A Word from Acts 4

What do you hope people will notice about you today? Would you like to be known for your appearance or physical fitness? Would you like to be valued for your intelligence or your compassion? And what kind of impact would you like to make in the world as a result of how you’re seen?

I ask this because today’s word from Acts Chapter 4 contains a brief comment about people’s perceptions—a comment that it would be easy to skip over, but which says a lot about the life to which we’re called.

Peter and John had gone to the Temple and had healed a lame beggar in the name of Jesus, which created quite a stir. (For the whole story, see Acts 3:1-26.) Naturally, the religious leaders weren’t too keen about a couple of uneducated street preachers arousing the passions of the crowds. And so, they had Peter and John arrested and put in prison for the night. And then, they had what we could call “a disciplinary proceeding,” in which they clearly intended to shut the two up.

But Peter and John spoke boldly and with great insight. And the scripture says that “when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished,” and here’s the part I’d like us to pay attention to, “and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (4:13; emphasis added)

I wonder what could happen in your life, the life of our church, and the life of our community if more of us were noticed—not for the jobs we hold or the way we look, and not for the politicians we support or the impressiveness of our presence on social media—but for the fact that we’d been spending time with Jesus.

Well, there’s only one way to find out. So let’s spend some time with Jesus today! And let’s pray that his Spirit will shine through us. Amen.