What about us? What’s our excuse?

Acts 9:26-43 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ And he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews; but they were attempting to put him to death. ³⁰ But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

³¹ So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.

³² Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. ³⁴ Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up. ³⁵ And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶ Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. ³⁷ And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room. ³⁸ Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” ³⁹ So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. ⁴⁰ But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹ And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. ⁴² It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

Peter is well known as a brash and zealous disciple, an apostle and one of the closest companions of Christ. Perhaps for many of us, we can see ourselves in some of the less flattering accounts of Peter. Peter’s days with Jesus were filled with ups and downs, extremes of great faith and failure. In Matthew 14:31, after Peter walked toward Jesus on the water, then began to sink as he focused on the wind and the waves rather than on Jesus, it says:     Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”   Peter had the courage and the faith to step out when the others wouldn’t, yet he is remembered more for sinking than walking. How often do we allow fear and doubt to keep us from walking toward Jesus? How often do we see the circumstances and the storms around us, rather than the hand of Jesus reaching out to us? In Matthew 16:21-23, just after Peter was praised and blessed for recognizing that Jesus was and is the Christ, it says:   Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”     Whose interests do we set our minds on, God’s or man’s? At the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus said:  “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17-19)   We too are blessed and we have been given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Will we set our minds on the things of God and utilize the keys we have been given? Or will we be a stumbling block, focused on the interests of man?   In Matthew 26:34 after Peter swears he will stand with Jesus, even to death, Jesus says:    "Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."   Of course, we know that Peter did indeed deny the Lord, even though he so desired to stand with him.  What about us, do we do what we want to do, or do we fail and deny the Lord?

As we’ve seen previously in Acts, Peter preached powerful sermons, leading thousands to the Lord. In today’s text it says:  Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up. And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.    There was a marked difference between the Peter who walked with Jesus and the Peter who after Jesus resurrection spoke and ministered in His name.

What was it that changed? The obvious answer is the Holy Spirit had come upon Peter and was in him. The Spirit was no longer only revealing Christ to Peter; the Holy Spirit was enabling and empowering Peter to do all that he did. There is another answer too. In Matthew 26:28 after eating the Last Passover meal with the disciples, Jesus said:   “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”   The New Covenant of Christ was initiated and instituted on the cross. It was sealed and made fully effective by the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Peter no longer lived under the Old Covenant which was dependant on his actions, his ability and his faith. Peter now lived, walked and ministered under the New Covenant of Christ. Sin no longer had power over Peter. Jesus was at the right hand of the Father interceding for Peter, that he might be the fulfillment of what Jesus says in John 14:12-14:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.  Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”   What about us? What’s our excuse? We too walk in and under the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. We too should no longer be subject to the power of sin. Why do we often look and act more like the Peter of the Old Covenant, than the Peter we see in the New Covenant? Why does our faith still waiver? Why do we still at times set our minds on the things of man rather than the things of God? Why, at times do we deny Christ, even when in our hearts we would die for Him? I suppose there are any number of excuses we could make, but the truth is, there is no reason. We have the same Holy Spirit living in us that Peter had in him. We too should walk and minister in the same power.   

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit thank You for the New Covenant. Thank You for the power to live and minister with You and in You. Thank You that sin no longer has power over me. Help me to be like Peter and to walk in the fullness and as the fulfillment of the New Covenant. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.