Clergy from left, Deacon Amy Schmuck, Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, retired, The Rev. Mary Ann Hill and The Rev. Lynn Finnegan. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

By Deacon Cynthia Z. Biddlecomb, M.Div.
ELCA retired

The lessons for this Third Sunday in Easter include the conversion of Paul in Acts 9, and the restitution of Peter to grace in John 21. A bit from the Book of Revelation 5 helps to remind us of who this Jesus is. And Psalm 30, a text Saul would have known well, cries out for God’s Grace.

First we go to the Road to Damascus, where the chief persecutor of Jesus’ followers, a learned scribe by the name of Saul, is intending to wipe out the Christian community in Damascus. As he approaches the city, he is knocked off his horse and a voice asks, “Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul is faithful to the Torah and has until this moment believed that Jesus had led people to a perverted understanding of the Laws of God. Realizing this as theophany, a God moment—that one doesn’t hear voices from heaven often—he humbly asks, “Who are you, Lord?”, a repeat of Moses’ question at the burning bush.

This is the moment that God in Jesus rescues an otherwise faithful servant from misinterpretation of scripture. Saul was convinced of what the Law said. But God is convicting him through Grace to acceptance of the Gospel, God’s Word that the Savior of the world has come in Jesus. After three days of suffering blindness, experiencing total vulnerability, and being at the mercy of others, this persecutor of Jesus’ followers, Saul, accepts God’s grace through Jesus and recognizes his prior deep misunderstanding of God’s purposes. From this time forward he is made new and will be called Paul.

Next, in John 21, our gospel text, the guilt laden Simon Peter receives grace from the resurrected Jesus. Three times he is made to answer Jesus’ question, “Simon, do you love me?” Three times he affirms the love he had denied during Jesus’ trial and persecution, when Peter was himself accused of being a follower. Three times, Jesus tells Peter what the role of one of his followers is to be, “Feed my sheep”, he says, each time more emphatically, giving Peter the gift of forgiveness, the gift of reconciliation to community, and the gift of a call to leadership among the apostles.

Jesus reclaims his faithful servants when they are afraid, brings them to repentance when their actions are way off the mark, and gathers them back to community with Jesus’ followers. The experience of ultimate Grace leads to our calling to serve others in the name of Christ Jesus.

Peter and Paul each became leaders among the faithful. Peter helped the twelve apostles find their feet and their path to spread the gospel of grace. Paul spent some wilderness time getting his head straight, then became an apostle to the Gentile world. Both of them end up in Rome, each ending long, successful careers of witness, with their own imprisonment and execution at the hands of the Roman authorities.

It is due to the bold witness of both these apostles, teachers of the faith, that we know God’s grace in our own lives today. Let us take up our calling, serve others, and be led to our own resurrection in Christ our Lord.

Editor’s note: ‘All Shall Be Well’ is a column written by local women clergy including The Rev. Mary Ann Hill, Rector, Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church (momaryannhill@gmail.com); The Rev. Lynn Finnegan, Associate Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Holy Faith, Santa Fe (rev.lynn@holyfaithchurchsf.org); Deacon Amy Schmuck, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (deaconamy@bethluth.com); and ELCA Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, M.Div., retired (czoebidd@gmail.com).