Acts 5:12-32

The Apostles Heal Many

Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

The Apostles Are Persecuted

Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.’ When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, ‘We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.’ Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. Then someone arrived and announced, ‘Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!’ Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’ 

Today’s reading is a long one, where we see a variety of attitudes to the faithful response to their call by the apostles. Those who are hurting, vulnerable and powerless respect them and seek God’s blessing from them. Those holding onto power and privilege are feeling threatened and are desperate to hold onto what they have for themselves.

The apostles are being faithful to the prophets, to the teaching and example of Jesus, to the fruits of the Holy Spirit as they act with the boldness they prayed for in Acts 4. We can see how their actions fit themes from Scripture, including Micah 6:8 and Mary’s song, the Magnificat, “he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty”, from Jesus announcing his ministry in Luke 4:18, from the Beatitudes and Sermon on the Mount.

It is critical that we find the apostles acting in ways that the people can see demonstrating faithful discipleship, actions that are not self-seeking, that are faithful, without personal gain. Only when we see these things can the response to a challenge in verse 29 be appropriate. 

All too often people claim to be obeying God before and without that faithful discipleship, and these can be terrifying and dangerous. Only when the crowds of hurting, vulnerable, powerless say, yes we have seen the teaching and practice of Jesus in these people, we have seen that they are not doing this for themselves, only then can the claim to be obeying God stand.

When Christians live faithfully as the apostles do here, then we see the panicked response of those using power to control others and for their own benefit. We see the downtrodden lifted and freed, we see the world changed, not by those seeking power but by those exercising faithful love as they obey the teaching and example of Jesus. It has happened before in the early days of the Methodist movement, in the Civil Rights movement, and I’m sure the historians know of many others.

Blessings as we marvel at the faith and miracles of the apostles and pray that we too might see miracles especially now during our time of trial.  Be safe!  Be well!  He is Risen Indeed!

 To Ponder: 

• What might a faithful working out of discipleship look like as a new normal is searched for after the pandemic?
• Where have you seen or experienced people authentically obeying God? What does it look and feel like?
• What might authentically obeying God mean for you today?