Give Us A Faith
Give Us a Faith for paper Rev. Terry Goerz, Redeemer Lutheran Church.
Acts tells the story of some of the earliest Christians after Christ’s resurrection and his numerous post-resurrection appearances. Their first instinct had been to hide behind locked doors in that Upper Room, but it didn’t take them and their followers long to leave their hiding places behind. For after a cloud took Jesus out of their sight at his ascension, they themselves were given, after the day of Pentecost, the ability to do many wonders and signs, increasing their self-confidence in telling others what had taken place. As Peter said in the final summary sentence of his Pentecost sermon: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36
Peter’s words, along with the disciples’ miraculous activity and the work of the Holy Spirit caused the church to grow by thousands. Not long afterward Peter and John miraculously healed a crippled beggar who followed them into the temple leaping and rejoicing. Peter addressed the gathered crowd explaining that it was the power of the resurrected Christ that enabled this miracle. But this activity also caught the negative attention of the Jewish Council. Their response was to arrest Peter and John and hold them in custody until their appearance before the rulers and elders and scribes the next day.
Peter and John must have done some soul searching while being held in prison that night. Were they to join in Jesus’ martyrdom? No doubt they were praying for faith in what lay before them the next morning. But Peter’s response to the Jewish leaders the following day made clear that he and John were not intimidated. The leaders conferred in private, acknowledging that they could not deny such an outstanding miracle. So after numerous threats they charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John replied: “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.” Acts 4:19
After further threats they released them. When the disciples’ followers heard of this, they prayed for boldness for the disciples, for a faith that would allow them to boldly proclaim what they saw and knew in spite of the dire threats. The place where they prayed was shaken. Lord, we pray, give us such a faith as this!
The apostles and believers ignored the threats of the leaders and boldly witnessed to the resurrection accompanied by many outstanding miracles. The enemies of Jesus, having heard and seen enough, arrested all the apostles and put them in a public prison. When the apostles were freed from prison by an angel of the Lord, they did not flee but continued to teach in the temple as instructed, resulting in another arrest and appearance before the council. They were not intimidated but instead responded with a courageous answer to the council’s threats: “Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Acts 5:29- 32 Theirs was a faith that shone forth brightly in spite of the danger and it knew no fear. Lord, we pray, give us such a faith as this!
Now, despite a speech by the well-respected Jewish teacher Gamaliel—and his advice that they cool down—the Jewish leaders could only turn down the heat a few degrees. They didn’t kill the disciples, but they gave them a public beating and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus before letting them go. That had no negative effect on the apostles.
After their beatings, the apostles’ behavior surprises us and possibly even surprised them—the last thing that they and also we might have expected. They left the council not moaning and groaning because of physical pain they suffered; not angry, declaring that the forty lashes less one were the last straw; and not panicking, quietly taking their families and leaving Jerusalem. Rather quite the opposite: “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 5: 41, 42. And behind their rejoicing was the sense of accomplishment that belongs to everyone who gives witness to Jesus Christ, God’s Son and Savior. Lord, we pray, give us such a faith as this!
It may be that some of us, perhaps many of us, don’t think we have what it takes to step up and speak up for the gospel like these early disciples. To be sure, not everyone can speak like an angel or preach like Paul. But everyone can tell of the love of Jesus and that he died for all, and can lead the little children to their Savior’s waiting arms. If and when you do, you will be surprised by how good it feels. There is no greater joy as a Christian than to see Christ using you to snatch the lost from the Lake of Fire. That was how the disciples felt. They rejoiced even in their suffering and thereafter couldn’t be shut up. Lord, we pray, give us such a faith as this!
Blessings