The Holy Martyr Thaleleus (283-84)
Acts 15:5-34; John 10:17-28
Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read Acts 15:5-34
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
In today’s reading, we hear how the early Church responded to claims that Gentile converts to Christianity must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses. The apostles and elders came together in what is called the Council of Jerusalem to discuss and make decisions concerning these claims. Even from the time of the apostles, Church leaders gathered and made decisions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
As Peter did multiple times in the Acts of the Apostles, he “rose up” and addressed the assembly. He noted that it was already established that Gentiles were welcome to become Christians, and so regarding circumcision and the law of Moses, he asks those gathered, “Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they” (Acts 15:10-11). The law of Moses is not what brings salvation but rather the grace of Jesus Christ.
In Paul’s letters, we hear echoes of this same conclusion. For example, in his letter to the Galatians, he speaks of the “curse of the law:” “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:13-14). Deuteronomy 27:26 states that “cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.” It was an impractical burden for anyone to completely follow the Jewish law, which is why Peter describes it as “a yoke on the neck . . . which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear.” Since Jews could not perfectly follow the law, according to their own scriptures they were cursed.
Today being Friday, it is especially fitting to remember Christ’s crucifixion. Being lifted up on the cross, Christ became a curse to lift us up from the curse of the law. The law was a “tutor” to bring the Jews to Christ until its fulfilment could be found in faith in Christ (Gal. 4:24). Paul writes that “in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6). Today, let us consider what a gift exercising our faith is to us. Our faith in Christ leads us to a life of grace in which we are not bound to the Jewish law. Through faith we are all children of God in Christ Jesus, “for as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27).