David Bahn – Reflections

I love to teach on Christian stewardship. For it is not about raising money, but raising people who recognize that all they have comes from God and that all of life is a matter of stewarding the gifts, resources, and opportunities God gives us. We are as much a steward when we go to the grocery store or enjoy a bottle of wine, or buy a new electronic gadget. This text is very much about money and the attempted dangerous deceit of the Holy Spirit, and, therefore also a profound lesson about Christian stewardship.

Peter’s asks Ananias, “While [the land] remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?” This is a telling question. We are stewards who give freely, not under compulsion. We are entrusted with the privilege and responsibility to manage/steward all that we have for  God’s purposes. We are not owners. But we are not indentured servants. What we have is ours to manage and use, for our own good and the good of others. We honor God not only when we tithe, giving the first fruits to God, when we help our neighbor, and when we care for our family and provide for our needs. We even honor God when we enjoy times of refreshment – whether through vacations, a night out, or a day in the park (when the weather allows it!).

But we do not honor God when we put on a show of our generosity, or try to pull the wool over God’s or others’ eyes seeking to impress people rather than bless them.

I love the insights offered by the Five Capitals teachings. I’ll share more about that tomorrow. And while financial capital is the least impactful and least important of the five capitals (Spiritual, Relational, Physical, Intellectual, and Financial), it is of vital importance. God cares about how we use our financial resources. Freely using all we have for his glory – sharing our wealth and giving to the church for the sake of his Kingdom’s goals – honors him and blesses others. Ananias wanted to honor himself and deceive others. That is truly the work of the devil and a dangerous path of life.

Derek Paulson (not his real name) was a bully by every definition of the term. Once I tried to stand up to him – very unsuccessfully – and got a bloodied nose. Another time he tripped me at recess and begged me not to tell the teacher. I didn’t. But I did have to have stitches in my knee after I got home that day. I wish there were not Derek Paulsons in the world.

There are, however, worse. Putin, Stalin, and Hitler come too easily to mind. Men who bullied, intimidated, and bulldozed anyone in their way to get their way. They harmed many. I wish they had experienced the same comeuppance as did Ananias and Sapphira 2000 years ago. Swift, decisive retribution and justice met out on the spot.

This is the other side of the coin of miraculous healings on one occasion and not on another. Sometimes God strikes blows so obvious and decisive that we must take notice. I think of Herod:

On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. ²² And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” ²³ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. – Acts 12:21-23

I wish there were not people like that: people who hurt others. People who refuse to give God the glory. People who lie to the Holy Spirit. People who try to impress others rather than God. People of unvarnished evil.

But there are. And why aren’t more of them severely, immediately, and summarily punished? For the same reason we are not severely, immediately, and summarily punished the moment we sin.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Sometimes there is a lesson for us, as in this case. Sometimes – though the sin is great – God has other plans for this or that one. Think Peter denying Christ, or Paul approving of Stephen’s stoning.

I wish there were not people like Ananias, Herod, Hitler, or Pol Pot. But I am thankful that there is a God who is gracious toward us sinners, and who forgives our sins, and uses us as a testimony of his grace and love.

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 30:1-5

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
² O Lordmy God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
³ O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

⁴ Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵ For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 60:11-12

¹¹ Oh, grant us help against the foe,
    for vain is the salvation of man!
¹² With God we shall do valiantly;
    it is he who will tread down our foes.

Psalm 90

90 Lord, you have been our dwelling place^[a]
    in all generations.
² Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”^[b]
4 For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.

⁵ You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
⁶ in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.

⁷ For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.

⁹ For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
¹⁰ The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span^[c] is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
¹¹ Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?

¹² So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³ Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶ Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷ Let the favor^[d] of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalm 120:1

In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!^[a]
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!

³ Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
⁴ Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
⁵ Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

The name Jesus comes from the Hebrew name, Yeshua (Joshua in English). The name means, “The Lord saves.” So appropriate for our Lord, Jesus of Nazareth. Joseph is told to name Mary’s son Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus’ name is no accident. It is well-given. Jesus lived up to his name. He did save us from our sins.

You may love or hate your own name. It may seem beautiful to you, or you may wish your parents had named you something different from the name they gave you. But even if you love your name (without self-aggrandizement), what other name might you wish you had? Me: Barnabas.

Barnabas means “son of encouragement.” How I’d love to be known by that name. Don’t call me a son of discouragement. Don’t label me son of criticism. Don’t name me lazy or thoughtless. But if you want to call me a son of encouragement, I’m good with that.

I’m good with that because I am a son of encouragement: I am who I am because of the encouragement of others. I can name a few: Will Sohns was my vicarage supervisor and continues to be a great inspiration for my encore life (continuing to serve as long as I am able). Jerry Kieschnick saw leadership potential in me and nominated me to be part of the first class of the Pastoral Leadership Institute. Even before that time Kent Hunter suggested that I study for my Doctor of Ministry degree at Fuller Seminary, yielding me far more than the privilege to put a “Dr.” in front of my name. Linda Aves was Director of Discipleship at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas when I was called there. She had a huge impact for good in my personal life and ministry, as did Gary, her husband. Gary and I became good friends there, and was so encouraging to me during the time I served there. I’m in trouble now, because where do I stop in naming those who have encouraged me along the way? I’d have to include Jerry Snell, my good high school friend, photographer who knew as a junior in high school that he wanted to be a Lutheran pastor. Pastor Robert Lange was a great influence for me in so many ways. He was the campus pastor where I became a Lutheran and helped me chart a path to the seminary.

Now I have to be like Martin Luther, who ends his lists of blessings or promises of God with the phrase, “and the like.” Too many to mention. And I’ve not mentioned people still actively in my life (you know who you are, I hope), who serve still to day to encourage me in my walk of faith.

There is one more, worth a brief story. When I was in seminary, I really struggled with some of the classes that were required. One day I was sitting at my desk and pretty distressed about it all. I even spoke about giving up. Diane grabbed a brick from the brick factory I worked in prior to entering the sem. (That was the hardest work I’ve ever done in my life.) She said, “Here. Look at this. Feel it. Do you want to go back to this?” It was a different kind of encouragement. But it was encouragement nonetheless. She has continued to offer gracious encouragement to me all along the way.

Do you have a Barnabas in your life? Are you an encourager? I thank God for all who have encouraged me, and I hope to encourage at least a few people to follow Jesus and experience the fullness of life he gives.

A neighbor has a Trump 24 sign in his front yard. I’m not necessarily a fan, but I’m also not offended by his sign. Please don’t get sidetracked here; this is not about Trump, politics, or even yard signs. I want to think with you about our testimony. Are we willing to speak out about our faith in Jesus, or better yet, about Jesus himself and his resurrection and gift of eternal, abundant life? Are we willing to let it be known that we desire to convert others to faith in Jesus?

They say you should never talk about politics or religion. It’s interesting to me that these two topics are so emotionally-charged. After the January 6 events in Washington, DC, people de-friended people on Facebook, posted pro and con comments about the goings-on, and otherwise were willing to come out publicly and strongly with their opinions. It was such a hot-button topic. It mattered to so many people. It was current news. The media coverage nearly blocked out the sun.

The news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is 2000 years old. There is no media coverage of the regular, weekly gatherings and rallies commemorating and celebrating that event. Even though millions of people world-wide stake their eternity on its veracity, it garners little comment. There is nowhere as much controversy about this event as there ought to be. This is a big deal!

Peter and John, and these new believers thought it was a big deal. They talked about it publicly and boldly. They made the claim that Jesus had risen from the dead. There are two-fold implications to this fact. Those who had put Jesus to death were wrong in every sense of the term. They were wrong in thinking they had gotten rid of Jesus. They were wrong in thinking it was right to put Jesus to death. They were wrong in thinking that they were doing God’s will in all that.

More importantly, Jesus’ resurrection proved that he was God’s true servant, our Savior, and the One (and only) who conquered sin, Satan, and death. Through him we are forgiven of all our sins. Through him we have the gift of eternal life.

This isn’t actually a matter of religion. It is a matter of faith. It’s worth being bold in our witness, whether in the face of persecution and controversy or as you celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with other believers.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 4:23-37

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. ²⁴ When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— ²⁵ you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

‘Why were the nations so angry?
    Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
²⁶ The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
    the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
    and against his Messiah.’

²⁷ “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. ²⁸ But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. ²⁹ And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

³² All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. ³³ The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. ³⁴ There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them ³⁵ and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

³⁶ For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. ³⁷ He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.

I hesitate to suggest that Martin Luther, the 16th Century German Monk turned Reformer, was deficient in any of his theological work. And I love how he expresses the work of the Holy Spirit as, calling, people to faith, gathering the faithful in worship, enlightening people with his gifts, sanctifying and keeping us in the true faith. But there is one omission in his list – at least in this one. Perhaps he speaks of it in other places. But not here in his explanation to the third article of the Apostle’s Creed.

The Holy Spirit propels God’s people in mission. He emboldens our witness. He moves us to seek and save the lost. Jesus promised that his followers would receive the Holy Spirit, and by the Holy Spirit’s power be his witnesses throughout the world. He gave the Holy Spirit to his disciples on Easter Sunday when he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). He gave his people the authority to forgive and retain sins. All this is Holy Spirit work.

Someone once said that Luther’s explanation of the third article of the Creed is the most beautiful sentence ever.

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

This is most certainly true.

Without the work of the Holy Spirit the work of preaching the word – weakly or boldly – would be for naught. But without the work of the Holy Spirit to propel God’s mission we would never hear of Jesus, we would be lost in our sins.

I love to speak about the fullness of God’s grace. Not only did he send his Son to die for the sins of the world. He also sent the Holy Spirit to bring us to faith. From beginning to end, our salvation is a gift of God’s grace. But God’s grace does not end there. In order that we may hear this word, and so that more people may be brought to faith in Jesus and receive the gift of eternal life, God sends his Holy Spirit who sends men and women to witness and proclaim God’s word of grace. Yes, grace abounds!

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 4:23-37

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. ²⁴ When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— ²⁵ you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

‘Why were the nations so angry?
    Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
²⁶ The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
    the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
    and against his Messiah.’

²⁷ “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. ²⁸ But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. ²⁹ And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

³² All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. ³³ The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. ³⁴ There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them ³⁵ and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

³⁶ For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. ³⁷ He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.

There is one explicit imperative command (sorry for the redundancy) to make disciples. It is recorded in Matthew 28 and Mark 16. “Go make disciples,” Jesus commands. And it’s literally, “In your going [or as you are going], make disciples.” The command is to make disciples. In Luke 24:46-47, John 20:21, and Acts 1:8, Jesus speaks in the indicative. The gospel will be preached to the ends of the earth. As the Father sent Jesus, he was sending his disciples. The disciples will be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. It’s gonna happen.

The earliest recorded words of God are, “Let there be light.” Moses tells us that there was light. When God speaks, things happen. And he has spoken about his mission to save people through the preaching of the gospel locally, regionally, across cultural boundaries, and throughout the international world. When God speaks a word, it’s gonna happen.

Jesus also said some other things that have proven to be true here. “As they have persecuted me, so they will persecute you” (John 15:20). Now it was happening. They were being challenged, threatened, warned, and abused by the religious leaders of their day. The very ones God had set over the Jewish people were standing in the way of Jesus’ message of grace and truth. They who had done nothing more than speak about what they had seen and heard were treated like criminals.

Their response to all this? They prayed for boldness to see the rest of what Jesus said would happen, to preach the gospel, and bring the message of the Kingdom of God to all people. There is an edge to their prayers; an implied desire for God to judge these enemies of the gospel; perhaps even to bring their plans down around their own heads.

But the main point of their prayer is that they would be bold messengers of Jesus’ death and resurrection. When it comes time for God to stretch out his hand, they pray that it would be stretched out in grace, performing miracles of healings, signs and wonders. All this to the glory of Jesus. All this so that Jesus would be more and more famous.

The message of the kingdom of God is still being spread. God’s word is being proclaimed. People are facing persecution for being followers of Jesus. It’s gonna be that way until the very end. And Jesus will be with his people all the way to the end as well. That’s his promise, “Surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

Acts 4:23-37

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. ²⁴ When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— ²⁵ you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,

‘Why were the nations so angry?
    Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
²⁶ The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
    the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
    and against his Messiah.’

²⁷ “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. ²⁸ But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. ²⁹ And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

³² All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. ³³ The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. ³⁴ There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them ³⁵ and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.

³⁶ For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. ³⁷ He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.

Maybe you’re better at waiting than I am. If I’ve got a few minutes, I will listen to the next chapter of my book, play a game of solitaire, look at the latest news, or check my email. My phone has become an emotional support device it seems. I wonder whether I can claim that status if I am told I must leave behind my phone in certain situations??? That’s actually pretty lame, I’ll admit. But I don’t want to waste time. (Don’t say a word about Solitaire!)

There is a quite different means by which people waste time. It has to do with ignoring the truth of God’s word, his purposes and plans, and his ways. Or worse yet, trying to thwart them. When Peter and John are freed from their imprisonment, they reported to the believers what had happened and how they had been told not to speak of Jesus anymore.

The response of the believers was to praise God, and pray to him, recalling the words of Psalm 2:1-2. Why indeed? They were angry because their fiefdom was being taken from them. They would no longer hold power over the people. They wasted their time with futile plans because they were blind to their own folly, and committed to their own destruction.

There are those who align themselves against our Lord. There are those who mock Jesus. Some people deride his teachings and ways. People want nothing of his reign and rule. They will chart their own course. They will make their own plans. Jesus is, for them, a non-factor, an interesting religious character, perhaps an example of a committed life, or a pattern of doing good to those in need. In their minds he is only one of many. They consider Buddha, Confucius, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, or even Bill Gates as more relevant to our current world.

But they are wasting their time. One day all that Jesus has taught and done, all who believe in him against all odds and every persecution, all those churches that have been dismissed as detriments to society will be vindicated. Every eye will see Jesus. He reigns over all, and his reign and rule is not to be set aside.

Next time you see evil run rampant, injustice triumph, faith ridiculed, or Jesus dismissed, pray for those folks who are only wasting their time. For evil will not win the day. Injustice will be sent to hell. Faith will be vindicated. Every knee will bow in heaven and on earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father, and the joy of all the angels and believers in heaven and on earth. Every moment spent praising Jesus, following in his ways, serving him in his kingdom is a moment that will never be wasted.

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 53

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,”
They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice;
There is no one who does good.
God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there is anyone who understands,
Who seeks after God.
Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.
Have the workers of wickedness no knowledge,
Who eat up My people as though they ate bread
And have not called upon God?
There they were in great fear where no fear had been;
For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you;
You put them to shame, because God had rejected them.
Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores His captive people,
Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

Psalm 83:1-2, 15-18

God, do not remain quiet;
Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.
For behold, Your enemies make an uproar,
And those who hate You have exalted themselves.
So pursue them with Your tempest
And terrify them with Your storm.
Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Your name, O LORD.
Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,
That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 113:1-4

Praise the LORD!
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Praise the name of the LORD.
Blessed be the name of the LORD
From this time forth and forever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
The name of the LORD is to be praised.
The LORD is high above all nations;
His glory is above the heavens.

Psalm 143

Hear my prayer, O LORD,
Give ear to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous.
For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart is appalled within me.
I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your doings;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
I stretch out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You, as a parched land.
Selah.
Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.
Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For I trust in You;
Teach me the way in which I should walk;
For to You I lift up my soul.
Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You.
Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my soul,
For I am Your servant.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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Acts 4:13-22

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, ¹⁶ saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, ²⁰ for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

I thought Dr. “Red” Duke, famous Houston physician and TV personality said it. But upon more careful research, he may have said it, but it dates well earlier than Dr. Duke’s TV appearances. Ready: Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative. Or, “Getting old is difficult. But the alternative is rotten (rotting?). Clever, and even more applicable to me today than even 10 years ago.

On the other hand, Jesus says that it is those who have childlike faith who are the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven (or Kingdom of God) is a realm of faith: the gracious rule and reign of God by faith in the heart of the believer. As such, we must allow that children may have saving faith. When we baptize an infant, we are actually providing a true focus or object for his or her faith.

By the time someone grows up, adding a few years of disappointments of promises not kept, he becomes more callous and less trusting by nature. We become suspect when the way cool decoder ring promised in the Cracker Jack box is cheap throw-away. Then we are promised a better job that never materializes. Our close friend betrays a confidence. We close our hearts. We harden our souls against hope. The older we get the more skeptical we become.

So when this man who is 40 years old reports that he has been healed – or when the people see this 40 year old man now walking – they know something really happened. This isn’t a last-minute plant, who miraculously gains his sight. This isn’t an insider who is pretending to have won the giant teddy bear at the carnival. They’ve seen this man for years, struggling to get by. He’s old enough not to be taken in. This is the real deal.

Our son, one Sunday went to his friend’s house to tell him about Jesus. We thought that was really cute. But when the father of the bride spoke at the wedding reception for a newly-wed couple and gave a clear public witness to Jesus Christ and the importance of faith, I took note. I suspect it had an impact on others as well.

As we wait for that time when our numbered days come to an end, and we pass from this veil of tears to the life of the world to come, it is vital that we join Paul and say, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) That’s true no matter how old we are.