Acts 3:1-4:37
The beginning of the reading today we see a man who has been lame since birth, and this time the disciples don't ask who sinned, instead they tell him to get up in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He jumps up! He leaps up! He is REALLY up, alive and praising God. It is interesting that while he is very glad and light of spirit, it says he clings to Peter and John. He has probably never been inside the Temple before-certainly not on his own feet so he has never seen this place and these people from this perspective. Peter and John, now, he trusts them.
Peter is no longer timid either, he praises God and again clearly brings the truth of the prophets from old into this new situation. I love that he says 'why do you look at us, as if we did this ourselves. God did this; "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of our fathers." Peter also says they must repent and turn to the Lord, just as the prophets said of old, and he points out for them (and this is for us too) that "You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'"
This goes on to say that the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees were annoyed they were preaching about the resurrection from the dead. Now we might think they were upset about them pointing out what took place, and reminding people about Jesus' death, but this makes a point about them being annoyed because they were talking about the resurrection-and in part that is because the Sadducees did not believe that resurrection from the dead was even possible. I suppose it could be understandable in general terms that they would feel this way, but it was something they had been debating for...I don't know a long time; the Pharisees believed it was a possibility but the Sadducees did not so this was an affront to their understanding of what God did.
These two men now are different than they had been. Peter is not hiding in the shadows waiting to see what will happen, he is standing up front and loudly teaching about the old prophets and the current glory of God. No wonder the learned people were amazed, since as far as they could tell they had never had any official schooling or been trained by any accepted Rabbi; so from where did they get this knowledge, and why were they no longer cowering behind locked doors? That the lame 40 year old man was no longer lame was obvious and they couldn't deny that. so they commanded (begged) them not to say anything...Peter and John said "whether it is better in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge," but we will speak of what we know.
No wonder the others pray for boldness; this is something to behold. Now they are the ones who are carrying the message. It is as if the teaching that they had been receiving has finally sunk in. All the time we heard them asking questions and not quite getting the message; now they were able - and willing to speak plainly, clearly and powerfully.
Again this says the believers had everything in common; that they were of one heart and soul. This single-purpose focus amplifies the power with which they are able to proclaim the good news. When Peter and John heal and proclaim in Jesus' name, are imprisoned and released, the others ask for more of this same boldness. Together they can be encouraged. I want this focus, and I need this support.
See you tomorrow.
-maggie
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