There Are No Magic Buttons

Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter 2024

Today’s Scripture from the Acts of the Apostles introduces someone new to the story of Paul’s time in Asia Minor. Paul is ministering in Galatia, up toward the Black Sea coast, while the scene shifts to Paul’s future destination, much farther south closer to the Mediterranean, a big city called Ephesus. The Alexandrian Jew, Apollos, a man “versed in the Scriptures” came to Ephesus and spoke in the synagogue. What this means is that he knew the OT very well and, as a disciple of John the Baptist, taught about Jesus as the Messiah John had waited for. But Apollos, brilliant as he may have been, missed some important things about Jesus. Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and brought him more up to date on living in Christ. Presumably, they also had him baptized in the Christian sacrament, after which he took his mission all the way across the Aegean Sea to Corinth, with a positive recommendation from the Ephesian church.

Meanwhile, as we will hear soon, Paul wraps up in northern Anatolia and comes himself to Ephesus. These new disciples will show their enthusiasm and ignorance to him. They will show as not even having heard of the Holy Spirit to be poured out on all mankind through the active working of the Resurrected Christ. So Ephesus is awaiting what amounts to its own Pentecost, complete with prophecy and praying in tongues, when Paul arrives.

What that means for Ephesus and Corinth and us today is that it is not enough to hear about the Incarnation and Redemption. Two things must be preserved–an active sacramental life with community involvement and continuing formation in the Christian life. All of us need these in our lives, so that we can continue growing in Christ and witnessing to His power and mercy.

Now Jesus, in our Gospel, tells us solemnly and seriously, “if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” So is saying “I pray this in the name of Jesus” a kind of magic dispenser button that when we push gets a reward? Not at all. Remember that in Hebrew culture the name is a stand-in for the person and mission of the person named. So, in a sense, when we speak, teach or pray as Christians, we are assuming the identity of the Son of God, and can do so because we are adopted children of God. That means we must only ask for those benefits and gifts that we know God wants to be active in His Church and His people. That’s another reason why we study the Word and pray both as a community and as an individual. We always want to be tuned into the communication of the Father through Jesus and in the Holy Spirit.

Remember, too, that these little snippets of Scripture must be read and understood as incomplete teachings. We should familiarize ourselves always with the full Scripture we get them from.