And all who believed were together and had all things in common. - Lenten meditation 4

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. (Acts 2:44-45)

Of all of the characteristics of the early church, this might be the hardest for those of us living in the 21^st century to accept. These verses state that the early Christians lived in a commune of sorts. They gave up private ownership of their possessions in order that the community would share in a standard of living. This is also likely the characteristic of the earliest church in Jerusalem that was least exported as the church spread – all Christian communities were not communes, and every Christian did not give up private ownership of all possessions upon their conversion.

However, there is a lot that can be taken from this earliest group of believers. They cared for the needs of one another, and the community by relinquishing complete control of their worldly possessions. They did this out of a desire to grow closer to the God that had given up so much for them. This was in sharp contrast to the materialistic religions of the day, which sought favor with their gods in order to garner material wealth and well-being.

We do know that, while all early believers did not leave their homes to live communally, the early Christian communities were characterized by personal sacrifice to provide for the needs of others, especially other believers. The church in Ephesus supported St. Paul while he was ministering to the Corinthians. St. Paul took a collection from the Galatians to deliver to those in need in Jerusalem. Priscilla and Aquila provided for many of Paul’s needs. We also know that the first seven deacons were ordained to assist with the daily distribution of support to the widows and orphans. The church has always been an agency of social welfare. It was the church in Rome that started the first orphanages by roaming the streets at night, collecting the babies which had been put out in the streets to die from exposure – a legal practice in 1^st century Rome.

We are called to be “little Christs” by sacrificing what we have for the good of the Christian community. St. Paul wrote to the Philippian church, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Php 2:5-7) While we might not be called into life in a Christian commune, we are all called into a life of sacrifice. We are to count our material wealth as nothing compared to the eternal wealth offered through Jesus Christ.

We are allowed to have possessions, even some luxury, but we should never allow our possessions to have control over our lives. We should always be ready to give up the things of the world for the purpose of winning souls to eternal life through Jesus. We are to follow the example of Barnabas: “Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.” (Act 4:36-37)

Generosity and genuine caring were two things that drew people to the early Christians, and they will have the same effect on the world today. How many people can be brought to Christ by our simply being his hands and feet to our world? If we are to be the Body of Christ, we must approach our world with the same love, compassion and sacrifice that he has given us. If we are able to do that, even a callous and hardened world will have trouble ignoring us. It was with sacrificial love that the early church won the hearts of the people of Rome, and that is an example that we should do our best to follow.