An Angel Frees Peter from Prison - mid 12th century, on display at Cappella Palatina di Palermo, Italy
God Acts in the Face of Resistance
You are invited to begin this study letting these words wash over you from the ELW Service of Healing:
In the name of our Savior Jesus Christ,
may you be strengthened and filled with God’s grace, that you may know the
healing power of the Spirit. Amen.
Check out the painting of Peter’s liberation
from prison above.
What details stand out to you?
Bear this image in mind as you read Acts
12:7-11 slowly, out loud if possible:
7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the
chains fell off his wrists. 8The angel said to him, ‘Fasten
your belt and put on your sandals.’ He did so. Then he said to him, ‘Wrap your
cloak around you and follow me.’ 9Peter went out and
followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help
was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10After they had
passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading
into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and
walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. 11Then
Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel
and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were
expecting.’
What stood out to
you?
In these verses,
- Peter is awakened in the middle of the night, is understandably groggy, but follows the angel’s direction and is liberated from prison!
- It took him a long time to understand that’s what was happening. Perhaps because it seemed so impossible?
- An iron gate opened on its own, and the angel left. Peter said, out loud and quite possibly to himself, he’d been rescued by an angel of the Lord and this wasn’t what the King or the Jewish people were expecting!
Peter’s deliverance recalls both the
Exodus, when God rescued the Israelites from the oppression of the Egyptians, and
the resurrection of Jesus in the face of the Empire that sentenced him to death.[1]
God
is the actor who frees Peter from prison, and is the same God who did not
intervene in the killing of James. Sometimes this passage has been used to
compare the faith of Peter (greater) to James (lesser – his faith did not save
his life) – and that seems like bad theology.
God
acts when and how God will act; not even the powerful and egotistical King
Herod, nor the most powerful human leader of the modern age, could (can) stop
God’s decisive action.
Do
you believe that?
Reflect
on Peter’s words in verse 11: ‘Now I am
sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’
Comment
below: when have you witnessed God’s deliverance, whether big or small?
God of deliverance, your beloved people call to you and you answer them. Hear the cries of all in need of deliverance, especially those who are poor and underemployed, those who seek refuge, those who suffer from addiction, and all who are sick. Amen.
God of deliverance, your beloved people call to you and you answer them. Hear the cries of all in need of deliverance, especially those who are poor and underemployed, those who seek refuge, those who suffer from addiction, and all who are sick. Amen.
I’ve experienced God’s deliverance when I was a teenager going through a difficult time. I’m continually reminded that I am made new through the waters of baptism, whenever I wash my hands- my face- my body I’m reminded of God’s abundant grace upon grace that is poured out for me and for all people. ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent an angel to rescue me from a reckless life of drugs and abuse.’ Thanks be to God.
ReplyDeleteI have experienced God's deliverance several times in my life in significant ways. I am reminded of these times when I am nearing the bottom and about to spin out of complete control that an Angel appears to grab my hand and help steady me.
ReplyDelete