Deity Confusion
May 8: Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter
Today’s readings deal with the differences between pagan gods and the God of Israel. What’s especially confusing is the Holy Trinity, which sometimes feels like three gods, but is in fact One. It’s hard to wrap our heads around; that’s why it’s a Holy Mystery.1
Reading 1
Acts 14:5-18
There was an attempt in Iconium by both the Gentiles and the Jews, together with their leaders, to attack and stone Paul and Barnabas. They realized it, and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside, where they continued to proclaim the Good News.
At Lystra there was a crippled man, lame from birth, who had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking, who looked intently at him, saw that he had the faith to be healed, and called out in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet."
He jumped up and began to walk about. When the crowds saw what Paul had done,
they cried out in Lycaonian, "The gods have come down to us in human form." They called Barnabas "Zeus" and Paul "Hermes," because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, for he together with the people intended to offer sacrifice.
The Apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their garments when they heard this and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, "Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings. We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from these idols to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all Gentiles to go their own ways; yet, in bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witness, for he gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filled you with nourishment and gladness for your hearts." Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
When last we saw our heroes, they had just shaken the dust of Antioch from their feet. They went on to Iconium, and it turned out even worse. This time, they had to flee, to avoid getting stoned.
They wind up in Lystra, a Roman outpost full of Gentiles. There, while preaching the Good News, Paul cures a cripple, which convinces the people that Paul is a god!
Paul learns he has to take a different tack than he did with the Jews. It doesn’t make sense to explain to them that Jesus was the Messiah foretold by the prophets; they don’t know what a messiah is and they never listened to these prophets.
Instead, he makes an argument from natural phenomena—God is the one who gave them rains and fruitful seasons, not Paul. They’re not convinced, though.
Let’s see how that goes tomorrow…
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 115:1-2, 3-4, 15-16
R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
Not to us, O LORD, not to us
but to your name give glory
because of your mercy, because of your truth.
Why should the pagans say,
"Where is their God?"
R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
Our God is in heaven;
whatever he wills, he does.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the handiwork of men.
R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
Heaven is the heaven of the LORD,
but the earth he has given to the children of men.
R. Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory.
The Psalmist insists that Israel doesn’t deserve glory, but God alone. The pagans, however, can’t see God. They don’t know about His revelations in scripture, so they ask—
God is in heaven, invisible to human eyes. They call on the pagans to not be fooled by what they can see, idols of gold and silver. But look at the world around you, and see the glory of God.
Alleluia
Jn 14:26
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Holy Spirit will teach you everything
and remind you of all I told you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus promises He won’t leave us alone. Even though we won’t be able to see Him anymore, He will be with us.
Gospel
Jn 14:21-26
Jesus said to his disciples: "Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."
Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, "Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?"
Jesus answered and said to him, "Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
"I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name-- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."
Judas (not the Iscariot)2 makes a good point—how is it that Jesus offers the Good News only to Israel (and those Gentiles in the area)? What about the rest of the world?
Jesus assures him that it’s because their working, spreading the Gospel, isn’t over. It’s going to keep going, even after he’s dead. That’s why he’s sending the Holy Spirit, to guide us, and the Holy Church.
This would cause confusion among pagan converts in the early Church,3 because they were used to multiple gods. As we saw in the first reading, Paul had to explain that, no, there is only One True God, in Three Divine Persons.
Okay, if we’re honest, it’s still confusing today.
Which is an answer some people don’t like.
I don’t know why, I always find this parenthetical hilarious.
And in the Middle Ages. And in the Early Modern Era. Basically always.