Daily Lectionary: Exodus 22:20-23:13, Luke 4:16-30

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! We hear quite a bit during the season from the book of Acts. On the second Sunday of Easter, Acts 5 speaks to us about the cost of confessing Christ. Peter and the apostles were rejected and even suffered for the confession of Christ.  We might not have been imprisoned or beaten for confessing Christ, but that doesn’t mean it will never happen. The extraordinary comfort we find in this reading is that the Church is an unstoppable force.  Starting with Acts, people hear the Gospel and come to faith in Christ.  People are being told of the freedom from sin; they receive Christ's fulfillment of the Law.  The world hates this and is opposed to this, but Jesus says very clearly that the gates of hell will not overcome the church.  However, that doesn’t mean that the church won’t be brought to the doorsteps of hell itself while here on earth. This is where we pick up Peter’s response… “We must obey God rather than man.”  It is essential to see how bold of a statement this truly is.  They just killed Jesus for doing the same thing; what’s to stop them from doing the same to the apostles?

Here is where it gets exciting and compelling for the Christian faith.  An opponent to the faith, Gamaliel, stands up and gives a speech about all the messiahs who had a following in recent years and that when they died, so did their following. These religious leaders knew that Jesus had risen from the dead, so some were trying to do whatever they could to stop the spreading of this message.  But others did not want to be found on the side fighting against God.  Gamaliel’s words are profound“So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,”  

The church today might seem like it is in an uphill battle, and reality, it is.  However, we can take heart that our forefathers in the faith, including the disciples, endured so much for the sake of the Gospel.  As they lived and breathed out the life of Jesus, they were also taking up the cross of Jesus and living out His life in them.  A life of opposition, a life of suffering, but also a life of rejoicing and endurance. He overcame death, and now all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Him!  His church will never fail!  Christ is risen! In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.