Eastertide
April 23, 2019
Scripture Reading: Acts 5:27-32
When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man’s blood on us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than any human authority. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, so that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.’
What have we witnessed and who have we told? Our scripture today is set in an ecclesial court. Having been a child protective services worker, I have sat in the witness box more times than I would like to count and tried to honestly describe what I had observed. I was also asked to make recommendations regarding the outcomes of the court hearings. Is that the calling Acts is saying we have regarding sharing the good news of Jesus Christ? Are we to truthfully share our observations, our own stories perhaps, of what a relationship with the living Christ has meant to us and if asked, to make recommendations regarding how others can form a relationship with God through Christ?
If we are to witness, we must record, at least in our memories, our observations for future reference. When, where, how, and regarding who have we seen the love of God in action and what difference did it make? Our witness will not be before an ecclesial council. It will most likely be having coffee with a co-worker, chatting with someone at the gym, or mowing the yard while a neighbor prunes a nearby tree.
I learn life lessons in the most interesting ways. My hair dresser is my former next-door neighbor and we got to know each other largely over shared caring for pets. He has cats, I had a dog. A gregarious person, he knew everybody on the block. I the great introvert with a distinct need to avoid pollen am on a waving bases with some and am good for buying candy to help a school fund raiser but I am not the one to chat over the back fence. When I was in his shop recently, he asked about the new people who had moved into his old house and I said that they seemed very nice that they were a couple with a teenage son but that was about all I knew. He said, “Marilynn you have to go outside before will ever get to know them.” Of course, he is right and the same could be said about our witnessing to the love of God. We must be intentional about responding to the call, and we sometimes must step out of our comfort zones.
Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to see the opportunities to witness to others about your love even when it takes us out of our comfort zone. 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 America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.