Word to the Wise
Friday, April 24, 2009 - Friday in the Second Week of Easter
[Acts 5:34-42 and John 6:1-15]FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2009 FRIDAY IN THE SECOND WEEK OF EASTER [Acts 5:34-42 and John 6:1-15] "So now I tell you, have othing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God!"
These were fateful words! They amounted to a license to the early disciples to continue their preaching without further harrassment by the religious authorities in Jerusalem! The context is important and so I urge you to read the whole passage for today. Rabbi Gamaliel refers to earlier "messianic" efforts that failed and were brutally suppressed by the Romans or Herod! What Gamaliel is doing is taking a "calculated risk" and the rest is history! Of course, there would be further persecutions. Gamaliel didn't get rid of those! But this intervention had the effect of "cutting some slack" for the disciples. (By the way, this Gamaliel was probably the one under whom Saul of Tarsus studied!) I have recalled Gamaliel's advice more than once in the many administrative or pastoral ministries to which I've been assigned. When is an "intervention" appropriate, especially if I considered the developments in question to be potentially harmful or I considered the theological basis to be shaky? Students could become very enthused about some particular organization or movement and ready to set up a chapter of it at a Catholic student center immediately. Should I, as pastor, "just say 'NO!'?" Or should I take the fairly sure route that today's enthusiasm is tomorrow's embarrassment? The latter route is the one I have generally followed after recalling Gamaliel's advice! This is why one of the first things I pray for each day is WISDOM and the second is MERCY! AMEN
config
view
logs
3840.0 KB
87 ms
4
