None Were in Need—Lectionary Reflection for Easter 2B (Acts 4)

Acts 4:32-37 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

³² Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. ³³ With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. ³⁵ They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶ There was a Levite from Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). ³⁷ He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

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                The first reading from Scripture, according to the Revised Common Lectionary, normally comes from the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible). However, during the season of Easter, the readings come from the Book of Acts, giving us a peek at what Luke has to say about how the followers of Jesus lived out the promise of the resurrection. In this first reading for the season, Luke takes us directly into the lives of people who were creating a new form of community that continues to speak to the church to the present day. It’s a word that is likely to prove controversial if taken up in a sermon, at least in the United States and Europe. It describes a form of community that looks a lot like communism, though it is a form of communism that long predated Karl Marx.

Many years ago, I taught a college course on the Book of Acts at a conservative Bible college. I would shock my students by pointing out that perhaps the early Christians were communists, though not Marxists. What Luke does here is invite us to consider what Christian community might look like if the followers of the risen Christ gathered together and held all things in common. This question is raised in the context of a community’s attempt to envision what the realm of God might look like, even if it has yet to arrive in its fullness.

This passage has been chosen by the creators of the Revised Common Lectionary for this season because it reveals something about the community’s witness to the resurrection: “With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). It is in the context of a community completely committed to one another, such that they were “of one heart and soul" that they bore witness to the Resurrection. As a result of that oneness, they held everything in common, which allowed the apostolic testimony to the resurrection to gain power. Whether this form of community actually existed or how long it might have existed is not known. Nevertheless, this passage does remind us of the power that exists when a community comes together in unity of purpose, cares for one another, and exhibits the kind of love that Jesus called for in his ministry.  

One of the questions raised by the passage besides the question of duration, concerns its message to the larger community. I live in a capitalist society, where the word “communism” is considered dirty. Thus, a passage like this is often overlooked or set aside. We can simply say that the early Christians could do this, but it has no impact on how we view the larger world. In fact, we see this played out regularly as preachers let their people know that they have no responsibility for anyone besides themselves, or beyond their nation. The ideology of “America First” which has found a home in many parts of the Christian community has allowed many believers to close their eyes to the needs of others who suffer. As long as we believe in Jesus we’ll have a heavenly home—yes, it’s just me and Jesus! Yet, here we have a passage of scripture that challenges that perspective. It does so in response to the resurrection of Jesus.

As we ponder this passage, we need to ask questions about what this might have looked like in practice. Did the believers sell all their possessions and put the proceeds in a common treasury? Or did the people maintain private ownership and simply sell property when needed to sustain the community? Either way, Luke tells us that no one, whether they were rich, or poor, was in need for they shared all things in common. As Ron Allen notes, “The result was that the members regarded their material goods as resources to serve Realm purposes” [Acts of the Apostles, p. 51]. They did so because they were “one in heart and soul.” So, as Ron Allen again points out, “Although different in national origin and culture, they understand themselves inherently connected” [Acts of the Apostles, p. 51]. Gustavo Gutierrez, one of the founders of Latin American Liberation Theology, adds to this conversation, noting that the actions of the Jerusalem church “was not a question of erecting poverty as an ideal, but rather seeing to it that there were no poor…. The meaning of the community of goods is clear: to eliminate poverty because of love of the poor person” [A Theology of Liberation, p. 301].

Luke offers us an example of a member of the community who modeled this commitment to the good of the community. That person is Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, who will become known to us as Barnabas, which according to Luke means “son of encouragement.” According to Luke, Joseph sold a field and laid the proceeds at the feet of the Apostles so that the funds could be used for the good of the community. It’s important we note that Barnabas was a Levite, which means he was part of the priestly class. He also appears to be a person of some means. Finally, he was an immigrant. That is, though he was Jewish, he, like his later partner in ministry, Saul of Tarsus, was a member of the Jewish Diaspora. Of course, Joseph, now Barnabas, will become a major character in Luke’s ongoing story, since he will be the one who brings Saul of Tarsus into the community. Then, later, he will join Saul, now known as Paul, on Paul’s first missionary journey.

I should mention that Luke offers a counter-example to Barnabas, revealing the activities of two members of the community who were not of “one heart and soul” in their commitment to the Jesus movement. While we don’t have the opportunity to explore that part of the story during this Easter season, it is worth pointing to Luke’s story of Ananias and Sapphira, who pretended to contribute fully to the community but held things back. Things went poorly for them, not because they held things back but because they lied about their contribution (let the reader understand) (Acts 5:1-11).

As we continue with our Easter journey, with the message of the resurrection at the forefront, the power of the message is revealed in the way the community lived together. In the resurrection of Jesus death met its match and no longer holds the world hostage. While the realm of God has not yet been fully revealed, the community showed what the realm looks like by showing compassion for one another. They revealed a different way of being present in a world where the majority of people lived on the margins, whether slave or free. Women and orphans largely were on their own. But this new community of Jesus’s followers lived together in such a way that at least for a time sought to bring not just equality but equity. Here was a community that in principle welcomed everyone no matter their socioeconomic situation. Now, this is a rather idyllic picture because we have other evidence that these communities struggled to live out this mandate. It was an issue in Corinth. It was also an issue in the communities that James addressed in his letter. Nevertheless, despite the difficulty in implementing these principles the witness of the community, including its testimony to Jesus’ resurrection, helped spread the faith throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.

The message of compassion and equity, such that no one was in need, has its roots not just in the resurrection but ancient Judaism as well. The principles of sabbath and jubilee were deeply implanted within Judaism, even if these principles might not have been fully embraced or developed in real life. Consider for a moment the principle of Jubilee, which ordered the redistribution of land back to the original owners after fifty years. This principle was designed to prevent the development of monopolies of land or money. As a result, this principle served as an expression of God’s justice, which marks the biblical story.

While there is little evidence that this commitment to community life was more than a passing moment in the history of the church, that Luke tells this story serves as a reminder that God is concerned about the marginalized. It reminds us that poverty is not something to be celebrated. The gap that exists separating the wealthiest and the poorest in society is not something to be celebrated either. Living as we do at a time when CEOs make millions of dollars in salary and benefits while workers experience cutbacks in wages and opportunity is nothing to be celebrated and stands in contrast to the vision presented here. While Marxist economic principles have largely failed to deliver, the analysis provided by Marxism of our economic systems has proven valuable. The “promise” of “Trickle-down economics” also proved less than effective, since the haves keep more, and the have-nots continue to lose out.

So, what does this passage to us as followers of Jesus? It would seem to suggest that followers of Jesus should place compassion at the forefront of our faith lives. That compassion has economic consequences.  As Willie James Jennings points out: Matters of money are inescapable. They are at the heart of discipleship, but they are not the heart of discipleship. Money here will be used to destroy what money normally is used to create: distance and boundaries between people. Distance and boundary is not merely between the haves and have-nots, but also between the needy and the comfortable, and between those who testify to Jesus, and those, who like Jesus, help those with little or nothing. Jesus will join us and he will use whatever we have to make the joining possible.” [Jennings, Belief: Acts, p. 50].

While our government is not beholden to Scripture, surely, we who are followers of Jesus will put compassion at the forefront of our political commitments. Surely, we will affirm the need for equity, such that everyone has the same opportunities, even if that means some of us step back so that others can make their way to the front of the line. Remember what Jesus said. “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” That is a different worldview than many today have embraced. That is true of Christians as well as those who are not Christian.

While the passage highlights the economic life of the community, the passage is in the lectionary because of its witness to the resurrection. This community which placed diversity at the forefront of its life together, that lifted up the need for equity and not just equality, and was committed to inclusion, at least eventually, was and is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus. We need to wait for stories about encounters with Samaritans in Acts 8 and Gentiles in Acts 10, for the church to fully embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. In other words, the Easter message is rather radical!