Eastertide
April 12, 2016
Scripture Reading: Acts 9:36-43
Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner. –Acts 9:40-43
What do you think really happened in this story? Our fact-based minds want to analyze and explain rationally such incidents. Or perhaps we want to take some time to honor Saint Peter for he was truly a gifted child of God.
Christ’s messages to each of us is that that we are truly gifted children of God and that he expects us to do even more than he did. In Matthew 17:20b he says, For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there”, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’ And in John 14:12 he also says, Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
How many mountains have we moved recently? How many people have we returned to wholeness? How much of the world has experienced God’s justice through our acts?
While we do need leaders in the faith like Peter or Dietrich Bonhoeffer or Sojourner Truth, most of us are like Tabitha making one step toward justice one tunic at a time and that is a good thing. How many people could the whole Body of Christ lift out of poverty?
Prayer: Lord, make us one in our call to bring mercy and justice to all of your children. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.