Addressing the Opposition – June 18, 2023 – Eddington Presbyterian Church

Psalm 8, Acts 4:1-22
June 18, 2023

I thought we would take the story of Peter and John a little farther today. Because I wanted us to see the result – the consequence – of their healing miracle in the Temple.

If you recall, (or if you weren’t here last week,) Peter and John had met this lame man asking for alms at the Temple gate. And there Peter said these famous words, “Silver and Gold have I none, but that which I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (And Yes, of course Peter spoke in King James English!)

What followed that was that Peter then preached what was then the second Christian sermon. The first being at Pentecost. And this time he preached his sermon in the Temple itself! That’s where we left off last week. You can go back and read (or watch!) that sermon if you like on our web page. (Just go to “Past Sermons” or “On-line Worship) And, if you want to read Peter’s sermon at the end of Chapter 3. (It’s almost as good!)

So today we began reading in chapter 4. And what happens here is that Peter and the boys face the first opposition to their message about Jesus. Even though they convinced thousands of people that day – and probably because they convinced thousands of people that day – the Temple authorities were not very happy!

So, as we begin, “the priests and the captains of the Temple and the Sadducees” arrested them, and put them in jail. And not for the last time! In this case, Luke tells us that it was the Sadducees who were annoyed because in his message about Jesus, Peter was proclaiming the resurrection from the dead. And, if you remember, the Sadducees didn’t believe in any kind of resurrection. So they had them both jailed.

But this quickly became more than that! It became more than just a disagreement over one theological point. Because the next day, the whole ruling council of Israel got together to deal with this. And lo and behold, this sounds like the same bunch of guys we saw in the trial of Jesus! And that’s because they were the same guys! Do you remember these names, Annas and Caiaphas? Yeah, those guys!

They were not happy! And their opposition was about much more than just one theological point about resurrection. Their problem was that, not many weeks before this, they had taken a big chance and they had walked a very fine line in getting rid of this Jesus. And they thought that whole terrible mess was over! But now it seemed like it might not be. And I think they had no idea how big this would become, and how difficult it would be to deal with! And I’m sure they hoped that their actions this day would “take care of this problem.” But I think in the back of their minds they feared the worst!

So they questioned the prisoners, and they asked, “By what power or name did you do this?” That is, “How did you heal this lame man?” And that gave Peter the opportunity to defend himself and tell them the truth about Jesus. And he took that opportunity! And as he did so, he accused them – by their own scriptures – of being the builders who rejected the stone which became the cornerstone. That’s right out of Psalm 118. And I’m sure it. And I’m sure they were not happy about that, either!! Peter was not ingratiating himself with the Jewish leadership here!

Well, to me, the thing that stands out the most from this story is the Jewish leaders’ reaction. Luke says, “Seeing the man who had been healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.” So they sent the boys out, and they talked about it. “What shall we do with these men?” they said. “They performed a miracle, which everybody knows about, and we cannot deny it!” And then this was their unbelievable conclusion. “But in order that it may spread no further, let us warn them not to speak any more in this name.”

That’s unfathomable! They knew the miracle was true! They didn’t say, “We don’t believe this happened.” They didn’t say, “The people were tricked, and we need to show them how.” No, they said, “We cannot deny it!” They knew it was true! The man was standing right there in front of them! But still, they were so opposed to Jesus, and everything he stood for, they had to stop his message! They had to nip this “Jesus thing” in the bud!

So they told them to stop what they were doing. And then we have Peter’s equally incredible answer. “Whether it’s right to listen to you or God, you have to judge. But we cannot help but speak of what we have seen and heard.” So the council threatened them further, and released them. And on it would go.

It wasn’t until chapter 5, when they were arrested – again! – that reason prevailed. In that chapter, we find the wise words of this man named Gamaliel. You can read this later if you want. (I’m giving you lots of reading assignments today!) Gamaliel was a wise and respected member of the council. And he finally answered their question, “What shall we do with these men?” He said, “Leave them alone. If what they are doing is not of God, it will fail. But if what they are doing is of God, you will not be able to stop them. And you might even find yourself fighting against God!”

Those are such wise words. Aren’t they? But, did the council listen to him? They did that day, yes! But, as time went on, they continued to oppose the young church and to harass it’s people. And that opposition would grow, until finally one of the Pharisees declared war! You know him. His name was Saul! And again, we’ll look at his story in a few weeks, too.

This is a big subject! Because I think the Church faces a lot of opposition today. And no, I don’t think there is a Saul out there, bent on stamping it out completely. But there are some pretty strong forces, and some strong negative attitudes, and some outspoken voices, all standing against us.

Think about it. Did we ever think we would live in such times when the Church is criticized seen as being exclusionary, intolerant, radical, and irrelevant? I never would have imagined it. When I grew up, the culture around us was predominantly a Judeo-Christian culture. Even people who were not Church goers, still held those values. That was the same for many of you, too.

But that’s not the case anymore. And here in the twenty-first century, the church is looked down on by a lot of people. And I think in these times the church needs to take a good look at its image and its message in the world. Because I still believe that we have the greatest message of love that the world has ever known! And I think you believe that, too!

So, may we cultivate that message. May we grow in our love for others – even grow in the tough job of loving those with whom we disagree! That’s an important message to a world that’s forgotten how to do that! We can be an example of that! We can love people who disagree with us. We can even love those who criticize and oppose us! And I believe Jesus would have us do just that. He said, “Love your enemies, “ he said. “Pray for those who persecute you!” He meant that, you know!

And when we stand before those who oppose us, when we address the opposition, as did Peter and John, may we stand firmly behind our message of love and compassion, difficult though that may be at times.

And may we stand in the unity of the Spirit, even though we might disagree. As you’ve heard me say many times, we Presbyterians believe that “people of good conscience can differ.” So, may we be seen as people who encourage the faith of everyone, even if it might look different than our own!

And as we do, may we seek the strength of the same Holy Spirit that was in the church in those days, and strengthening the hearts and minds of believers everywhere!

Prayer

Eternal God, our Heavenly Father, help us to be the kind of people you want us to be. Help us to love the world you so loved that you sent your son. Help us to be his representatives, to let his love shine through all the differences in this world. Help us to have the strength to live in ways that bring people back to you, and not push them away. For we pray in our Saviors name, Amen.