Expecting a Miracle
(Acts 9: 32-43)
You’ve heard it said by someone who was in a desperate state facing a difficult situation not knowing where to turn for help or relief say something along the lines of “I’m praying for a miracle” or maybe you’ve been in such a situation yourself. Being forced to your knees in prayer is not a bad thing as it helps you focus on the issue, creates a dialogue with the Father, and does end with some sort of resolution. I’ve had people who have come by the church, usually as a last resort, looking for a miracle. They’ve volunteered that they’ve prayed on it, that God has not answered their prayers, so what do I think they should do? Some of these folks have dug themselves into such a deep hole that it would take a miracle worker to pull them out.
Granted, I’m not a miracle worker but I am a pretty good listener when I’m not talking. Believe it or not, I’ve had three careers, and now a fourth, that require active listening. As a police officer I would get called to the scene of some sort of crime and would have to patiently listen to what happened, record it in an offense report, maybe make an arrest, and then explain to the complainant what was likely to happen next. As a prosecutor I would meet with victims, again listening to how a particular crime impacted them and their families who also wanted to know what the system was going to do for them to make them whole. Listening and empathizing with them was key to helping them obtain some sort of closure especially in light of the fact that we were not in the “eye for an eye or tooth for a tooth” business. As a criminal defense attorney, I spent countless hours in the county jail patiently listening to my captive client’s varied and numerous reasons as to why they should be given a break and set free. And now, as a pastor, I get to put my active listening into practice as people come to me for answers whether they attend here or are just looking for a place to vent. And sometimes we, as a church, are able to come through with a small miracle just by listening, doing what we can, or pointing them in the right direction, like to Bayside Housing and Services.
I think that may be one of the biggest challenges facing the Christian Church today. In the face of everything that is going wrong all around us people expect us to perform miracles and make everything okay because that’s what Jesus would do.
And that’s where we find ourselves in the scripture reading for this morning. People were calling upon Peter in hopes he could perform a miracle, that he could raise a beloved and cherished woman from the dead.
As background, we’re told in verse 31 that the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and that God strengthened the church, and its life was marked by reverence for the Lord. Encouraged by the Holy Spirit, the church continued to grow in number. My Study Bible says that this peace and growth corresponds with Saul’s transformation from a hunter and pursuer of Followers of the Way of Jesus Christ to an Apostle called to bring the Word of God to the Gentiles. Saul had caused believers to flee Jerusalem for the countryside fearing persecution, imprisonment, and death with the unintended consequence of spreading the gospel. So, Peter, fresh off his rehabilitation by Jesus, went on a ministry tour that led him from Jerusalem westward into the beautiful plain of Sharon where he likely visited little bastions of the Christian faith in Judean cities where believers had probably settled after being scattered due to the martyrdom of Stephen by those whose status quo was threatened by the teachings of Jesus Christ.
We pick up this morning with the writer of Acts telling us that as Peter toured the whole region, he went to visit God’s holy people in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been confined to his bed for eight years. Peter said to him: Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and make your bed. At once he got up and everyone who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. Well, I don’t have to tell you that news of this nature travels fast and if anyone present had an iPhone it would have been all over the internet. When word of this miracle reached nearby Joppa two disciples were sent to fetch Peter to see what he could do for a woman named Tabitha. We’re told that Tabitha was also a disciple of Jesus Christ and that her life overflowed with good works and compassionate acts on behalf of those in need. It was at the same time that Peter restored mobility to Aeneas that Tabitha became so ill that she suddenly died. In their grief Tabitha’s mourners sent the two disciples to bring Peter back to Joppa expecting a miracle. When Peter got there, he was met by many widows who stood there in tears as they showed the tunics and other clothing Tabitha had made for them when she was alive. After sending everyone out of the room Peter knelt beside Tabitha and prayed. He turned towards her body and said: Tabitha, get up! At once, she opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and raised her up. He then called God’s holy people, including the widows, and presented Tabitha to them. Needless to say, the news spread throughout Joppa, and many put their faith in the Lord.
And here we are roughly two thousand years later surrounded by people coming to us expecting a miracle and placing us in a position to deliver or be discounted as not having the power of God within us. I’ve often thought how frustrated Jesus must have felt at times with people coming to him expecting a miracle, a cure, a healing just because word had spread about his supernatural abilities. People approached him all the time, one woman thought that if she could just touch the hem of his robe she would be healed. Another had a favorite slave that was sick and believed that if Jesus just said the word his slave would be made better. It got so bad at times with the crowds pressing in upon him that he had to seek a quiet place just to rest and reflect only to have the crowds follow him wanting more. It had to have taken on a sideshow atmosphere at times. But he had to distinguish himself from all of the false prophets who were performing slight-of-hand miracles and claiming to have the power of the divine. He had to hope that people would see the power of God in his miracles and that would give his message the authority of the divine to those who stuck around to hear him preach. It had to have been exhausting.
And because of this, people are looking to us, the church universal, expecting to see miracles when instead they should be seeing the goodness of God in what we do, how we interact with others, and how we lead our lives out in the open. While God still performs miracles of all kinds and in many ways, they are not simply wonders to behold but are manifestations of His divine grace that are meant to draw men and women to believe in Jesus as Savior. But I like to think it’s the small things that make an impact on the lives of others. We should take our cue from Tabitha who was a Disciple of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and used her gift as a seamstress to make clothing for poor widows, no questions asked, and no strings attached. She wasn’t a great preacher like Peter or an evangelist like Paul, but she used her gifts of kindness to make a difference where it mattered, and when she was gone people noticed and grieved at her passing.
We have a tough row to hoe as Followers of the Way of Jesus Christ, especially if we put ourselves out there in the mission field to do what we can to address the needs of the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Too often we hear people say that they just cannot believe in a God that would allow all of the devastation and misery they see in the world and that if there truly was a divine God all he would have to do is wave his hand, perform a miracle, and all would be right with the world. It would be heaven on earth. All I can tell people is that we’ve been given the gift of free will, the freedom to make our own decisions whether good or bad, right or wrong, and that people and creation suffer needlessly when that gift is misused and abused.
But there are still miracles to be performed by those of us who unashamedly believe in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings. These miracles come in our active listening to the people who seek us out in hope when they are at the end of their rope telling us their stories in expectation of us being able to do something, anything. The miracles come in our active listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit when he comes to us with ideas and guidance that will help people when they most need it and hopefully because of what we do in Jesus’ name people will come to put their faith in the Lord.
Let us pray.
What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart! I have light in my soul for which long I had sought, since Jesus came into my heart! Yes, what a change in our lives we have now that we have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ that the promises made to us by God will be fulfilled and that we do not have to hope for a miracle to deliver us from all that assails us. Even when we are at the end of our rope, we still have our hope in the eternal and because Jesus lives we know there is a tomorrow and a better life ahead for all who call upon his name. We’re possessed of a hope that is steadfast and sure because we have Jesus in our hearts. This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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