Easter Saturday, April 18, 2020

Acts 4:13–21

Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply. So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and conferred with one another, saying, “What are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name.” 

So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them, on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened.

Let’s look at today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.  One way of considering this book as a whole is as an explanation to the gentile Christians for why they should follow the teachings of a man rejected by his own people, particularly by their leaders.  In the reading today, we see the leaders of the Jews — “the leaders, elders, and scribes” — wondering what to do with these followers of Jesus.  The Sanhedrin had not thought enough of these men to take them into account in their plan to kill Jesus.  Indeed, looking at them here, they saw only “uneducated, ordinary men”.  The Greek word translated here as “uneducated” also means “unlettered” or “illiterate”, that is, they had not studied the law of Moses.  The Greek word translated here as “ordinary” is the source for our English word “idiot”.  This word has the connotation of “bumpkin” or “yokel”, a person conspicuous for being unimpressive either in appearance, knowledge, or speech.  Furthermore, they spoke with the Galilean accent.  And because they originated in Galilee, the descendants of the tribe of Judah did not consider them on a par with themselves.  

And yet, these learned members of the Sanhedrin stood speechless and helpless before them.  They looked at the man who had been lame, and then at these undistinguished Galileans.  Their Leader had been outspoken, had possessed the sort of character that drew crowds of people to follow him.  They had felt threatened by him, enough to kill him.  But these followers were nobodies.  Still, they did preach in the name of their Leader and in some way might appeal to the crowd.  The members of the Sanhedrin found themselves presented with a dilemma.  They needed to put these men out of their way, but they could not act too harshly because that would convey to the crowd that they were worthy of serious attention.  A few years later the Christian community grew large enough so that the Jewish leaders unleashed a terrible persecution against it, but for the present, they simply hoped the followers of Jesus would just melt back into Galilee.

Peter and John said to them, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”  The earnest faith of the Apostles who have transmitted what they saw and heard through their Gospels and Letters has brought the Lord Jesus to us.  They were neither theologians nor orators.  They were witnesses.  You and I do not need to be theologians or orators, but our faith ought to urge us to be relentless witnesses to what we have seen and heard in the Gospels, and in our own lives.  Let us not hold back.