Relevant Text: Acts 12:5
Full Text: Neh. 1-2; Acts 12
Efficiency | A New York minute, Johnny Carson quipped, is “the time it takes from when the lights turn green till the guy behind you starts honking his horn.” Yes, New Yorkers think simple tasks should be done quickly – street-walking, food-ordering, MetroCard-swiping. Even complicated tasks – stock-trading, eye surgery – must get faster. Yes, efficiency is king. But when it comes to Christian community, how should we measure efficiency?
Fellowship | In the months following Pentecost, the church grew from 120 disciples worldwide to over 5,000 Christians in Jerusalem alone. As it grew, however, it was persecuted. Here, James was beheaded and Peter was imprisoned. But “the church was earnestly praying to God for him” [1]. There was a network of home churches in Jerusalem that was praying. When they got down on their knees, God sent an angel to Peter on the night before his trial. That angel broke him free and led him past the guards.
Faith | Yet, God didn’t release Peter because their faith was perfect. In fact, when he arrived at Mary’s home, most of them didn’t even believe it was him! When the servant girl heard his voice through the door, she got so excited that she forgot to open the door and returned to tell the others: “Peter is at the door!” [2] But they didn’t believe her: “You’re out of your mind … It must be his angel” [3]. When they finally opened the door and saw Peter, “they were astonished” [4]. Then he told them what happened and how God answered their prayers.
Response | Who knows how long these home groups had been praying for Peter. They weren’t measuring efficiency in units of time, but by the degree to which they were getting involved in what God was already doing in their midst. When they met together and prayed, He did transforming and empowering things – even when their faith was imperfect. And as a result, God was glorified to use them to open the hearts of many to the gospel of Jesus.
Prayer | Lord, We long for you to do great things among us. Therefore, teach us to measure efficiency by our love, compassion, joy, holiness and zeal. Make us bold witnesses – in our homes and on our knees – for our lives are short. Let us not be satisfied with ordinary fellowship. Instead, for the sake of your name, let chains fall off and your people set free among us. Amen.
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Footnotes
[1] Acts 12:5 NIV1984 | [2] Acts 12:14 NIV1984 | [3] Acts 12:15 NIV1984 | [4] Acts 12:16 NIV1984
Bethany
January 12, 2012Todd. I’m at the airport without any research materials, so I’ll have to go with my instinct. I think it’s probably because they thought Peter might be dead. James was just beheaded and Peter was waiting his turn. Herod was a brutal ruler and, even though Peter’s trial was not scheduled until the following morning, they probably knew that Herod could do whatever he wanted (after all, Jesus had an unjust trial in the middle of the night – who’s to say that they would give any further respect to Peter?). So they probably thought that Peter was dead and his angel was at the door. This just reinforces how little faith they had – they thought it more likely that Peter was dead and his angel was at the door than they thought God had answered their prayers. This lack of faith in the midst of their praying! God is so faithful to us and patient. As the Psalmist says, “He knows we are dust.”
Todd Reinhard
January 12, 2012Hi again, Bethany. Yes, those are the lines along which I was thinking too–but that sounds more like a ghost than an angel. And I’m not sure if these early Christians would be confessing to a belief in ghosts. I did come across a brief note in one of my study Bibles that says that there was a belief in the ancient world that one’s guardian angel could pose as his or her double, and a reference is made to Luke 24:37. But, in this latter passage, it is not the word “angel” that is used, but the word “ghost.” Interesting too, if you look in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, KJV, there is no corresponding number for the Act 12:15 verse to show what the original Greek word was. The space is completely blank, as if somebody had to guess at the word that should have been there. Anyway, thanks much. Wishing you a good flight if you are flying, and a good day regardless.
Todd Reinhard
January 12, 2012Hi Bethany. I hope you are doing well in the new year. Regarding today’s scriptures, what do you suppose is meant when those inside insist that it is Peter’s “angel” at the door instead of Peter himself? It seems to me that “messenger” would make sense–but “angel”? I have never heard of a biblical character having his or her own angel, nor have I heard of an angel knocking on doors. Any idea what is going here? Thanks much, once again, for your time. Peace and good cheer to you and yours.