June 18 – Thoughts on Neh. 10-11 & Acts 4:1-22

When God shows His power in the world, the unfortunate side effect is that the “powers” of this world have their impotence revealed.

Peter and John innocently heal a lame man, and all hell breaks loose.  They are arrested, jailed over night, brought before the High Priest, reprimanded, and finally released.  But not before we see the power of the Jewish leadership for what it is – assumed, not proven.  They question Peter and John, two “unschooled men”, only to find their answers unassailable.  They meet in private to decide their fate, and in the end the only thing they can do with their human, positional power is to command them not to preach any more.

Yet even in that, Peter stands tall before them.  Rather than agreeing to their face and then turning around and preaching again anyway, defying their authority passive-aggressively, he uses this moment to teach the teachers.  He tells them to their face that he must obey God’s will, which is to continue preaching, rather than theirs, which is to stop.  And they have no choice but to let them go regardless.

What powers in this world do you face that will be proven impotent when God’s power is revealed?