Reference Passage: Acts chapter 12 verses 1 to 24
Just follow the link to read the passage online here
My humble request to all my readers would be to prayerfully read the Scripture at least once before proceeding.
In the meanwhile, against all the odds, there was a church praying for Peter's freedom. We read in the fifth verse that prayer was made without ceasing. This church just couldn't get tired of praying for Peter. There had to be something in the relationship between Peter and the praying believers that made this possible. They needed him back and they expressed their need ceaselessly to the only One who could make a difference.
Is it the same with us today? When was the last time we prayed for someone's need till we received an answer? I think Apple Computers co-founder Steve Jobs puts it rightly when he says that we now want everything within 3 clicks. So our Christian experience has also come to mean a quick visit to 'the Church', a quick song, a quick prayer and a quick offering. We do not know the names of the people around us (even the pastor, for that matter), neither do we care.
Each time Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He asked the seeker to get right with God and to get right with his neighbour (Read Mathew 22:35 to 40). Both relationships are important and fundamental to human existence by God's design. We might be the most saintly Christian hermits in town but if we haven't gotten these basics right, we aren't anywhere close to pleasing God.
Peter's tight security cover made it impossible for human intervention of any kind. Sometimes, I think God allows problems that will push us to see our own frailty and His sufficiency. There are certain things only God can do. We could encroach into God's territory and try but failure is all we'll get for our efforts. We must learn to discern our contribution to the solution and leave everything else to God.
I have often seen well meaning parents try to bring up their children in godly ways and fail. I've talked to youth who keep telling me how much they're disillusioned by the meaningless rituals and elaborate ceremonies they see on Sunday. Knowing God is possible only by a personal revelation from above - no one can induce faith by a method. So then would that mean that we should quit trying to help our kids? No, obviously not. All that we do is speak the truth in love and constantly ask God to help it make sense for the hearers. Solomon says in his book of Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) But then, for the parent, that would involve a personal relationship with God in the first place and that's precisely what's lacking.
We're so dependent on people and methods, we've sacrificed our own intimacy with the Lord on the altar of convenience. Maybe we're hoping our praying mothers will get us through, maybe we're banking on the priest, maybe a patron saint. But each time we walk the corridors of God's Word, humanity still hears the echo from time past, "Adam, where are you?" and its directed at each individual, not just a representative. Apostle Paul emphasises (in Romans 14:10) that each of us will have to face and answer the Judgement Seat of Christ individually.
Some others tell me that the Bible is a very complex and difficult text to understand. I totally agree. The problem is this: if we think we can decipher the Bible on our own with the concordances, dictionaries and maps that we possess, we'd fail. The Word of God is after all, exactly that - His Word. So, you've got to take the problem to Him to find the solution, your software can't help.
When God's time had come, the angel arrived and began the rescue operation. He patiently brought Peter out, set him on his own and disappeared. The angel's demeanor suggests that he was clearly under Someone else's orders. We, as Christians, still don't understand this and all who see our lives are left wondering what all this big preaching is about.
Peter proceeded to the house of prayer and another drama played out - it becomes obvious they'd all been praying without completely believing that the answer would arrive in the middle of the night and ring the calling bell! I thank God He doesn't always consider the amount of our faith before He sends His answers.
Further down, Herod had the guards cross-examined and executed, for letting Peter slip through their fingers. Herod then went to resolve a crisis with the people of the regions of Tyre and Sidon. (See footnote for details) Having completed his speech, he sat down to extraordinary applause - the audience shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." How foolish! He actually thought they meant it! Solomon accurately remarks, "A rich man is wise in his own eyes." (Proverbs 28:11)
Coming from a country like India, you've got to be careful how you handle applause: I can even remember my college days when students would applaud teachers for reasons other than genuine praise! They would even throw in hearty laughter when jokes were cracked - maybe thats the nice Indian student version of saying, "What a nut!"
We can shroud ourselves in a cloak of self-imagined "I feel good" perspectives but the farther away we are from reality, the harder the crash will be when God topples our puny thrones. Herod's end is a grim reminder of how politics and playing to the gallery does not sit well with God's style. Sadly, Herod's attitude not only haunts the passages of power in the Government, but also the insides of the church where God is worshipped. I've seen several churches torn apart by similar politicking and chair play. At the end of it all, the innocent believer, like Peter, is forced into bondage for sincerely seeking and preaching the truth. Apostle Paul, in Romans 14:19, writes thus: "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." May we take note and beware because our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).
The 24th verse wraps it up nicely for the sincere God-seeker: "But the word of God grew and multiplied." Think of this: this is a yet unforeseen character in the drama - the word of God. We thought the three characters that mattered were Herod, Peter and the praying church. Yet, here we see a character who transcends the confines of the situation and draws the bottom line. Now we understand the whole struggle was exactly about this: God's truth. Someone preached it, someone believed its power, someone tried to suppress it. Yet, at the end of it, truth rises victoriously, over friend and foe, in visible triumph.
Let me draw a final lesson here: often, the circumstances of life has made us wonder if truth really mattered. Wasn't the lie the seeming winner? In college, at work, in a business deal and so on, its so obvious which way is the easier one. But God speaks today and puts Himself behind His Word: truth reigns in the end. He asks us to hold on till the end and see how the game plays out because He has a few surprises up His sleeve.
Here, I tie up the loose ends and ponder the final question: Whats the price we will pay for this truth in our lives? The writer to the Hebrews exhorts thus, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) I think that this throne room is the only place to find the right answers as we are faced with uncomfortable questions about our relationship with God. I won't say we get the answers that we like, but I believe they're the answers we need. As has been God's advice since ages, let's humble ourselves in His Presence and just look to His face - the Pslamist says, "They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed." (Psalm 34:5)
God bless us all with these thoughts.
More on King Herod:
The King Herod, of Acts chapter 12, might possibly be King Agrippa I (10BC to 44 AD), also known as Marcus Julius Agrippa. According to historian Josephus, he was known in his time as "Agrippa the great". Further Josephus records the king's zeal for Judaism, both public and private. After Passover in 44, Agrippa went to Caesarea, where he had games performed in honor of Claudius. In the midst of his elation Agrippa saw an owl perched over his head. During his imprisonment by Tiberius, a similar omen had been interpreted as portending his speedy release, with the warning that should he behold the same sight again, he would die within five days. He was immediately smitten with violent pains, scolded his friends for flattering him and accepted his imminent death. He experienced heart pains and a pain in his abdomen, and died after five days. Acts 12 relates simply that he was eaten by worms.
Just follow the link to read the passage online here
My humble request to all my readers would be to prayerfully read the Scripture at least once before proceeding.
In the meanwhile, against all the odds, there was a church praying for Peter's freedom. We read in the fifth verse that prayer was made without ceasing. This church just couldn't get tired of praying for Peter. There had to be something in the relationship between Peter and the praying believers that made this possible. They needed him back and they expressed their need ceaselessly to the only One who could make a difference.
Is it the same with us today? When was the last time we prayed for someone's need till we received an answer? I think Apple Computers co-founder Steve Jobs puts it rightly when he says that we now want everything within 3 clicks. So our Christian experience has also come to mean a quick visit to 'the Church', a quick song, a quick prayer and a quick offering. We do not know the names of the people around us (even the pastor, for that matter), neither do we care.
Each time Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He asked the seeker to get right with God and to get right with his neighbour (Read Mathew 22:35 to 40). Both relationships are important and fundamental to human existence by God's design. We might be the most saintly Christian hermits in town but if we haven't gotten these basics right, we aren't anywhere close to pleasing God.
Peter's tight security cover made it impossible for human intervention of any kind. Sometimes, I think God allows problems that will push us to see our own frailty and His sufficiency. There are certain things only God can do. We could encroach into God's territory and try but failure is all we'll get for our efforts. We must learn to discern our contribution to the solution and leave everything else to God.
I have often seen well meaning parents try to bring up their children in godly ways and fail. I've talked to youth who keep telling me how much they're disillusioned by the meaningless rituals and elaborate ceremonies they see on Sunday. Knowing God is possible only by a personal revelation from above - no one can induce faith by a method. So then would that mean that we should quit trying to help our kids? No, obviously not. All that we do is speak the truth in love and constantly ask God to help it make sense for the hearers. Solomon says in his book of Proverbs, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) But then, for the parent, that would involve a personal relationship with God in the first place and that's precisely what's lacking.
We're so dependent on people and methods, we've sacrificed our own intimacy with the Lord on the altar of convenience. Maybe we're hoping our praying mothers will get us through, maybe we're banking on the priest, maybe a patron saint. But each time we walk the corridors of God's Word, humanity still hears the echo from time past, "Adam, where are you?" and its directed at each individual, not just a representative. Apostle Paul emphasises (in Romans 14:10) that each of us will have to face and answer the Judgement Seat of Christ individually.
Some others tell me that the Bible is a very complex and difficult text to understand. I totally agree. The problem is this: if we think we can decipher the Bible on our own with the concordances, dictionaries and maps that we possess, we'd fail. The Word of God is after all, exactly that - His Word. So, you've got to take the problem to Him to find the solution, your software can't help.
When God's time had come, the angel arrived and began the rescue operation. He patiently brought Peter out, set him on his own and disappeared. The angel's demeanor suggests that he was clearly under Someone else's orders. We, as Christians, still don't understand this and all who see our lives are left wondering what all this big preaching is about.
Peter proceeded to the house of prayer and another drama played out - it becomes obvious they'd all been praying without completely believing that the answer would arrive in the middle of the night and ring the calling bell! I thank God He doesn't always consider the amount of our faith before He sends His answers.
Further down, Herod had the guards cross-examined and executed, for letting Peter slip through their fingers. Herod then went to resolve a crisis with the people of the regions of Tyre and Sidon. (See footnote for details) Having completed his speech, he sat down to extraordinary applause - the audience shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." How foolish! He actually thought they meant it! Solomon accurately remarks, "A rich man is wise in his own eyes." (Proverbs 28:11)
Coming from a country like India, you've got to be careful how you handle applause: I can even remember my college days when students would applaud teachers for reasons other than genuine praise! They would even throw in hearty laughter when jokes were cracked - maybe thats the nice Indian student version of saying, "What a nut!"
We can shroud ourselves in a cloak of self-imagined "I feel good" perspectives but the farther away we are from reality, the harder the crash will be when God topples our puny thrones. Herod's end is a grim reminder of how politics and playing to the gallery does not sit well with God's style. Sadly, Herod's attitude not only haunts the passages of power in the Government, but also the insides of the church where God is worshipped. I've seen several churches torn apart by similar politicking and chair play. At the end of it all, the innocent believer, like Peter, is forced into bondage for sincerely seeking and preaching the truth. Apostle Paul, in Romans 14:19, writes thus: "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." May we take note and beware because our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).
The 24th verse wraps it up nicely for the sincere God-seeker: "But the word of God grew and multiplied." Think of this: this is a yet unforeseen character in the drama - the word of God. We thought the three characters that mattered were Herod, Peter and the praying church. Yet, here we see a character who transcends the confines of the situation and draws the bottom line. Now we understand the whole struggle was exactly about this: God's truth. Someone preached it, someone believed its power, someone tried to suppress it. Yet, at the end of it, truth rises victoriously, over friend and foe, in visible triumph.
Let me draw a final lesson here: often, the circumstances of life has made us wonder if truth really mattered. Wasn't the lie the seeming winner? In college, at work, in a business deal and so on, its so obvious which way is the easier one. But God speaks today and puts Himself behind His Word: truth reigns in the end. He asks us to hold on till the end and see how the game plays out because He has a few surprises up His sleeve.
Here, I tie up the loose ends and ponder the final question: Whats the price we will pay for this truth in our lives? The writer to the Hebrews exhorts thus, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) I think that this throne room is the only place to find the right answers as we are faced with uncomfortable questions about our relationship with God. I won't say we get the answers that we like, but I believe they're the answers we need. As has been God's advice since ages, let's humble ourselves in His Presence and just look to His face - the Pslamist says, "They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed." (Psalm 34:5)
God bless us all with these thoughts.
More on King Herod:
The King Herod, of Acts chapter 12, might possibly be King Agrippa I (10BC to 44 AD), also known as Marcus Julius Agrippa. According to historian Josephus, he was known in his time as "Agrippa the great". Further Josephus records the king's zeal for Judaism, both public and private. After Passover in 44, Agrippa went to Caesarea, where he had games performed in honor of Claudius. In the midst of his elation Agrippa saw an owl perched over his head. During his imprisonment by Tiberius, a similar omen had been interpreted as portending his speedy release, with the warning that should he behold the same sight again, he would die within five days. He was immediately smitten with violent pains, scolded his friends for flattering him and accepted his imminent death. He experienced heart pains and a pain in his abdomen, and died after five days. Acts 12 relates simply that he was eaten by worms.
References:
-wikipedia
--> Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae xix. 345-350 (Chapter 8 para 2)
--> http://www.livius.org/he-hg/herodians/herod_agrippa_i
