Acts 4:1-2 “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.”
Healing with Jesus’s Power
In Acts 3 and 4 Peter and John heal a familiar, crippled beggar near the temple gates. They heal him but give Jesus the credit saying it was by His power that it occurred. When they tell the people about Jesus’s death and resurrection it causes quite a stir. This is something the priests and others in power just can’t tolerate so they put them in jail overnight to answer to the Sanhedrin the next day. You can imagine how that goes.
Jesus as a Threat
Jesus threatened the priests. He called into question not only what they were teaching but how they were acting. He made it personal. They didn’t like that. You know the story and how they “solved” that problem. It’s a story that has played out innumerable times. Whether it’s “boil that dust speck” or “off with his head” those that enjoy the status quo and/or profit from it have been “solving” problems for years. Except this one didn’t quite end like it was supposed to for the powerful ones.
How we handle threats
Typically, maybe especially today, once the party that’s upset the apple cart or offended the big boys or cool kids is either crushed or discredited; we all go on with our lives. We move on to the next thing with the swiftness of the evening news or the next thing on our calendars. What happened, what the outlier did or said and how they were dealt with is old news. Who remembers what the news was last week, last month or last year? I don’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday.
This doesn’t go away
In this case however, the disciples, because they’re disciples, don’t let what they’ve seen, lived and learned go. And worse for all those that thought they’d solved the problem, they carry on with what “that guy” had been doing before they got rid of him. This creates a huge issue.
Alternative measures
Peter and John are brought before those in charge of handing out justice and told to explain themselves. Once they do, the real conundrum becomes clear. This Jesus thing is gaining momentum and if his followers are squashed the momentum is only going to grow. So they’re released, probably in hopes that people will move on to the next flavor of the week eventually. The truth is, some do. But here’s our question.
Our reaction
Easter is over. We’ve put away the egg trees, plastic eggs, bunnies, chicks and almost eaten all the Peeps. Will we move on to the next thing? Since Easter is over, are you going to let this “thing” go?
Something to Think About:
Which direction does the world try to move you? How do you resist and what might the cost be for you personally?
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