Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, May 26, 2013 Read – Acts 4:1-22 The response of the people to the mighty act of the lame man’s healing and Peter’s proclamation which interprets it is overwhelmingly positive – Luke tells us about 5000 people believe! It is unclear whether we should add these to the 3000 who had believed earlier making the number over 8000 or leave it at 5000. Either way, Luke is picturing a growing number of faithful Jews who have received the Messiah! Ultimately the question is going to need to be asked – which group represents that true Israel? Luke’s contention is that it is the believers in Jesus. When Christians imply that the Jews rejected the Messiah – as if that rejection was a blanket rejection by all Jews – Luke would rise up and say, “Not true!,” the Jews did welcome the Messiah and they are the true Israel into which the gentile world will soon be invited. Luke’s point is that Christianity is the true expression of Judaism. To think otherwise would be wrong in Luke’s opinion. While the response of the people is overwhelmingly positive, the response of the religious authorities is not. We need to carefully notice who Luke includes in the group or religious authorities. They are the priests, the captain of the temple guard, the Sadducees, the rulers, the elders, the scribes, and the high priest along with his family (Luke 4:1; 5-6). It is important that we see that no Pharisees are mentioned. This is the same group of religious authorities that apprehended Jesus and handed him over to Pilate to be crucified. Luke makes a distinction within Judaism – the “enemies” of Jesus and of his followers are essentially only the religious establishment in Jerusalem. It is this religious establishment that arrest Peter and John. As readers we should notice that, just as was the case with Jesus, they are arrested at the end of the day and kept in custody overnight to be tried the next day (Luke 22:54, 66; Acts 4:3, 5). Luke wants us to notice this parallelism. It is also important to notice that just as the crowd protected Jesus from the religious authorities, at least for a time, (Luke 20:19) the presence of the people protects Peter and John (Acts 4:21). Again Luke wants his readers to see the parallel stories. As they did with Jesus they will do with his followers. As earlier, Luke goes to great ends to make it clear that it was not by their own power the Peter and John were able to heal this man – “this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (Acts 4:10). And then comes the core message – “whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead … salvation is in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which you must be saved” (Acts 4:10). It should be apparent to us by now that this core message is at the center of Luke’s message. Of course it is likely that Peter and John hoped that the religious authorities would respond positively – however tucked into the midst of the core message are words first spoken in Psalm 118. These words were also used by Jesus as he confronted the same religious authorities in Jerusalem. As Jesus concluded his parable of the wicked tenants he ends with the words, “the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Luke 20:17 = Psalm 118:22). Hearing those words from Peter and John must have stung the ears of the religious authorities. The response of the religious authorities was not positive – although their response will grow in harshness as the story of Acts proceeds. Here, Luke tells us they were amazed that such uneducated men could speak with such boldness. And they are baffled about what to do when the evidence of a man healed is so apparent. They are left defenseless – much as Jesus overwhelmed them in the Temple earlier – again Luke wants his readers to note the parallelism. Unable to go any further, the religious leaders attempt to intimidate Peter and John and command them to stop speaking or teaching any further in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:17-18). Readers of Luke’s gospel remember how Peter had crumbled under pressure before. Will it happen again? But Luke’s readers also remember the promises of Jesus. Peter would turn back and strengthen his brothers (Luke 22:32) and the followers of Jesus were not to worry when they were brought before leaders because the Holy Spirit would give them the words and the courage to respond (Luke 21:12-15). That is exactly what happens here – Peter is “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 4:8). With all boldness Peter and John respond by saying, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19). With that they are released – but readers of Luke know that the battle is not over. We will hear from the religious leaders again.