Word to the Wise
Thursday, April 27, 2017 - 2nd Week of Easter - Thurs
[Acts 5:27-33 and John 3:31-36]"We must obey God rather than men." [Acts]
While Jesus has been meeting with Nicodemus, there has been a lot going on in Jerusalem with the apostles. Yes, the selections are "post-Pentecostal" but they are designed to acquaint us with the early preaching about Jesus. It could be an interesting scriptural exercise simply to read all the speeches. Scripture scholars are pretty sure that the book called the Acts of the Apostles is really volume 2 of the Gospel According to Luke. The evangelist has collected any number of accounts of the early preaching by Peter and Paul and others. Three of the accounts of Paul's conversion are included. In reading the "speeches" be sure to read the masterpiece by Paul in the Areopagus in Athens. [Acts 17:22-34]
The fearlessness and enthusiasm that we encounter in Acts is summed up in the quote. The ruling council of the Jews in Jerusalem was called the Sanhedrin. This council had already jailed Peter and the other apostles, who then escaped with divine assistance and reappeared in public. A second confrontation leads to the statement by Peter. Could we make that statement?
Demonstrations based on religious belief are nothing new. Those who gather outside abortion clinics to say the rosary are fairly well known now. The March for Life in January in Washington, DC, is another example. These are usually peaceful. Our Catholic commitment to respect for all life leads some to demonstrate outside prisons when an execution takes place. What would it take for any of us to say, "That does it! I've got to do something!" In the case of Peter, Paul and the other early preachers (and others down through the centuries), their faith was worth their life. Public witness can be dangerous on occasion, but the stakes are high. If Christ is risen, why not say so! If he is the Lord of life, then all life is precious. The Acts of the Apostles can give us examples of courage when we waver! AMEN
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