Loading...I’m sure that you have driven down Division (or up) or gotten off of (or on) I-90 downtown or Thor/Freya
and you’ve seen the panhandlers:
“will work for food”
“please help: homeless vet”
“too old to work, too ugly to hook” or
“I’m not gonna lie; I need money for a drink”
The dilemma as you sit at the light:
do I give money or not?
do I make eye contact, or fiddle with the radio?
do I smile, or keep eating my donut?
And, you may wonder: how will this money I give be used?
How will this $5 bill (or handful of ones), or even the $20, actually alleviate this person’s situation?!?
If you’re like me at all, by the time you have worked your way through these questions and dithered for several minutes, the light has turned green and off you go.
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During the season of Easter, we are reading through parts of the book of Acts. We are learning about the actions and words of the early church, the disciples of Jesus, those who were “sent out” into the world to act.
Our first reading today is most of a sermon by Peter. It begins:
“You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our power of piety we had made him walk?”
Hunh? What is he talking about?
You have to go back to the first part of Chapter three.
One afternoon, Peter and John are going up to the Temple to pray. As they were approaching one of the gates – “Beautiful Gate” by name – they saw a lame man there. In fact, this man was in place every day. Folks would carry him each morning to a high traffic spot so that he could ask for money from the people going in to the Temple grounds to pray. This was a fairly common practice.
Sure enough, on this particular day, as Peter and John were passing by, the man who was lame asked for money. John and Peter both looked intently at the guy. They didn’t just walk by, or suddenly start talking to each other about the quality of the figs and dates they’d just passed at the fruit seller’s stand!
They stopped and looked. They really looked and saw.
Peter said, “Look at us!”
Whoa, the guy must have thought, these men are going to give me some coins!
Peter went on, “I have no silver or gold (I imagine the lame man’s heart sank a little), but what I do have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!” Peter reached out and helped the man to stand.
Immediately his feet and ankles were made strong and he went leaping, jumping, walking, and praising God! Imagine the joy and glee that could have been radiating from him!
The people in the Temple recognized him as the lame guy from Beautiful Gate, but here he is – standing, walking, leaping, moving, praising, and joyful. They are filled with wonder and amazement, and they ran together to a part of the Temple called Solomon’s Portico where John, Peter, and the healed man were standing. The crowd was utterly astonished. They were agog and full of wonder; they were puzzled and surprised.
And frankly, we are too, if we think about it.
A healing miracle! But, this is not Benny Hinn.
This is not even Jesus; but it is like what Jesus did.
Peter and John, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth gave healing.
What’s going on here?
So, Peter began to preach to the crowd:
why do you wonder?
why do you stare?
why do you even imagine that by our own power or piety that WE made him walk? It wasn’t us!
The God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Isaac and Rebekah, the God of Jacob and Rachel; the God of our ancestors is at work in Jesus. We are witnesses to what God has done. Even though Jesus – Author of Life – was killed by mob rule and the powers and principalities, God raised him to life because this is what God does. As witnesses, by faith in his name, the name of Jesus has made this man strong.
Peter proclaimed that faith in Jesus’ power for life is not diminished, lost, or ended because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Rather, it is shared, broadcast, and at work throughout the world via those who are the witnesses; the ones who trust in the power of life renewed in Jesus.
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We are witnesses of these things.
We are witnesses of life sustained and given again like Peter, John, Clopas and companion and the other disciples who are gathered together in Luke’s Gospel account.
Simon Peter had excitedly been telling the group how he encountered Jesus – risen from the grave, alive – when Clopas and companion burst in to tell the group about Jesus whom they met on the road but didn’t know it was him but he explained the Scriptures – the Law and the Prophets – and explained God at work in the world. Then he broke bread with them and vanished!
Breathless, they were.
While they were still talking about this, Jesus was there.
Shalom.
Peace.
Peace be with you.
Here I am with you, not a ghost.
Do not be afraid, do not doubt. It is I.
Touch,
See.
Oh, and by the way, do you have any food?
(I imagine one of the disciples staring at Jesus and dazedly, slowly handing him a broiled fish....)
And, again, Jesus told them all good news:
All that has happened, happened.
And it is good – life again for me, for you, for all.
So, go.
Tell.
Do.
Act.
You are witnesses of these things.
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We are witnesses of these things.
You and I
We are witnesses of the new life God gives by Christ.
We are witnesses to the hope with which God showers us.
We are witnesses to the power of life and perseverance, even in the face of fear, aggression, war, violence, cruelty, or discrimination.
We are witnesses to the power of the Holy Spirit breathing possibility where there has only seemed to be a dead-end.
We are witnesses to the power of Christ’s love and peace when we see care and kindness shown to one who is grieving.
We are witnesses to the power of God’s grace and reconciliation when family members or friends take the risk to turn towards each other after anger and brokenness has caused division.
We are witnesses to the Spirit’s work of healing when we experience freedom from an addiction or unhealthy behavior, especially with the help of someone by our side.
We are witnesses to God’s power of death and indifference
when we show compassion to enemies and strangers
such as the one who asks for our help,
or who doesn’t ask (doesn’t know how?)
but to whom we reach across a chasm in Jesus’ name.
We are witnesses to healing, hope, and life in the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Author of life.
We are witnesses to Shalom and love from the God of our ancestors,
Abraham/Sarah, Isaac/Rebekah, Jacob/Rachel.
And you are sent as witnesses,
as Resurrection people
full of the life that God gives freely –
to proclaim this hope that you know from God in Jesus by the Spirit
in your words and in your deeds.
Amen
