13 April 2024
And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait at tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.’
From Acts 6:1-7, NRSV
Our reading today points out the first sign of any division in the early Christian community. In this new but quickly expanding community, there was a complaint from the Hellenists against the Hebrews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The apostles took this matter seriously since these women would have had no other means of support. Rather than getting directly involved in the administration, they determined that the best solution was to delegate this important task to others. Some may think that they were showing a superior attitude but it is likely that their time was fully consumed by prayer and service. The attention they paid to the selection of people to take on the administration shows that they did not see the task as inferior; those selected had to be of good-standing in the community and filled with wisdom and the Holy Spirit. It is interesting to note that the seven men selected all had Greek (Hellenist) names. That this was not disputed by the Hebrew members of the community shows that there was a real desire to solve the problem and to preserve the unity of the community.
- Why do you think the apostles left the selection of the seven to the people?
- Does this event give us any help with solving disputes in our own communities?
Pray for all charged with leadership in our communities, and particularly for deacons.
