Acts 4:13 “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response. 15 So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
16“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no more in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. 20 For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 So the Council members threatened them further and let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.”
Call him Lemuel. Everybody knew Lemuel; he had begged at the Beautiful Gate since he was in his mid – teens. And when Peter and John spoke to Lemuel and his lameness was healed, everybody in Jerusalem knew about it! Nothing the religious authorities could do was going to make any difference; this was far too good a story for it to be suppressed. No, Lemuel was healed and he even accompanied Peter and John into the Sanhedrin as a witness on their behalf.
There are many things that stand out in this story. One amazing thing is Peter and John’s persistent boldness. A second thing is that even the religious authorities recognized that Peter and John had been with Jesus. Not all these religious rulers were bad men; there were probably many who truly were seeking God, and their spirits bore witness that Peter and John were acting in the spirit of Jesus. Yet another surprising thing is that the rulers felt they could not punish Peter and John but only threaten them – threats that were already empty because all Jerusalem had heard of this healing. And perhaps one of the most amazing things of all was Lemuel’s willingness to accompany Peter and John to the Sanhedrin. As a cripple, Lemuel was barred from entering the temple proper; he could only remain in the outermost sections. But now Lemuel was whole and could enter the temple to worship just like anybody else for the first time in his life, a fact he was willing to demonstrate to the Sanhedrin.
Many times, we hesitate to talk about the great things God has done in our lives. We hint or beat around the bush in hopes that we won’t have to say anything controversial. But we must be witnesses to the truth. If we draw back and refuse to acknowledge the working of God in our lives, we cheat ourselves and those around us. Each time Peter testified, he became bolder and it became easier. Today, let’s be like Peter. Tell your friends what God has done for you. You never know; that might be the very message they need to hear.
PRAYER: Father God, today please give us holy boldness so that we can share with others the great things You have done and are doing in our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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