Gamaliel's Law

Tuesday, June 26, 2007 -- Week of Proper 7

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
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Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 972)
Psalms 97, 99, [100] (morning) 94, 95 (evening)
1 Samuel 6:1-16
Acts 5:27-42
Luke 21:37 - 22:13


Today it is called "Gamaliel's Law." The advice of the Pharisee Gamaliel has a spirit of moderation and tolerance. As a Pharisee, he is in the minority at this council dominated by the Sadducees and others of high rank. Among the Pharisees, Gamaliel led a more moderate or liberal school of interpretation that was also not as numerous as the school of Shammai. Eventually, the tradition of interpretation that evolved from Gamaliel's school became the dominant expression of Pharaseeism, from which most of modern Reform Judaism traces its roots. In Acts 22 St. Paul says that he was raised in the school of Gamaliel.

Gamaliel's advice to the council concerns their arrest of the early leaders of the Jesus movement. "Let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them -- in that case you may even be found fighting against God!"

He gave them several examples from their recent history of failed movements -- one who said he was a prophet who could lead his followers through the Jordan like Moses, another who led an abortive revolt against the Roman census. For a while these seemed like threats to the established Jewish order, but each fizzled. Leave these new followers of Christ alone, is Gamaliel's advice. If they are not of God, they too will fizzle. If they are of God, you cannot stop them, and you might be fighting God.

About sixteen years ago I was on the National Episcopal Cursillo Committee. Some of the leaders believed that Cursillo should set some policy in response to the conversation about sexual orientation that was raising anxiety in the church. The committee passed a policy that effectively barred non-celibate gay persons from leadership within the Cursillo movement. (I voted with the minority.)

The following year, two active Cursillo leaders came to appeal that decision. Each was gay (one lay; one priest), and each was deeply committed to and involved with Cursillo. As the priest finished his presentation to the committee, he humbly asked us to consider following Gamaliel's Law. Just leave us alone. You don't have to pass rules against us. If this movement to recognize the legitimacy of committed gay relationships is an undertaking of human origin, it will fail. But if it is of God, you will not be able to resist it, and you may even be found fighting against God.

On that note we finished our morning agenda, and went to celebrate the Eucharist. The readings assigned by the Book of Common Prayer for that day included this passage from Acts recounting Gamaliel's Law. No one, including the priest who had just spoken, realized these were the scriptures for the day. I watched a certain calm peace settle in the face of the priest who had just spoken to us. The anguish and hurt he had carried evaporated into a gentle glowing countenance. A couple of members of the committee had tears. That afternoon we reversed the decision from the previous year.
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Note: We being Luke's account to Jesus' passion today.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
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