Acts 4:1-22 Isolated for Jesus

Acts 4:1-22 NIV
It's kind of unbelievable when you think about it. For healing the lame man, in the name of Jesus, Peter and John were thrown into jail. Because a man who could not walk before and now can, two men are brought to trial. The elders of the church and teachers of the law really don't know what to do with these men. They are running around healing people in the name of Jesus and the evidence is before them. The forty year old man who was lame and who now is not lame, also stands before them. Tough call! How to stop these trouble makers who are running around healing people?

They decide they are just going to ask them to stop doing that; to stop talking about Jesus and to stop doing anything in his name. Of course, they refuse.

Things have not changed all that much over the years; except that in this country (USA) we don't usually get thrown into jail for healing someone. Although, I do recall an elderly woman, whom I met when I was selling insurance in North Carolina some 30 plus years ago. I returned to visit her a couple of times before I left the area. Her parents had been slaves. Her life had not been easy by any stretch of the imagination; yet, her faith was strong. She was a faith healer. In fact, as a gift that Christmas (she was overjoyed that someone had come to visit her), she prayed over me, in the name of Jesus, and a cyst in my wrist was completely gone. Yes, it was healed instantaneously. This 90 year old woman had no other friends left alive. Her family, embarrassed over her call to minister to others and proclaim the name of Jesus, had deserted her. Her children and grandchildren did not communicate with her. The state had, in fact, ordered her to quit healing people or she would be arrested. She lived in a one room shack alone; deserted by her family, her friends, her neighbors. She was in effect isolated from the world because of her faith. But, she was not alone. She had Jesus and in His Name she lived.

It did not matter that the state had ordered her to quit healing people. She continued praying for others in the name of Jesus. Not everyone will understand or accept the lives we live in faith in the Son of God. We may and most probably will be judged for our faith. But, what others may think of Jesus should not deter us. May we all be so bold in our faith, willing to be called out for praying and doing good for others, in the name of Jesus.

God's Peace - Pr. J