Sermons from Mission Hills UCC
San Diego, California
Rev. Dr. David Bahr
david.bahr@missionhillsucc.org
April 21, 2024
“In the Name of Jesus”
Acts 3: 1-10 – The Message
One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them.
6-8 Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.
8-10 The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing
The Book of Acts began last week with the criteria Peter presented for choosing a new disciple to replace Judas Iscariot. As I said, Mary Magdalene should have been the one and only one considered as the 12th apostle but wasn’t, in favor of a guy whose name we’ve immediately forgotten. All of that happened sometime between the 40th and 50th day after Jesus’ resurrection. The 50th day was the Feast of Pentecost, a Jewish High Holy Day. The faithful were all gathered in Jerusalem when followers of the risen Christ of every nationality and language were filled with the Holy Spirit – a big story we’ll get to in a few weeks.
Right after their Holy Spirit experience, the community of Messiah believers quickly grew to more than 3,000 people, but it’s important to note, they didn’t see any conflict with continuing to also practice all the rituals of the Jewish faith. And so it was that Peter and John went to the Temple at 3:00 in the afternoon. It was just a regular day. It was also just a regular day that they would encounter someone at the entrance gate collecting alms. That’s simply how a disabled person at the time could earn money on which to live. Nothing unusual.
As they approached the temple, the man asked Peter and John for mercy, another word for alms. Peter said, “we don’t have any money, but I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk.” And he did. He jumped up and walked around and entered the temple, leaping and praising God. As he walked in, people stared at him in wonder and amazement. For years they had walked past him and now here he was walking past them. People rushed to Peter and John to ask how this was possible. Peter replied, “why are you so amazed,” as if there was anything unusual about an old man – yes, the text notes, he was over 40 years old – walking for the first time in his life.
Peter then explained to the crowd that Jesus was simply the fulfillment of promises and prophecies dating all the way back to the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. You know, the one we’ve been expecting all this time. “Don’t look at us like we’ve done anything unusual. It wasn’t because of our power or some kind of extraordinary faithfulness on our part. This was done in the name of Jesus.”
But no matter how humble they might have been about it, their healing actions incensed the religious authorities, the same ones who plotted with the Romans to execute Jesus only months before. Now his followers are out healing in his name – a new form of danger. Irate, the authorities arrested Peter and John and threw them in prison. But when word got out, the number of believers increased from 3,000 to 5,000 – overnight! The next morning, Peter and John were led in front of the high priest, elders, legal experts, and Roman authorities who all demanded an answer: “By what power or in what name did you do this?”
In response to the hostile questioning of all those powerful and important men, Peter had a simple answer. “You’re making a big deal about a good deed?! All this because we did something good for a sick man?” He explained, all these things were done in the name of Jesus who, again, is simply the one promised down through the ages. Why do you find that so unusual?
Peter’s simple answer caught those powerful and important men by surprise because they assumed Peter and John were just ignorant and uneducated Galileans. How could they be so eloquent? They had no counter argument and the healed man was standing right there, so they couldn’t claim it didn’t happen. The crowds were on Peter and John’s side. What could they do?
They ordered Peter and John to wait outside while they discussed their dilemma and then brought them back into the room. The authorities demanded they stop all speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and John said, “No.” “All right, we’ll make you stop.” “OK, try it and see how that works out for you. This time.” It wasn’t a threat. It was simply true. Those powerful and important men thought that by executing Jesus, it would send a message to stop anyone else from trying to imitate him. But all they had done was increase the number of his followers, now 5,000 and rising. Peter and John were released and they rejoined the others. Together they rejoiced over the signs and wonders done in the name of Jesus.
“In the name of Jesus.” As I thought about my sermon title today, the phrase “in the name of Jesus” kept coming to mind, but I hesitated – picture the over-the-top antics of a television evangelist. “In the name of Jeee-sus!” But I kept the title because I want to tell you about something extraordinary done in the name of Jesus on Tuesday.
In 1966, the pastor of Mission Hills and three members went to tour a new apartment building next to Grace Lutheran Church in Hillcrest. The church had recently opened a 15-story tower next door for low income seniors through HUD – the newly formed Department of Housing and Urban Development. They came back to our church and began promoting the idea that we should do the same.
In addition to Pastor Kermit White, one of those four people was Lawrence Green, a member of the church for 40 years. Among other things, he owned 40,000 acres of citrus groves south of Escondido. He was wealthy and a Christian at heart. He put up the money to hold onto some available land at the corner of Fort Stockton and Ibis to ensure a location by the church. As he said, without the land, the plan wouldn’t have happened. That’s why it’s called Green Manor – named for Lawrence Green, not that people are being put out to green pastures.
HUD financed the 13-story building with a loan of $1.5 million dollars – equivalent to $12 million today. As part of the loan agreement, the church agreed to “finance the expected preliminary operating expense and at least 25% of the estimated annual operating expenses” for the first five years in the event Green Manor was unable to do so on its own. The church took on a significant financial risk in order to see the project to completion. To me, that sounds like a miracle, wonder and amazement, done in the name of Jesus.
Construction began in October 1969 and residents started moving in just one year later in November 1970. Pretty hard to believe construction of something that large could happen so quickly. But people were waiting. There were 150 apartments for 2,000 applicants.
When you drive around town you’ll see quite a number of these HUD senior towers, often built by churches. First Lutheran built Luther Tower, Wesley Methodist built Wesley Terrace, First Presbyterian built Westminster Manor, and so on. And one more. When First Congregational and Mission Hills merged to form Mission Hills UCC, as part of their legacy they built First Congregational Memorial Tower on Park Boulevard.
Each building has its own board of directors, effectively the owners of the property, and often it is still the members of the sponsoring church that serve as the board. More than a few of you here today have served in the last 50 years. By Green Manor’s bylaws, the pastor is a permanent director and the majority of the board must be members of the church. It’s not owned by but it is a mission of the church.
Two years ago, we learned about something called low-income housing tax credits. To this day I still can’t really explain it, but I know what it can do. Affordable housing developers can purchase properties like these senior towers to rehabilitate them and extend their life as affordable housing. The building’s board of directors can take the money from the purchase and use it for other non-profit purposes. They can walk away. Or the board can enter a joint ownership agreement with a developer and remain a minority partner, receiving as payment the equity of the building while the developer receives the benefit of the tax credits. The building is completely rehabilitated, including the residents’ apartments, and the property is guaranteed to remain affordable housing for another 55 years.
If you don’t quite understand how or it sounds too good to be true, imagine the challenge of the board responsible for the stewardship of the building and the lives of the residents. Was it a scam? Would it put the building or residents at risk? Imagine, however, the risk the church agreed to 50 years ago if Green Manor failed. We were propelled by one thing: what more can we do for today’s growing number of unhoused seniors? But look what can be done when it is in the name of Jesus. That’s why churches did it in the first place. To take seriously the healing ministry of Jesus, to follow the teachings of Jesus to show love by feeding his sheep, to clothe the naked, visit the sick, and shelter people without a home.
So, here’s what happened this week: after two years of education, skepticism, diligence, and a lot of meetings, our board evaluated 17 offers, pursued deeper conversations with three different affordable housing developers - two of whom live in Mission Hills and drive by Green Manor every day, and all three have kids in school in either Grant or Francis Parker. We chose one group and agreed to enter into a long-term joint-ownership which will completely rehab the building from top to bottom and ensure the building continues as a home where low-income seniors pay only 30% of their income for rent. Plus, in our arrangement, we will return to majority ownership after 16 years. And for all that, we will receive $53 million. A staggering amount with which we are determined to build more low-income housing – in the name of Jesus. We’ve already put in an offer on a piece of land and if it’s accepted, we can start working toward another apartment complex –for only a portion of the $53 million.
This is wonder and amazement done in the name of Jesus to bring healing among our neighbors. They may not be able to jump up and leap their way into the temple, but for many, a safe home would feel ever as much a miracle after working a lifetime at lower wage jobs. Amazing, right? In the spirit of Peter and John, I think this is a miracle worth celebrating today.