And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart ” The "Day of Pentecost" is one of the most famous episodes in the New Testament. Jesus is gone, the apostles lead the Church, and Acts chapter 2 tells us that the Holy Spirit is poured out upon the people in such a powerful way that "about three thousand souls" were converted in a single day. It is a remarkable story of how the small entourage of followers that Jesus had at the time of His death exploded into the largest religion the world has ever seen.
Having just informed us that the Christians of the early Church were living as a communal society—"sharing everything they had" (V:44 CEV)—we read (in V:46) that together they "daily" met in the temple to worship, and "shared" what they had "happily and freely." What a time in the Church's history this would have been. There were surely no "poor," because everyone was watching out for their Christian brothers and sisters. All had their needs met because everyone ensured that no one went without.
This is not "Communism"—which always has two classes: the leadership and oligarchs, and then the impoverished and controlled masses. No, in the early Christian Church, there was one class and one alone: believers in and lovers of Christ. And, as our passage for today highlights, if you love Jesus, how can you not love and care for those whom He loves and cares for? Our verse is really an invitation to Christians to try to make their congregations like the early Church, loving, lending, and ensuring that all have their needs met, so that none suffer, and all rejoice together.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ” In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the Israelites at a time of great despair. They were exiled, living in Babylon, far from their homeland. Jeremiah's words were meant to offer hope and assurance during this period of upheaval. His message was not just for their immediate comfort but also to give them a perspective of a hopeful future planned by God.
This passage in Jeremiah speaks directly to the heart of encouragement, especially in the face of uncertainty and difficulty. It's a reminder that even when our current circumstances seem bleak or disheartening, there is a broader plan for good, for hope, and for a future. This can be particularly resonant for us when we face our own periods of doubt or when our path seems unclear. It's a call to trust in a greater plan that we might not fully understand yet.
