Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
I have a lot of friends from seminary who are in the Antiochian Archdiocese. When today’s epistle is read—especially verse 29, “… [it was] in Antioch the disciples assumed the title ‘Christians’ for the first time”—they always beam with a little bit of pride.
After all, they are “Antiochians,” under the Patriarch of Antioch. In fact, their website used to have that verse prominently displayed on their homepage.
Today, it’s more than folks under the Patriarch of Antioch who call themselves “Christian.”
Not only do people in all the Eastern Orthodox Churches call themselves “Christians,” but so do the people of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, as well as various Protestant and Reformed churches.
“Christian” has come to be a generic way of referring to a follower of Jesus, whether or not they adhere to any of the historical bishoprics set up by the apostles.
But, what does “Christian” actually mean? How is it being used here in Acts? And, how should we understand ourselves as “Christians”?
Scripture: Acts 11:19-30 (click here to read)
Bottom Line: To be a Christian carries the responsibility of living a life in imitation of Christ’s.
Discussion Questions
- If you were baptized as a child, how were you instructed in your faith as you grew-up? How were you taught to be Christian? If you were baptized as an adult, what did your catechism classes look like? What was emphasized? What teachings stand out to you?
- Do you think of being a “Christian” as believing a particular creed or living a particular lifestyle? Or, perhaps, a combination of beliefs and lifestyle? What makes you a Christian? How do you live differently as a Christian than if you weren’t? What responsibilities do you have because you’re a Christian?
- Sometimes, it’s easy to think of the Church as a club: you pay your “dues” to be served. But, Paul says the Church is the Body of Christ with many different body parts (members). In other words, each person in the Church has a calling to contribute. What’s your contribution to the Church? What blessing do you share with your brothers and sisters in Christ? What blessings have others shared with you? How did that make you feel?
Moving Forward
The word “christ” is the Greek translation for the Hebrew word, “messiah.” A direct translation of “messiah” into English is “anointed.” Originally, someone who was anointed with oil was anointed so for a specific task, whether it be a priest in the temple or a king of Israel.
So, throughout scripture, we find many “christs,” if you will. But, for us, there is one person who is *the* Anointed (Christ) One: Jesus of Nazareth.
We take on the name “Christian,” which means “little christs,” when we are baptized and anointed with the chrism. Through our own baptism, we die to ourselves and rise with the life of the risen Christ. We’re united to him and we become a member of the Church.
This rebirth comes with responsibilities. It requires a change in our nous (mind/heart) and that we walk on a new path. It’s no accident that Christianity was first called The Way. The lifestyle of these early Christians still lays a foundation for us today, teaching us what it means to be Christian.
“And they devoted themselves steadfastly to the Apostles’ teachings and communal life, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. And reverence came to every soul; and through the Apostles came many wonders and signs. And all those who had faith were at the same place and owned all things communally, And they sold their properties and possessions, and distributed to everyone, according as anyone had need. And from day to day they steadfastly remained in the Temple in concord of spirit and, breaking bread in one house after another, they shared their food in gladness and simplicity of heart, Praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” (Acts 2:42-47a)
The motivation for these Christians was love. They loved God through constant prayer, attending services in the temple, and breaking bread (regular participation in the Eucharist). They loved their neighbors by overcoming their own obsession with money and material things. They shared what they had with others and they supported their community (church).
When we read about the lifestyle of these early Christians, we have a knee-jerk reaction. It sounds too idealistic, too much like communism. But, they weren’t pushing a political agenda. They were operating out of a sense of love.
What would our communities look like if we also operated this way? What if we had this same sort of ethos? What would services or Bible studies look like? What would our budget look like? Would a festival even be necessary, or would we have such a strong sense of community that our church (and those a part of it) wouldn’t lack for anything?
If all this seems too inward-looking, then we need to look the other major characteristic of the Church in Acts: evangelism. Story after story we see how Paul, Peter, and the other apostles were constantly preaching. They taught the Law and how it points to Jesus. They spoke about how he was crucified and brought back to life. And they told anyone and everyone who would listen.
This wasn’t always easy. Sometimes they were ridiculed. Sometimes, they were jailed. And, sometimes, they were killed. Stephen, the first deacon, was stoned to death. But, in today’s reading, we notice that this had a strange effect on these early Christians.
“Therefore those who had been dispersed by the persecution that had occurred in connection with Stephen journeyed on to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the message …” (Acts 11:19)
Stephen’s death motivated them to go out and keep on preaching. Whereas many of us would hide in fear, the early Christians took it as a sign to keep doing what they were doing. After all, the name “Stephen” means “Crowned One” He was crowned precisely because he died preaching the Kingdom of God.
What would our churches look like if we were motivated to preach with the same sort of gusto? Preaching isn’t always to strangers at the grocery store. It can be mentoring a child, teaching them how to chant, participate in the services, or guiding them in Bible study. Preaching can be an outreach to the community through community service or almsgiving. Preaching can take a lot of different forms … but, most importantly, it’s an act of love.
So, what does it mean to be a Christian? Well, as we’ve seen from the example of Acts, it means taking our responsibility to love God, our Church community, and our neighbors seriously. It means supporting our church, those in the church, and our community.
Being a Christian is a gift. When we received the free gift of salvation in baptism, we became a part of the Body of Christ. So, we are honored to serve and love others in our community. I pray that we never take our title of “Christian” for granted, but see it as a gift and an opportunity to be a part of something greater than any one person.
Changing Your Mind
“And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great many had faith and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:21)