problem. Her husband is also
suffering from chronical illness. What makes her disheartened is that her
daughter is a drug addict. Her life has been once shattered because of the
health challenge and family problems. She however never gives up. She has
strong faith in God. Instead of being beaten down by life’s trials, she focuses
her life in the service of God and in the love of people. While she is still
taking good care of her husband and praying for her daughter to return to do
good, she spends a lot of her time and energy in helping refugees and homeless
people in Hong Kong. Rev Lam is a local church pastor, very much concerned
about homeless people. Joyce is working together with him behind the scene. Every
week, Joyce brings the homeless people who are also refugees to the church that
Rev Lam is ministering for worship. She also brings those who are sick to
consult doctors. Her service to the vulnerable is very down to earth. What she does is not noticeable by the
public. Rev Lam is well known by the local church of his good deeds. But not
Joyce. However Joyce is not doing any less than him. She has been giving great
service for the people in need and for God. Joyce has faithfully witnessed
Jesus Christ, the shepherd who cares for his sheep.
Like Dorcas,
Joyce focuses on what she can give and serve for others. The clothing made by
Dorcas the widows showed to Peter is sign of her loving action. Dorcas’ love
and care for the widows are very concrete and practical. Love without action is
dead.
The life of
widows could be miserable. No husband to love, no recognition from society, no
adequate means for a living. But Dorcas found a way out for them. She clothed
them with protection, with dignity and with love.
Joyce too did
not allow her personal misfortunes to ruin her life. She refused to be a
victim. Instead she is determined to use her life to serve.
From the
narrative of Acts, the drama of Dorcas is her resurrection – Peter raised her
from the dead.
Dorcas was
Jesus’ faithful disciple. She was Jesus’ beloved sheep. She hears the voice of
Jesus and Jesus knows her. Jesus gives
eternal life to those who follow him. (John 10: 27-28) She is with Jesus Christ
as One. As spoken by Jesus, ‘the Father
and I are One’. Dorcas who is in Christ, may say with confidence - ‘the Father
and I are One’. In this light, Dorcas has been enjoying eternal life in God.
As Jesus’
disciples, do you want the supernatural power like Peter? Of course to some people,
it is nice to have some supernatural power like Peter. But the supernatural
power is not something Christians should seek. It is the grace of God and the
power of the holy spirit that achieves anything beyond human work.
More
importantly, what is the significance of such a miracle of raising the dead?
Resurrection
is all about love!
The
restoration of Dorcas’ life is meaningful to the widows because of the love she
shared with them.
Dorcas
demonstrated her love to the widows by her serving acts.
Love without
action is dead.
Resurrection
without love is nothing.
Resurrection
is an act of love.
Jesus raised
Lazarus from the dead. (John 11:17-44) He did it out of compassion. Jesus cried
too when he saw the deep grief of Mary and her people for the death of Lazarus.
It is the power of love and compassion that makes this miracle works.
Peter did
the miracle after he encountered with the greatly distressed widows.
Jesus himself
resurrected after three days and appeared to his disciples. Why did not Jesus
just stay in peace with God after his death? Why did he raise and bring with
him the broken body to the disciples again? Jesus’ resurrection brought to his
fearful disciples comfort, peace and hope.
Resurrection
is not only just about the raising from the dead. It is not just about supernatural
power. It is not just a single event for us to remember. Resurrection is not simply
an event after death but a reality of everyday life.
Resurrection
is a faith given by God through Jesus Christ the transformation of life and
breaking through of darkness to light, despair to hope, and sorrow to joy.
Peter and
other apostles who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus were called to be the
people of resurrection. The church is thus formed to carry the mission to share
the gospel of Jesus’ resurrection. Both men and women, strong and weak, rich
and poor, homosexual and heterosexual, married and singles who listen to
Jesus are his sheep. At the same time all
his followers are shepherds called by Jesus to serve the needed.
Dorcas’ care
for the widows recorded in the scripture. Florence Nightingale who went to
Crimea to care for the wounded and dying soldiers on the battle fields. Mother Theresa provided dedicated service to
the poor and sick from the streets. Joyce serves tirelessly for the vulnerable
homeless people and refugees in Hong Kong.
These women
are all faithful servants of Christ reveal the power of resurrection. They have
lived the love of resurrection. Some of these women are well known like Mother
Theresa and Florence Nightingale. In reality, there are many invisible women and
men working day after day, week after week, year after year, to serve the Lord
in a humble way. I am always feel indebted to our brothers and sisters (mostly
sisters) silently cleaning dishes in the kitchen after the fellowship on Sundays.
I appreciate so much of many of our sisters working in HK as domestic workers
taking care of their employers’ family, young and old, able and disable with
love.
In the
season of Easter, you are invited to reflect more deeply of what resurrection
meant to you. How is your life and faith encountered with the risen Christ, our
shepherd who knows us and give to us eternal life. Do we hear the voice of
Jesus and follow his way of love and service like Dorcas?
# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, April 17, 2016
