In the Gospel, Jesus urges disciples to believe in him and do his works, “I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do.” In Acts, belief and works continued to grow and thus “the number of disciples continued to grow.” However, a dozen disciples, referred to as The Apostles or The Twelve, discontinue works – in favor of words. It happens when divisions surface over the distribution of resources, “So the Twelve” told the other disciples, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table.”
As recorded in Acts, the Twelve neglect the work of Jesus in favor of “the word of God.” At that time “the word of God” was Old Testament scrolls. The men who will no longer “serve at table,” which later includes Paul of Tarsus, are certainly influenced by Jesus but also by that “word of God” of the Old Testament. They begin to interpret the works of Jesus in the context of that Old word of God. Are we also interpreting words, instead of doing works? Jesus’ works are three-fold: gather people in Communion, all of us; Love one another, including any we’re tempted to devalue; and be not a killing force but be a Healing power in the world. How can we do these great works when people who call themselves Christian and the institutional christianity they maintain interpret “the word of God” – to ensure holy supremacy outranks Communion, devaluing people for capital gains overtakes Love, and the right to kill is divinized over the power to Heal? In part, institutional christianity is an industry of interpretation that replaces Jesus’ living works. Interpretation is the tool of scribes and Pharisees whose descendants include MAGA pastors like Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, and Pete Hegseth’s pastor Doug Wilson, who’s been in the news of late. Wilson interprets supremacy as Godly, since the Old Testament deity Yahweh of Armies is a supremacist whose laws for Chosen people are enforced by male supremacists who rule over women and all nonbelievers, and thus Wilson, like supremacists before him, is replacing Jesus’ work of Communion. Wilson interprets capitalism as industrious men whose prosperity is given by God, like slaveowners in the Bible, and the enslavers Paul of Tarsus commends, making slavery a Biblical institution for Wilson who believes it should not be entirely condemned, and thus Wilson, like capitalists before him, is replacing Jesus’ work of Love. Wilson interprets war as justified by the God of the Old Testament who commands holy men to defeat Godless enemies outside and inside their domain, making war an act of God, so that Wilson, like killers before him, is replacing Jesus’ work of Healing. Doug Wilson and other MAGA struggle to do the work of Jesus because they’ve decided to interpret Jesus. They interpret Jesus via the “word of God” written by previous supremacists, capitalists, and killers because those writers invented that God, in their own image and likeness. MAGA follow the word of God of the Old Testament because Yahweh is their mirror-image; not Jesus and his Communion, Love, and Healing. Perhaps as our works of the peacemaker Jesus continue to grow, “the number of disciples can continue to grow” because we can invite MAGA members to join us in Jesus’ works.
“They that in play can do the thing they would,… These are the best: yet be there workers who are good… This world is unto God a work of art.” (The Growth of Love – Robert Seymour Bridges)
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, guide us for great works of peace.
Question: How do my words and my works show I’m a peacemaker?
May 03, 2026 Gospel John 14:1-12 Fifth Sunday of Easter