“The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.“
Acts 5:12-16

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OCTOBER 8, 2024

In the story we are reading this week, one action is causing a completely different reaction from various people. Jesus’ followers are relentlessly preaching. They are doing things no human should be able to do, supernatural things like healing someone who is sick, giving a man born lame the immediate ability to walk.

If you’ve read the Gospels, you will notice similarities here. What these apostles are doing is almost identical to what Jesus did while He was among them. And as they did with Jesus, people are responding in vastly different ways.

When Jesus was teaching, healing, casting out demons, and creating all you can eat bread loaves out of a small lunch, crowds flocked to Jesus. Have you ever been in the middle of a packed crowd of thousands and thousands of people? You’re packed in, it’s impossible not to bump into someone, impossible not to smell everyone. These crowds followed Jesus, searched for Him until they found Him. They traveled from other towns just to bring their sick and suffering to Jesus.

These men and women were not merely fans looking for something fun to do. These people were desperate. They brought their enormous needs to Jesus—and now they are bringing them to the disciples. They have nowhere else to go.

The weight of human need is powerful. It can be overwhelming. I confess that sometimes in my life I’ve set boundaries because I was afraid the needs of the other person would be so huge and overwhelming that they would swallow me whole. But these apostles, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, filled with Jesus Himself, met people with the words of life.

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • Who do you go to when you have needs that need to be met?
  • What expectations do you bring?

Church Reading Plan: Ezekiel 41; Psalm 92-93