Acts 4:1-20 (edited)
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day.
The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem and called the prisoners forth, and asked “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Let it be known to all of you that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and raised from the dead.”
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and had nothing to say in opposition. So they spoke among themselves and said, “What will we do with them? A sign has been done through them; we can’t deny it.” But to keep it from spreading let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name. But Peter and John answered them, saying, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge for yourselves, for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Last week we discussed the first part of this story in which Peter and John healed a lame man through the power of Jesus’ name. This was done quite publicly and drew a large crowd—many of whom, drawn by the Holy Spirit, heard Peter’s words and became Jesus followers.
If there was anything the temple authorities both hated and feared, it was rumors flying around about people healing in unauthorized names—and here were Peter and John, standing right out in the open and proclaiming Jesus of Nazareth—crucified and risen--as the one who heals. And the people just kept on coming to hear more.
The Sadducees were especially irate because by speaking of Jesus as alive they were proclaiming there is life after death—which the Sadducees adamantly did not teach. So they gathered up some priests and the captain of the temple guard and arrested Peter and John, on the spot, and threw them in a cell.
The next morning the High Priest and the Elders met together and ordered Peter and John to be brought before them, and when they arrived they asked them, “By what power or by what name did you perform this act of supposed healing?”
By this time the once lame man had come to stand with Peter and John, and Peter stepped forward and answered the priests, “Let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” Going on to quote Psalm 118, v 22, Peter continued, “This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’”
When the priests heard Peter and John speaking they recognized they were uneducated and ordinary men, and so they, the priests, should be able to use their authority to shut them up—and yet they were frustrated because half of Jerusalem had seen the lame beggar healed and subsequently dancing in the streets. If they tried to say that never happened, they ran the risk of losing even more authority with the people—because the people knew that it did happen.
The priests were in a bind. Two common fishermen and a beggar--by their words and actions-- were challenging the authority of the temple leaders—or at least their right to be the sole interpreters of the Law. And they had no valid argument that would stand up against what the crowds around them had seen for themselves. So they had to let them go.
However, they still had to do something to shut these men up and keep this story from spreading any further than it already had, so they let them go, but warned them they were to never speak of this Jesus again. The disciples answered them saying, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard,” and after threatening them some more, they finally released them, finding no way to hold or further punish them, because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened.
And the disciples returned to the streets and went right on preaching the name of Jesus — and the people kept on coming to hear them and to see whatever wonders they might do -- and the Holy Spirit continued to work in them – and their numbers increased daily.
We, too, are called to speak our truths, every bit as much today as these first Christians were in their day. In a casual conversation, in an argument, in social settings this is not usually too hard to do, but what if we were threatened with imprisonment for speaking against the prevailing “authoritative” version? What if we speak out in the face of threats of harm?
People do speak their truth, and some have paid high prices. We’ll be hearing about some of these people in the next few weeks. We would most likely like to think we too, would speak out, but would we...?
If there was anything the temple authorities both hated and feared, it was rumors flying around about people healing in unauthorized names—and here were Peter and John, standing right out in the open and proclaiming Jesus of Nazareth—crucified and risen--as the one who heals. And the people just kept on coming to hear more.
The Sadducees were especially irate because by speaking of Jesus as alive they were proclaiming there is life after death—which the Sadducees adamantly did not teach. So they gathered up some priests and the captain of the temple guard and arrested Peter and John, on the spot, and threw them in a cell.
The next morning the High Priest and the Elders met together and ordered Peter and John to be brought before them, and when they arrived they asked them, “By what power or by what name did you perform this act of supposed healing?”
By this time the once lame man had come to stand with Peter and John, and Peter stepped forward and answered the priests, “Let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.” Going on to quote Psalm 118, v 22, Peter continued, “This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’”
When the priests heard Peter and John speaking they recognized they were uneducated and ordinary men, and so they, the priests, should be able to use their authority to shut them up—and yet they were frustrated because half of Jerusalem had seen the lame beggar healed and subsequently dancing in the streets. If they tried to say that never happened, they ran the risk of losing even more authority with the people—because the people knew that it did happen.
The priests were in a bind. Two common fishermen and a beggar--by their words and actions-- were challenging the authority of the temple leaders—or at least their right to be the sole interpreters of the Law. And they had no valid argument that would stand up against what the crowds around them had seen for themselves. So they had to let them go.
However, they still had to do something to shut these men up and keep this story from spreading any further than it already had, so they let them go, but warned them they were to never speak of this Jesus again. The disciples answered them saying, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard,” and after threatening them some more, they finally released them, finding no way to hold or further punish them, because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened.
And the disciples returned to the streets and went right on preaching the name of Jesus — and the people kept on coming to hear them and to see whatever wonders they might do -- and the Holy Spirit continued to work in them – and their numbers increased daily.
We, too, are called to speak our truths, every bit as much today as these first Christians were in their day. In a casual conversation, in an argument, in social settings this is not usually too hard to do, but what if we were threatened with imprisonment for speaking against the prevailing “authoritative” version? What if we speak out in the face of threats of harm?
People do speak their truth, and some have paid high prices. We’ll be hearing about some of these people in the next few weeks. We would most likely like to think we too, would speak out, but would we...?
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