Proper 7 (CL)

Acts 4:23-37

²³ On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. ²⁵ You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“ ‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

²⁶ The kings of the earth take their stand

and the rulers gather together

against the Lord

and against his Anointed One.’

²⁷ Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ²⁸ They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

St Peter and St John come back to recount to the disciples the events which took place.  I am sure they tell the disciples that the Chief priests commanded them not to preach the name of Jesus.  Therefore, St Peter and St John quote from the words of the Holy Spirit.  The people plot in vain against the Lord and his Anointed One, or his Christ.

All the people of the world continue to plot in vain against Jesus Christ.  There are even people who are within the "visible church" that plot against the Lord.  These people gather together to teach and plot lies and falsehoods throughout the world.  They teach things like Evolution, Abortion, Decisions Theology, Salvation by Works, prayer to saints, and even idol worship.  All these may not amount to very much in your eyes, but they undercut the work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  But probably one of the greatest lies that are still perpetuated was the deception of the chief priests themselves, namely the Resurrection of the Dead.

The chief priests paid money to the soldiers, who were guarding the tomb of Jesus.  They were paid to lie to the people, telling them that the disciples stole his body in the night.  But Jesus Christ's body was not stolen.  It was raised from death to life.  Jesus Christ the Anointed One of the Lord is alive today, even though people plot against him.  All there boldness does them no good, God still spreads the truth.

We should maintain this same truth at all times.  We need to make sure that we gather together and bear witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We testify and bear witness to what we know.  Jesus Christ has died for our sins.  Jesus Christ made us children of God.  The Holy Spirit reveals this truth to us through the words of others.  The Holy Spirit places these same words in our mouths, so that we can bear witness with the Apostles.  The words of Scripture allow us to testify along with Apostles, hopefully holding all things in common with their teaching.