Daily Bread

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realised that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognised them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another.

They said, ‘What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’

So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered them, ‘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.’

After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened.

What a change in Peter and John! Isn’t this Peter, who quailed in fear before the questioning of a slave girl on the night of Jesus’ arrest? And here is John, his buddy, who knows more about where to catch fish and mend nets than politics or education. Now they dare to preach boldly in the temple?

They are so changed, and yet the same. The temple authorities are astounded. These men, who dare to preach are uneducated and so ordinary! How can this be? Peter and John were fishermen, not priests or rabbis. No ordinary person would dare to do this.

What happened? Well they didn’t somehow get a PhD inserted in their brains overnight, and they didn’t even go to the equivalent of seminary. They were just — well — smelly fishermen and from up north in the boonies to boot. They still wore workingman’s rough clothing, and their accents had not changed — and yet, and yet — there was a profound transformation, and how could anyone doubt that the guy with them, virtually dancing with excitement and joy, was the same lamed man who had begged at the temple gate for years. They touched him, spoke the name of Jesus and he was healed.

None of it made sense, but what the authorities did know was that this preaching and the power of it, was dangerous. The best they could do was try to shut these guys up, so they told them to be quiet, and threatened harm if they did not stop being such a nuisance.

I love Peter’s answer. Despite the threats and danger he declares, “We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard!” He echoes the words of Jeremiah, when he too, was told to shut up; "But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak in his name any more, then the word is like a burning fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it back, and I cannot.”

These ordinary men became extraordinary as they met their resurrected Lord and were filled with the Holy Spirit, and when we meet Jesus in a real way, when we are filled with his Spirit of love that longs to call all people to him, we too are called to witness to what we have seen and heard. We need not wait until we are wiser, more educated, or more eloquent (though don’t we all wish for that!). That same Holy Spirit still works through very ordinary people like you and me to do extraordinary works of grace. We needn’t wait until we have it all together — we simply need to speak boldly of what we have seen and heard — and the Spirit will work.

Dear Lord,
Your love for me is so amazing.
I know, in many ways, I am not the same person
as I was when I first felt your call of grace to me.
In fact, I am not even the same person I was yesterday.
Sometimes, though the fire of your love burns within me,
I feel inadequate, or unprepared to speak.
Sometimes, I am just plain scared.
Give me the courage to speak boldly of your love,
so others may know you as well
– for your glory!
In the power of the Spirit
Amen