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The Book of Acts
Our current series is in the Book of Acts, as we see how God’s Spirit changes the lives of Jesus’ followers and begins to change the world, too. May we too be inspired afresh in our generation!
Tuesday 22nd October – Acts 12:1-5 ‘Politics, persecution and prayer’
I come from a church tradition where every good sermon has three points beginning with P – and sometimes it’s good to return to your roots! Just be thankful I didn’t add Peter, Passover and Public Trial as well, or you’d have had a 6-pointer today…
As we observed yesterday, chapter 12 sees the re-appearance of a notorious name in the scriptures: Herod. Unlike his predecessors, this Herod (Agrippa) was popular with the majority of Jewish people, because his mother was a Hasmonaean – these were the rulers of Judea before Herod the Great and were related to Judas Maccabeus, the great Jewish hero of the second century BC.
Politically astute as ever, Herod Agrippa saw an opportunity to gain popularity by turning on the early Christians. The timing is significant: the fact that the gospel was now spreading rapidly among non-Jews – and that church leaders were openly fraternising with Gentiles – would have caused concern among the populace. It was also Passover time – the greatest celebration in the Jewish year, and the time when Jesus was arrested and executed. Herod saw a chance to gain further favour with his subjects; I doubt very much that he was bothered with questions of belief and practice, as the Pharisees and High Priests in the ruling council had been earlier in Acts. This was about politics and power.
But it led to a fresh wave of persecution, on this occasion costing the life of one of the ‘Big Three’. Peter, James and John were Jesus’ inner circle – and now James was martyred (v2), to the approval of the general public (v3). This spurred Herod on to seize Peter as well; the situation looked grim for the fragile Jesus movement, especially in its ‘spiritual home’ of Jerusalem.
But human power had reckoned without one thing, the thing that brings an even greater Power to bear in any situation: prayer. ‘The church was earnestly praying to God for [Peter].’ (v5) Later, in one of his letters, St Paul put it like this: ‘The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.’ (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Tomorrow we’ll see how this particular ‘stronghold’ was demolished. But today, let’s seize faith to remind ourselves of the power of prayer. As the old hymn declares – and may it inspire us today: ‘Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged: take it to the Lord in prayer! …In His arms he’ll take and shield thee, thou wilt find a solace there.’ Amen.
Monday 21st October – Acts 12:1-3 ‘Like father, like (grand)son?’
At a recent quiz night, we were set this question: who is the most famous baddie of all time? If you asked 100 people in the street, the answer is, apparently, Darth Vader. These are, of course fictional baddies, but if you were to ask 100 Christians who is the most famous baddie in the bible, I wonder what you would answer? I imagine many would give the name of the character we meet today: Herod.
Herod is a name synonymous with corrupt power: whether it’s interrogating the Magi and killing children in the Nativity story, beheading John the Baptist or cosying up to Pilate before Jesus’ execution, he’s always up to no good. At which point, we must ask a necessary question: which Herod? As it happens, the New Testament has no less than four different Herods in the story – all related, and mostly all as bad as each other.
First, there’s old Herod the Great (not my nickname), the despot who tyrannised Jerusalem when Jesus was born. He was then replaced by one of his sons – one of those he didn’t suspect of trying to take his place and subsequently murder – Archelaus, who records himself as ‘Herod the Ethnarch’ on his coins. Actually the bible doesn’t record anything negative about him – but don’t be fooled, he was arguably the worst of the lot! (and was fittingly deposed after ten years of repressive rule.)
By the time we get to Jesus’ public ministry, the Herod now being referred to in the gospels is Herod the Tetrarch. He’s another surviving son of Herod the Great, and is the one who conferred with Pilate when Jesus was arrested and regularly listened to John the Baptist… before he killed him. As it happens, this Herod got his come-uppance: the father of the wife he divorced to marry Herodias (the scandal for which John criticised him publicly) was none too happy and eventually went to war with him, defeating him heavily and forcing him off the throne and into exile. The Jewish historian Josephus records that many people regarded his defeat as divine retribution for killing the Baptist. You can make up your own mind on that one.
And so, we get to the fourth Herod – Herod Agrippa – the one we meet today. Not that anything has changed: he is still scheming (v1, v3) and slaughtering (v2), just like his grandfather Herod the Great and his two uncles the Ethnarch and the Tetrarch. With the Herods of biblical Palestine, it’s very much a case of like father, like son (or grandson).
We’ll see how chapter 12 unfolds this week (and it’s quite a story) – but today, let’s remember that there is another biblical version of ‘like father, like son’. The version where the Heavenly Father sends a righteous Son to show us what He is really like, and to draw all His wayward children back into His family. The version where the Son is not only exactly like the Father, but gives all his new spiritual siblings the power to become like the Father, too. This is our version – and as we begin this week, give thanks that the Son really is just like the Father, and commit your way into his grace-filled hands. May we bear the family likeness this day, and this week. Amen.
Saturday 19th October – 2 Corinthians 8:1-4 ‘The source of generosity’
As we conclude our week, today reflection looks at the collection we referenced yesterday, from 2 Corinthians…
What causes us to be generous? In an age of declining revenues for charities and increasing pressure on wallets, it’s a good question to ask. I imagine that, if you were to ask it to ‘the person in the street’, the most popular answer would be ‘wealth’. It’s easy to be generous if you have plenty to be generous with.
On the other hand, if you were to ask the average charity recruitment agent on the same street – they would likely tell you that the best motivator is guilt. If people are made to be aware of their sense of privilege, that often makes them commit money, even if for somewhat negative reasons.
Today we begin a key section of this amazing letter: two chapters devoted entirely to the theme of generosity. It’s the most detailed and extensive teaching on this subject anywhere in the bible, and, as always in the New Testament letters, the content is inspired by a very real situation. Many churches (and individual Christians) were suffering severe persecution and discrimination, and as a result were desperately poor. Jobs were denied them; and relief which would usually be provided by other bodies was likewise in short supply, owing to opposition towards their beliefs.
So, from very early on, churches organised collections for distribution to other Christians in need. St Paul often co-ordinated these himself, as someone who knew all the churches and travelled extensively (when he wasn’t in prison for his faith). There had been a recent such collection, where the Macedonian church had been particularly generous. What are extraordinary, though, are the reasons Paul gives for their generosity: ‘overflowing joy and extreme poverty’ (v2).
Both are strikingly different – almost polar opposites – to the answers we considered earlier. In contrast to many charity marketing agencies, what we find is that the source of generosity – and the best motivator – is not guilt, but joy. This joy was based on their faith, and allowed them to see what they were offering as a privilege (v4), despite the persecution they themselves were experiencing.
Even more remarkable is the second motivator. It turns out that, for the Macedonian church at least, it was not their wealth but their poverty that ‘welled up in rich generosity.’ Perhaps Paul is being deliberately provocative here; but, on the other hand, it accords closely with Jesus’ own teaching, and indeed with many recent studies of giving behaviour. Time and again, such studies show that the poor give proportionately more than the rich. Wealth, it turns out, rarely makes people generous – rather the opposite. Something Paul (and Jesus) knew 2,000 years ago!
As we conclude this week, spend a few moments reflecting on your generosity. Most of us probably feel we could be more generous: pray for God to fill your heart with overflowing joy, that you too would have grace (v1) to live a generous life (in every dimension) this week, and always.
Friday 18th October – Acts 11:27-30 ‘Gifts in action’
Yesterday we learnt (or reminded ourselves) that the word ‘Christian’ means ‘little Christ’. Those who follow Jesus are called, ultimately, to reflect the image of our Saviour as best we can, empowered by His Spirit: living as he lives, loving as he loves and doing what he does.
In that vein, although today’s passage at first sight appears to be a couple of short bits of ‘news’ eclosed within the broader sweep of the narrative, a closer inspection reveals that it is very much linked to the previous verse. What does it mean to be a ‘little Christ’?
‘Lots of things,’ would be the immediate reply – but certainly one of those things would be the use of gifts. In fact, we see two types of gifts in these verses: the exercise of spiritual gifts (vv27-28), and the collection and distribution of financial gifts (vv29-30). Both reflect the heart of our Saviour, and therefore demonstrate admirably what it means to be a ‘little Jesus’.
First, then we see a reference to a group of prophets. The word prophet literally means ‘mouth’, and the capacity to hear and to speak God’s will for a specific purpose has been part of the gifting of the church (and not just Old Testament times) since the very beginning, mentioned several times in Paul’s letters – and here is a very practical example of that. A rather sobering prophecy, it has to be admitted; especially as it sadly came true.
Second, we see the first indication that the churches in Judea (southern Israel, including the area around Jerusalem) were under particular duress. We might have inferred as much from the persecution that started in Jerusalem in chapters 7-8; but today’s passage makes it clear that this persecution led, among other things, to genuine hardship. Gifts were therefore collected from other churches – in this case, Antioch – and sent to relieve this hardship.
This did, in fact, become a regular feature of life in the early church. Collections were organised regularly, especially for Christians in Judea, and were then taken by church leaders and distributed to fellow believers in need – see, for example, 2 Corinthians 8-9. This kind of generosity was both radical and unique. Whilst the Jewish law advocated for relief of the poor, this was practised at a local level; it was almost unheard of for collections like this to be given and transported hundreds of miles to complete strangers. In that sense, this little passage today is nothing less than another ‘quiet revolution’, which left its imprint on human history and society.
It is, also, a very practical outworking of the reality that each of us is a ‘little Christ’ – we may be strangers in a human sense, but, thanks to Jesus, we share something profound and indivisible; we are bound together for eternity. As the early church began to grasp the enormity of this in Antioch, so it remains true for us now. The Lord calls each of us to ‘gifts in action’ – to all in need, yes, but especially to our fellow believers. Which ‘little Christs’ are you being called to bless today?
Thursday 17th October – Acts 11:25-26 ‘The first “Christians”?’
When people ask what you what you are, or what you believe, what do you say? It’s an interesting question. Assuming that we can admit that we have a faith (and that’s the first big hurdle to cross!), then what we say next carries a lot of weight, and can be interpreted differently, according to the words we use: it might be ‘I’m religious’ or ‘I’m a churchgoer’ or ‘I’m a believer’ or ‘I’m a follower of Jesus’ – perhaps most likely you would say ‘I’m a Christian’.
I wonder, though, if you’ve ever thought where that word ‘Christian’ comes from? It’s not as obvious as you might think. The first believers were all Jewish and were known as ‘followers of The Way’: a name that echoes halakha, the ‘way of life’ enshrined in the Torah, as well as Jesus’ own testimony that he was ‘the way’ to God the Father.
As the gospel spread further and wider, however, the Jewish roots of this idea of The Way became less accessible to the large numbers of Gentiles (non-Jews) now turning to Christ. As we saw on Tuesday, this was particularly marked in Antioch, a thriving city with a population of at least 100,000 (and possibly several times that) – much bigger than Jerusalem, whose resident population at the time was about 25-30,000.
It is perhaps not surprising, therefore, that Antioch became the crucible of change; or, you could say, first reflected the broader changes happening across the early church – the most striking of which was the very name given to this movement. From this point on, followers of Jesus began to be known as ‘Christians’ (v26).
Nowadays we take this for granted, and in our culture the word covers a huge spectrum of meaning: from a nominal cultural attachment to our historic religious heritage through to committed belief and practice. Indeed, in Muslim countries, believers never use this word as it carries unhelpful cultural baggage; they much prefer to be known as ‘followers of Jesus’ (or ‘Isa’, as his name translates in Arabic).
But today, let’s go back to the heart: the word Christian literally means ‘little Christ’. In other words, we identify so completely with our Lord and Saviour that we live as he lives, love as he loves and do what he does. That’s quite a calling, isn’t it? (A bit more taxing than just getting baptised, married and buried in church!) It’s also a wonderful privilege; whilst we’ll never fully embody that calling, we can still carry that name through grace, because our gracious Lord gives His Spirit to all who confess His name. In that spiritual sense, every Christian is a little Christ, because we bear the divine imprint, the Spirit of our Lord.
Today, let’s give thanks that we bear His name. And may the Lord grant us grace to be ‘little Christs’, as far as we can, for His glory.
Wednesday 16th October – Acts 11:22-26 ‘The power of encouragement’
Today we meet again one of the quiet heroes of the bible: Barnabas. You may remember his previous appearances in the book of Acts: in chapter 4 he made a generous gift to support the work of the church (4:36-37); then, in chapter 9, he was the chap who – when the Church was (understandably) nervous about whether Saul really had become a believer, or was just pretending to be one, in order to wreak more havoc – had the courage and faith to reach out and embrace Saul, and welcome him into the fellowship of followers of Jesus Christ (9:26-28).
As I observed then, we all need a Barnabas in our lives. And, we can perhaps ask ourselves today, can we be a Barnabas to others? In this short passage, Barnabas does two exceptional things, thanks to his God-given ability to discern the best in people: first, he is trusted by the ‘home church’ of Jerusalem to go and see what God was doing in Antioch (v22). The fact that they sent Barnabas is not only a measure of the trust they placed in him; it also (more negatively) suggests that they were suspicious, so they wanted to get their best evaluator out there. Either way, Barnabas proved the right choice: he observed the wonderful work of the Lord at first hand (v23) and was able to give it his (and the wider church’s) blessing.
That was the ‘organisational’ part. Now for the personal part – and for someone like Barnabas, you sense it was always first and foremost about people, and what God was up to in individuals: he went and found Saul in his home town of Tarsus (about 100 miles from Antioch), and gave him an opportunity to put his remarkable gifts to good use.
At first sight, this makes good sense: Barnabas spent time with Saul in Jerusalem, so would have seen that his gifts would be a good ‘fit’ for the great mission opportunity growing in Antioch. Second, Tarsus isn’t that far from Antioch, given the quality of Roman roads. However, what makes this much more impressive is that Saul’s visit to Jerusalem was a long time ago: from the letter to the Galatians we know it was at least ten years previously. In that time, Saul had apparently been very quiet – even Saul/Paul himself said very little about what he had done in that time – see Galatians 1:21.
And yet Barnabas saw something… and remembered… and then took the initiative to seek Saul out. The results were spectacular: for a year together they ‘taught great numbers of people.’ (v26) This year launched Saul’s/Paul’s ministry and set the scene for all the great missional activity to follow.
And whilst Saul/Paul rightly gets the attention for his extraordinary life, today let’s celebrate the person who was instrumental in making it happen; someone who gets one of the great summaries in the bible, one that I think most of us would love to have said about us, if our life was encapsulated in just a few words: (v24) ‘he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.’
May the Lord stir up more Barnabases among us! Could that be you?
Tuesday 15th October – Acts 11:19-21 ‘Spreading the word’
‘God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.’ So begins a famous hymn of William Cowper. Less well-known is the fact that he wrote it shortly after one of the darkest seasons in his life, culminating in a suicide attempt. Thankfully, Cowper survived and this hymn (originally a poem titled ‘Conflict: Light out of Darkness’) represents part of his reflection on this turbulent season. Once you know the background, then the words of verse 3 take on a particular resonance: ‘Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.’
The mysterious movings of God are similarly showcased in today’s passage. It may be short, but its implications are enormous and profound. Let’s return briefly to chapter 8: (v1,v4) ‘On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria… Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.’ We observed a few weeks ago that the attempt to crush the church completely backfired: those who were scattered took the good news with them, and the end result was only to grow the church!
Today’s passage is not so much a post-script to this event, but effectively the start of a new season in the church’s life. Now that the leadership has embraced the bombshell that the gospel is equally open to everyone, we start to see its effects in practice, beginning with the ‘what happened next’ of the scattering that took place after the first big wave of persecutions. In chapter 8, this scattering only got as far as Samaria (now central Israel). Today we learn that it actually went far further than that: to ‘Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch.’ (v19) These are all further north than Samaria – in the case of Antioch, a good 300 miles further north.
Even more amazingly, the mission was already reaching Gentiles (non-Jews), led by people from even further afield: not just Cyprus (the island more or less opposite Antioch) but also Cyrene (v20), which is in North Africa, about 400 miles across the Mediterranean Sea! It is tantalising to wonder if one of these missionaries was Simon, the man who carried Jesus’ cross – pure speculation, but perhaps one of those ‘mysterious ways’ of the Lord?
Either way, the good news is now dramatically breaking the banks of the existing river of grace and flooding into the world. What can sometimes just sound like dry placenames on a map are in fact indicators of a mighty move of God: ‘The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.’ (v21)
We’ll see in due course how Antioch becomes a centre of mission – but today, let’s give thanks for those mysterious ways. Why not google the text of the hymn and use that as a prayer? Perhaps, especially verse 5: ‘His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding ev’ry hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flow’r.’ For any of us walking through dark seasons, may that word bring comfort, hope and light.
Monday 14th October – Acts 11:1-18 ‘Pass it on’
It’s always great to hear stories of what God is doing. As we observed last time, our faith is not just a firm belief in a set of doctrines, it’s a lived experience. And part of this experience is to pass it on. Testimonies encourage us because they demonstrate the reality of what we believe – they earth it in real peoples’ lives. If it happened to them, we think, it can happen to us. God really does answer prayer, change lives, renew situations.
Testimony also has a role in shaping the wisdom of the church. We have to be careful here: God never contradicts his Word, so that is a basic test we should never forget. But, assuming there’s no conflict with biblical truth, then Jesus’ basic maxim that we can know something by its fruit becomes significant. What is God blessing? Seeing God at work helps us to discern the mind of our Lord.
This is certainly at the heart of today’s passage. The early church is still in formation: there has been so much change, so many amazing things God has done, the human beings tasked with leading this radical movement are still trying to catch up. Yes, they know Jesus is Lord; yes, they know God’s plan of salvation has been enacted through the death and resurrection of Jesus; yes, they also know that faith in Jesus is the new entry point into becoming part of God’s people.
But how do those who have traditionally been outside that chosen group fit into it? In the past, non-Jews could become proselytes, and join the people of God (through baptism, interestingly) in a limited way. They were never fully integrated or seen as ‘full members’. But Peter has just glimpsed that God’s plan might be way bigger and more comprehensive than even he had grasped; and now he is being called on by his fellow leaders to explain himself.
In short, Peter has to take his fellow church leaders on the same ‘spiritual journey’ that he has just undergone. He could have done it through detailed exposition of the scriptures – and the time would come when the early church leaders (notably Paul, but also Peter) would put in writing the theological framework which explained what Peter had just experienced. But, here, in the first instance, when faced with the hard questions of his friends, Peter does it through the power of testimony. God’s activity in Cornelius’ house is, if you like, a powerful visual doctrinal statement. God’s plan to save the whole world – non-Jews every bit as much as God’s chosen people – has been visibly demonstrated through what Peter saw in Cornelius’ house.
It’s notable that Peter also backs up this experience with Gods Word: quoting Jesus’ teaching on baptism. The disciples had long known these words – but Peter’s testimony brought those words to life, demonstrated the life-changing and life-giving truth of them. And the effect was profound: the other church leaders were convinced (v18), and the whole understanding of the nature of the gospel and its relationship to the whole world changed forever.
It’s a wonderful reminder of the power of stories, of testimony. We still need such testimonies today. If you have a story to share, pass it on. If you don’t, may the Lord bring you a story this week to encourage you. Let’s all keep passing it on: for the lifting of our faith and, most of all, the glory of God.
Saturday 12th October – Acts 10:44-48 ‘A gift for all’
In my younger days I attended many summer camps – first as one of the overall leader’s family, then as a ‘happy camper’ in my own right, and finally as a leader myself. Probably the most memorable was in 1995, when I helped lead a camp for 12-15 year olds. The first half of the week was probably the worst camp I’d ever done: we were understaffed, we had real behavioural issues – eventually sending one boy home, the only time in my experience that this happened – the chaplain got up and gave the same talk every evening, and then we had a serious accident at the swimming pool where a boy broke a bone in his foot and was taken to A&E.
When the hospital party returned to camp, the boy (now with his foot in plaster) asked the chaplain to pray for him while the rest of us organised our usual mid-afternoon activities. All I do remember is that 20 minutes later this same boy was running round the camp. No plaster, no more foot trouble – he had been spontaneously healed after the chaplain had prayed a prayer asking for this to happen in Jesus’ name.
As you can imagine, the whole atmosphere in the camp changed. God had done something amazing. Suddenly the chaplain’s talk – still the same every evening! – was listened to with rapt attention. Other people wanted to be prayed for. Many experienced God in powerful ways – myself included. By the end of the week, half the camp had decided to follow Christ. What started as the worst camp had become the best.
What made the difference? The same thing that we read here in this passage: the tangible presence of God at work by his Holy Spirit. The pouring out of God’s Spirit in the world – which began the Book of Acts – continues to be the thing that activates and energises the church. Peter had already seen it in his vision (vv10-16), and in the miraculous arrival of Cornelius’ messengers (vv19-22). Now, the Spirit comes on all his listeners (v44) even before he asks for it!
Jesus is not just true – he’s real. And his love in our hearts is not just a doctrine, it’s a lived experience. We don’t always feel things as dramatically as Cornelius and his friends did here – but the transforming power of Jesus’ love in our lives is still at work nonetheless. ‘God does not show favouritism,’ Peter concludes – and this wonderful promise is one to lift our hearts today, because it reminds us of that simple but profound truth that these same gifts, this same love, is for all of us too.
Let’s claim that promise – and may God cause our hearts to overflow with praise and thanksgiving again.
Lord Jesus, come to me again by your Spirit. Thank you that your love is poured out for all – I gladly receive it now. Fill my heart, and renew my life this day. Amen.
Friday 11th October – Acts 10:36-43 ‘Good news of peace’
If you had a couple of minutes to summarise the good news of Jesus, what would you say? It’s a good question, isn’t it? What are the key things you’d want to include? And at this point you may want to pause there to think about that….
Today we get to another of Peter’s presentations of the message in the book of Acts. We’ve had previous examples in chapters 2 (vv14-36), 3 (vv12-26), 4 (vv8-12) and 5 (vv28-32) – and it’s fascinating to observe how Peter does it each time. There are subtle changes of emphasis to suit his audience, as well as consistent themes, which we also see here in chapter 10: of Jesus’ miracles, of his death, of the forgiveness he offers.
What is new, this time, is the summary: ‘the good news of peace through Jesus Christ.’ It’s something we take for granted now, and with the gospels to hand (which of course weren’t written when Peter was meeting Cornelius) we can see the angels declaring ‘peace on earth’ to announce Jesus’ arrival, and Jesus speaking ‘peace be with you’ to his disciples after his resurrection.
What led to Peter’s realisation that a fundamental blessing of the gospel is peace? I suspect the answer can be found in his own personal experience of it – as would probably be true for most of us, too. It’s interesting to speculate whether Paul (or Saul as he was then) gave him this insight, since it formed the greeting to most of his letters; or that he might particularly have emphasised peace to a Roman soldier!
Either way, it’s a wonderful reminder that alongside grace, the good news of Jesus brings peace. Peace with God, peace with others, peace with ourselves. Peter knew this peace; Cornelius was about to. And we, too, can rejoice that what Jesus spoke over his disciples remains true for us today: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ The peace of the Lord be always with you!
Thursday 10th October – Acts 10:27-35 ‘Against our law?’
Ten years ago we had a week’s holiday in Marrakesh. While we were there, we visited the Jewish Quarter (known in Morocco as a ‘mellah’), and visited their beautiful synagogue. Many years ago the mellah would have been a walled area, with its gates closed at night – partly for protection, and partly to reflect the customs and practices of the Jewish population.
Even today, there are many cities around the world with Jewish Quarters, which are often boundaried with eruvim – markers (including wires and cords, not just permanent boundaries like walls and fences) which signify an enclosed area, within which Jewish families are able to travel outside their home on the Sabbath. Indeed, there are 18 such ‘quarters’ in the UK, most of which are in Greater London.
The other practical motivation for creating these quarters are the rules of the Torah (Jewish Law) regarding associating with non-Jews, something which Peter refers to in our passage today. For a devout Jew, visits to non-Jewish homes are forbidden, as is any form of meaningful association. This would have been a lifetime’s practice for Peter, ingrained into him since childhood. Imagine what it must have taken for him to do what he does in this chapter!
It’s easy for us to minimise the radical step Peter takes – but this is revolution. There’s no other word for it: indeed, it changes the world profoundly. From this point, the message of Jesus transforms from being essentially a Jewish sect, into a gospel which is genuinely able to spread into every culture. There have been echoes of this in the Book of Acts so far – the work in Samaria, the meeting of Philip and the Ethiopian official, the mission given to Saul; but now, the primary leader of the early church himself understands fully for the first time: ‘God does not show favouritism, but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.’
Wow! And you can trace a line from this moment in Acts chapter 10 right to you, today, wherever you’re sitting and reading this. You’re only doing that because of what Peter grasped here: that the good news of Jesus truly is for everyone. God can, and does, call each of us, from every background, every culture.
Take a moment today to let that sink in… and be thankful! And, if we’re tempted to think of certain groups of people as being less likely to receive God’s favour, may the Lord grant us all grace to repent of that thought – Jesus died for the whole world, that he might call the whole world. Amen!
Wednesday 9th October – Acts 10:21-26 ‘Only a man myself’
I’m currently reading Robert Harris’ Cicero Trilogy. It’s a brilliant set of books – pretty much as good as historical fiction gets – and, apart from being a gripping page-turner, has given me a real insight into the political culture of ancient Rome. The three novels tell the story of Cicero’s remarkable life, in particular how the Roman Republic crumbled and gave way to the dictatorship of Julius Caesar, who became its Emperor.
At one point in the story, a senior senator is publicly critical of Caesar during a senate sitting. Even though Caesar at this stage was still just another senator – i.e. of no greater rank than his critic – he forced this senator to kneel before him and utter a humiliating apology. It was then that Cicero, and many of his fellow senators, realised that Caesar was not just another ambitious politician: he wanted to dominate, to be the only power rather than the primary power – ultimately, he wanted to be worshipped.
Although Caesar met his end, as all despots do, the role and rule of Emperor outlived him, and became the way that the Roman Empire was governed for the next 400 or more years. Fast-forward a hundred years from that scene in the senate house and we get to Peter’s encounter with Cornelius, whose first act on meeting Peter is to fall at his feet in worship. If that sounded surprising to your ears when you read it, since Cornelius was a centurion, i.e. an important man himself, then that story of Caesar humiliating a fellow senator helps to explain it.
The Roman Empire was a very hierarchical society – you had to know your place, or suffer the consequences. The Emperor was worshipped as a god, and therefore in that culture it was entirely natural that anyone who possessed what appeared to be divine power should be treated as worthy of worship. So Cornelius did what he imagined was required…
Peter’s response is blunt: ‘Stand up! I am only a man myself.’ Peter also worshipped a divine human, the Son of God – but this divine human taught something entirely different: ‘whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant… for the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.’
For the follower of Christ, whatever spiritual authority we may have is always held with humility; we are servants of the King, flawed humans who can bless others only by the wonderful grace of our Lord. Peter knew this – and generations of Christian leaders after him have been called to tread the same path. But there are always temptations… Today, let’s pray for all who are called to be shepherds of Christ’s flock, that they may practise the humility of Jesus and Peter. And may we, too, have grace to walk humbly with our God, who alone is worthy of our worship and our praise.
Tuesday 8th October – Acts 10:9-23 ‘God has made clean’
I must confess I only occasionally watch cookery programmes. One, however, that I found very memorable was when Jamie Oliver went on location to Italy. One of the tasks he was set was to kill the animal whose meat he would cook. He found this immensely difficult and upsetting; but also profoundly challenging because, as he admitted, most of us in our culture are insulated from the reality of what eating meat actually involves. As a result, he found the challenge to ‘kill and eat’ horrifying.
Peter faced a similar situation in today’s reading – albeit his horror was for different reasons. As a fisherman in that culture, and very likely a meat-eater too, he would be well used to what was involved in the preparation for meat. His issue was different – all the foods he saw in his dream were unclean according to the Jewish law. Although he was now a follower of Jesus, he remained very much an orthodox Jew – indeed, Jesus was the fulfilment of the law and of Jewish messianic hopes. Hence his blunt reply: ‘Surely not, Lord!’ (v14)
God’s reply to him is remarkable: ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ (v15).
Peter only came to understand the meaning of this later in the story, which we’ll see next time: but today, let’s marvel in the truth that our God is in the business of making things clean. As we sing in one of our favourite hymns: ‘He comes to cleanse and heal, to minister his grace.’
To be forgiven is many things: to be free, to have a new start, to have hope – but also to be clean. We may not have done terrible things; but even small wrongs leave a stain. We need washing: and the great news of our faith is that through the cross, God wipes away the stains in our lives. We are clean.
Today, take a moment to say sorry to God, to confess anything that you feel is getting in the way of your connection with him. And then, even more importantly, give thanks that you are forgiven, you are free, you are clean. We may not always feel like this – but the reality goes deeper than our feelings. What Peter heard in his dream is true for us too: ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ That’s you, that’s me, that’s us!
Monday 7th October – Acts 10:1-8 ‘A memorial offering ‘
Shortly before he died, Jesus was approached by a teacher of the law, who asked him which was the greatest commandment. You may remember the story, which you can read in Mark 12:28-34: ‘love God and love your neighbour,’ Jesus replied. The teacher wholeheartedly agreed – at which point Jesus said: ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’
‘Not far from the kingdom.’ I wonder how you interpret Jesus’ reply? Certainly the people listening were unsettled by it: ‘From then on, no-one dared ask [Jesus] any more questions.’ If loving God and neighbour, isn’t quite enough, then what is??
What Jesus meant, I think, is that our good works and religious observance are important, but they can only get us far. They can’t get us all the way into God’s kingdom on their own. We need something more, something which connects us to God directly and makes us whole, which enables us to really love God and neighbour as the Lord intended.
Fast forward a year or two, maybe more, and we come to Cornelius. Cornelius is from a very different background – a Roman soldier, not a Jewish teacher – but in many ways, he is in a similar position to Jesus’ questioner. A good man, devout and God-fearing, known for his generosity and with a personal prayer life (v2). Not far from the kingdom of God….
What’s missing? Cornelius is about to find out. This story will occupy us for the next few days; but it starts with a vision: one in which Cornelius’ good wood works are described as ‘a memorial offering’ (v4). They don’t save him, but they have been noticed in the heavenly realms – and as a result, Cornelius is about to be given the opportunity to experience something which turns out to be immensely important in the history of the church, indeed the history of the whole world.
We will all know people like Cornelius: good people, whose lives bless others. Today’s passage reminds us of two things: first, that a good life is commendable. Much as we all need grace, what Jesus condemns in the Pharisees is pride and hypocrisy, not trying to live a good life. But second, even good people need to meet with God. Cornelius is going to do just that – why not pray today that the Corneliuses you know will do the same? Grace is for all of us.
Saturday 5th October – Acts 9 ‘The cast’
One final short reflection to end our time in Acts chapter 9. Take a look back at the motley crew assembled in this chapter, whose lives we have briefly encountered this week:
- Saul the fanatic, whose dramatic change channelled his vast energies into work for the kingdom of God rather than against it
- Ananias, about whom we know nothing, except that he was faithful in one key moment which changed history
- Barnabas the encourager, always taking every opportunity to bless and build others up
- Peter, now freed from fear and able to do the work of Jesus, just as his Lord had prepared him for
- Aeneas, affected by chronic illness and marvellously freed
- Tabitha/Dorcas, known for her good life, whose life was miraculously extended
It strikes me again how this good news of Jesus really is for everyone, at every stage of life – young or old, healthy or ill, from every walk of life. Jesus meets us where we are, as we are – and changes us.
Maybe one of these characters particularly resonates with you at the moment. Take heart – our God is the same, yesterday, today and forever. If not, just sit with that reflection for a few minutes: this glorious good news is for all of us. God meets as where we are, as we are. And maybe ask yourself: what is God changing in you at the moment?
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and shall be forever. Amen.
Friday 4th October – Mark 5:35-43 ‘Talitha koum!’
Let’s pause today to reflect on the original story in Mark which we referenced yesterday…
Today, Mark’s ‘day in the life of Jesus’ (Mark 4:35-5:43) finally comes to an end. And what a day it’s been! He’s been across the lake, calmed a storm, freed a tormented man, got kicked out of the area in a matter of hours, restored a woman who had been suffering for years… and missed a chance to heal Jairus’ daughter. Or has he?
Jesus’ unprompted stop to bless the woman has an unfortunate side-effect: the girl he was going to pray for has just died. So, what happens now? ‘Don’t be afraid,’ Jesus encourages the grieving Jairus, ‘just believe.’ (v36)
What happens next is the greatest miracle of them all – a resurrection from the dead. In Mark’s narrative this is the final piece of the puzzle, indicating who Jesus really was. Only God has power over life and death!
But it also highlights Jesus’ compassion, and his faithfulness in fulfilling what he undertook to do. Jesus had made a commitment to Jairus’ family, and he wasn’t going to let them down. This faithfulness surprised some (v35) and made others laugh bitterly (v40): it was a set of reactions he would have to get used to over the next couple of years.
And his reticence about wanting people to know what he had done (v43) is not false humility or fear, but simply an awareness that people had all kinds of (wrong) expectations about who the Messiah would be: and it was too early for all that. But it didn’t stop him blessing this family on this day.
Jesus is faithful. His faithfulness to God won our salvation. His faithfulness to us is our hope, peace and joy. These things are in short supply at present: indeed, it may be one of those seasons when only Christ can give them to us. Pray for grace to receive Christ’s faithfulness to you – and for all Christians (especially in the troubled parts of our world) that they too would be upheld miraculously by our Lord’s faithfulness to them.
Thursday 3rd October – Acts 9:36-43 ‘In Jesus’ footsteps’
Today’s passage feels like something of an interlude sandwiched between the famous episodes which describe how the gospel takes root among non-Jews (ch10), and the person whom God calls to spearhead this mission in the long-term (Saul/Paul in the rest of ch9). So, of all the stories which Luke could have used, why is it included?
Well, it does serve a very real purpose, one which becomes clear when we think about the story it reminds us of. I wonder if you made that connection as you read it… if not, take a look at Mark 5:35 onwards, and you’ll see that what Peter does here is very close to one of Jesus’ healing miracles.
The connection points are numerous: the person has just died; Jesus/Peter is sent for urgently; there is great collective grief; Jesus/Peter sends everyone out of the room; Jesus/Peter commands healing (noting as a lovely aside that what Jesus says to the girl in Aramaic is ‘Talitha koum’ and what Peter says here is ‘Tabitha koum’!); the dead person is miraculously restored to life.
I think the point that Luke is demonstrating is that Peter is very much a true apostle/representative of Jesus – to the point now that he is able to perform miracles (only in Jesus’ name, of course) just like his Master. And this forms the backdrop to Peter initiating the huge step forward in the mission of the gospel in the very next episode – the final link in the chain, you might say, whereby the good news of this same Jesus is now able to reach the whole world. Up to this point, it was still largely Jewish – from now on, it will spread like wildfire to everyone.
We too, follow in Jesus’ footsteps – perhaps not in the dramatic way described here. But whenever we do something in Jesus’ name, or manifest a spiritual virtue which echoes Jesus’ own life, in our own way we are doing as Peter did, following the Master, being a ‘little Jesus’ – i.e. a Christian. However small or great, it all matters, it is all for God’s glory.
God simply calls us to be faithful – he takes care of the rest. How can you follow in Jesus’ footsteps today?
Wednesday 2nd October – Acts 9:31-35 ‘A time of peace’
When I lived in London, one of my favourite moments of the day was the moment I climbed into bed at the end of the day and just… enjoyed the silence. I loved living in London – I was born and brought up there – and I always found the intensity of the experience part of its attraction. I loved the buzz and the bustle, the sense of energy all around. But the moment when I could just lie for a few minutes in a dark bedroom and hear nothing but my own breathing was a beautiful one. The calm after the storm.
‘After the storm…’ would be a good heading for today’s reading. The church has been suffering its first extended period of oppression and even persecution. It had to make radical changes to what it did and how it met: large numbers of Christians had to leave their homes and relocate elsewhere, leaders were targeted and in some cases either imprisoned or murdered. But, eventually, the storm blows itself out: the church stands strong and in one last act of quiet defiance, Saul escapes the plots of his enemies and heads back to his home town (v30).
‘Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria (the South, the North and the Midlands i.e. the whole country) enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened.’ This lovely verse is like the first spring day with a warm sun and a gentle breeze, after the climatic poundings of the end of winter. It lifts the heart, and puts a smile on our face. ‘Living in the fear of the Lord, and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.’ A sure sign that peace was restored is the fact that the apostles – who had stayed in Jerusalem and gone underground – were now able to move about the country freely again, doing good and encouraging believers (verses 33-35).
Many of us probably long for a greater sense of peace in our own nation, or perhaps our own lives. But it struck me as I reflected on the passage that my biggest issue is often that I don’t recognise times of peace when they come. There’s something in human nature that tends to forget our blessings and remember our troubles. And the great challenge of life is that times of trouble are inevitable.
But, so are times of peace – and having the capacity to recognise those times for what they are, to give thanks for them, remember them and make the most of them, is one of the wisest and healthiest things we can do.
To some degree, most of us find ourselves in a difficult season at present. This too shall pass. But let’s also apply it at a personal level. The encouragement of this passage is that times of peace always come eventually. Let’s take heart from this truth, especially if this is a time of trouble for you. And, if you happen to find yourself in such a time of peace, give thanks, resolving to treasure it for as long as it lasts. God is the God of the storm, and the calm.
Tuesday 1st October – Acts 9:20-30 ‘Barnabas brought him’
Everyone needs a Barnabas in their life. Someone with the gift of encouragement, willing to see the best in people, who in turn become the better people that the encourager sees.
It’s not easy to find stories of great encouragers. By definition, they often act out of the spotlight, behind the scenes. One well-known example was showcased in the film ‘The King’s Speech’ – Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) was shown to have played a huge role in supporting and encouraging King George to overcome his stammer, which had always prevented him from being able to speak to the nation.
Another less well-known example is that of Abraham Lincoln’s stepmother Sarah Bush, who saw the young Lincoln’s love of books and learning, and was the one to encourage him to build his own bookcase, and to light fires in the evening so that he could read and develop the great mind that would one day exercise such a huge influence on his nation.
But the Barnabas of the bible (and today’s passage) is perhaps the greatest example we have of this gift. Indeed, his very name means ‘Son of Encouragement’. His real name was Joseph, but such was the depth of his gift, it also became the name we all know him by. And here we see the second of four great examples in the book of Acts to the power of this extraordinary gift. Back in chapter 4, we saw Barnabas giving generously to the church, so that it could support those in need. Later in Acts, Barnabas plays a decisive role in the growth of the church in Antioch, and then defends the nurturing into leadership of young John Mark, even to the point of falling out with the man he meets here and who becomes his great friend, Saul (later Paul).
As I read today’s passage, I find myself wondering: if I was a member of the church in Jerusalem, and the famous persecutor Saul suddenly turns up, claiming to be a Christian and wanting to join our fellowship, how would I respond? Much as I like to believe that I would choose to see the best in Saul, it’s hard for any of us to know exactly how we would react. There would be fear, suspicion, maybe cynicism. People have suffered, and died – can that be forgotten, even if it is forgiven?
‘But Barnabas….’ (v27) – one of the great phrases in the bible. For all that it would be understandable to be suspicious, one person sees Saul both as he is and also as he could be, one person takes a risk to offer unconditional welcome into the community of grace – and that person was Barnabas.
The long-term effect of this was extraordinary. It is possible that Saul’s/Paul’s history-changing ministry could still have happened regardless – but surely not to the same extent. The fact that Saul/Paul was welcomed at an early stage to the leadership of the early church (thanks to Barnabas) must have played a huge part in the growth and development of his calling.
So, as we give thanks for Barnabas today, let’s also take a few moments to give thanks for the encouragers in our lives. Maybe take a moment later today to call them or drop them a quick note to thank them. And, perhaps, you too can be a Barnabas to someone else this week?
Monday 30th September – Acts 9:17-22 ‘The scales fell’
Wednesday, May 24th, 1738: ‘I think it was about 5:00 this morning that I opened my Testament upon these words, “There are given to us great and exceeding promises, even that ye should be partakers of the divine nature.” Just as I went out I opened it again upon these words, “Thou art not far from the kingdom of God”… In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society on Aldersgate Street where one was reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine while he was describing the change whereby God works on the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; and the assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and He saved me from the law of sin and death.’
This is how John Wesley described his conversion to Christ. Although he had been a minister for some years, he had never fully grasped the deep reality of what Christ had done for him – until May 24th, 1738. Thereafter he became one of the greatest evangelists the world has seen, who changed the culture of our nation and influenced many others besides.
Wesley’s conversion is one that resonates for many of us because it is quite ‘normal’. We can marvel at Saul’s experience of blinding lights and audible voices from heaven, but perhaps feel a bit distant from it, in that it represents an experience quite outside of our experience. However, what they both have in common is that sense of an ‘awakening’ to God, and an internalisation of truth, so that it is not just something which impacts our intellectual understanding but sits deep in our heart.
When Ananias prays for Saul in today’s passage, we read that ‘something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes’ (v18), and this may indeed have been a physical sensation. Saul had been afflicted by a temporary blindness, and the cause of this may well have been some sort of actual growth or blockage which covered his eyes, and which was now loosened and released.
Nevertheless, this famous phrase has sunk deep into our culture, and is now used as a way of describing an important moment of realisation. We don’t know if this was the exact moment that Saul’s heart turned to Christ – I suspect that happened gradually over the three days between his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road and the encounter with Ananias here – but it certainly represented the culmination of Saul’s conversion process. Following it, he was baptised, recovered his strength and ‘at once’ (v20) began to preach the very opposite of what he had come to do: the message that Jesus was in fact the Son of God, and the Messiah God’s people had longed for.
Many of you reading this may remember a specific moment when ‘the scales fell from your eyes’ with regard to Jesus and God’s grace. For others it was a gradual process. Either way, there is always more to learn. Every time God reveals a beautiful new scriptural truth that we hadn’t perceived before, some more scales fall from our eyes, and we see Jesus more clearly.
May God continue to bless us all with such revelation, and the gift of seeing Jesus clearly, each and every day.