"After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David Your servant: Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot futile things? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers assembled together against the Lord and against His Messiah. “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your message with complete boldness, while You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God’s message with boldness."
Acts 4:23-31 HCSB
OBSERVATIONS
Who says what?
Peter and John report everything that happened to them to their own people.
Peter and John and their people: 1. Acknowledged God as Creator 2. Quoted God's word back at Him 3. Re-told God the story of the cross, focusing on the abuse of power by the leaders, but acknowledging that God was using even that 4. Asked God for increased boldness, and not to stop the signs and wonders, but to continue them.
They all spoke God's message with boldness.
What choices could have been made?
Peter and John could have easily embellished their story instead of reporting it. They could have easily withheld details instead of reporting everything. They could have not said anything in the name of not-wanting-to-scare-people. Essentially, my thought is: there's a lot they could have done to try and control people's reactions to what happened to them.
Together, they all could have panicked when they heard Peter and John's story, or fought about what to do next. They have just been told that their leaders were thrown in jail for healing someone. They totally could have started a protest or rebellion. My personal opinion is that the easiest thing for them to do would have been to give up this performing miracles bit, and return to quiet, happy, peaceful lives. What was motivating them to continue?
They could have prayed for protection from abusive leaders. They could have prayed for God to smite their leaders or change them. They could have questioned if God was with them or why He was allowing this to happen. They could have prayed separately.
Applications
Today, do people report things that happen to them to "their people"? To be completely honest, what comes to mind is Meredith Grey, Christina Yang, and "their people" in the first three or so seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Meredith literally tells Christina: "You're my person," and in the show, their group of colleagues become "their people." They report to each other everything. They have a code of honesty about what is going on inside of them. It also reminds me of Danny Silk's teaching on building and establishing trust--to do so you have to be honest about how you are experiencing the world with "your people." For some, "their people" are their colleagues; for some, "their people" are their family; for Peter and John, "their people" was the church. This makes me wonder: are churches still places where people who are hungry for God can go to find "their people"? Would Peter and John consider me to be one of "their people"?
Today, in our prayers, do we acknowledge who God is first and ask for things based on His Word and His promises? Personally, I am trying to learn to pray this way. Asking God for things based on His promises and His values instead of my desires is not natural.
Today, do we handle persecution the way Peter, John, and their people did? I hear stories... of great saints around the world who do. They continuously speak boldly for God even though it may cost them their lives in places like China, the Middle East, and Africa. Here, in America... that's a harder question. In my limited experience, it doesn't seem like we do or would want to. I don't feel like our response is corporate prayer for more miracles. In fact, one of the things that struck me most about this passage was the unity in their prayer. I don't know that we could ever find that type of unity in the face of persecution today, unless it was truly an act of God. It seems more like we respond in self-protection. I'm really not sure what to do about that.
As always, thoughts, comments, and insights are welcome!
-Jordan
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