David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 9:32-43

Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. ³⁴ And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. ³⁵ And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶ Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. ³⁷ In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. ³⁸ Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” ³⁹ So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. ⁴⁰ But Peter put them all outside, 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. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. ⁴² And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

506 years ago today, a little known German monk tacked a list of theological statements on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. His name was Martin Luther, and this day is generally thought of as the start of the Protestant Reformation. Today there are some 81 million people who identify themselves as Lutherans.

Luther’s efforts were not to start a new church, a revolution, or to gain a name for himself. In fact near the time of his death the term Lutheran was a pejorative term. Those Lutherans, some would say derisively, have made a mess of things. But the word got out. People began reading what Luther wrote (thanks to Gutenberg’s printing press and Luther’s prolific writings). More people heard of his stand against indulgences, the sale of forgiveness, and the abuses of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Word began spreading. And Luther (100 years after Jan Huss who said many of the same things  previous to Luther) began to gain a following. The Gospel message of salvation by grace through faith began to see the light of day. People were saved. Jesus was glorified.

Somehow the word gets out. That’s true for churches. Years ago I was serving a church where I sensed that a new wind of the Spirit was blowing. I hadn’t tried to gin up some sort of spiritual awakening. I had simply done what God had called me to do. It was at the right time in the right place. And I was no different as a pastor than I had been in my previous church decades ago where the success had been hard fought and short-lived. Somehow the word got out that God was at work in the people of that new church. And people began to come. It was a wonderful time. It was difficult to leave that church to go to the next church to which God called me.

The impact of Aeneas’ healing proved to be such a new wind of the Spirit. And the word got out. The people in Joppa learned about his healing and called for Peter to come to their town and heal Tabitha. Peter was God’s instrument for healing, and in this case, also for raising Tabitha from the dead. It seems that God gave that authority specifically to the Apostles. And these signs and wonders were done not for their own sake, but to show the power, grace, and mercy of God – all in the name of Jesus. The word simply got out. Jesus was glorified and people were saved. 

You don’t have to sell someone a bill of goods. You don’t have to know all the answers. You just need to be a friend who is willing to let someone know that there is a place where they can hear of God’s grace and love, that honors Jesus and his truth, and where the Holy Spirit is at work. When people do that, the word gets out, Jesus gets the glory and people get saved.

That’s a good thing. Right?