Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Well, Jesus’ promises have been fulfilled. The Holy Spirit has descended, empowering 120 believers, and Peter has preached to crowds in Jerusalem with 3,000 people deciding to follow Jesus. At this point, believers must be intoxicated with the idea that now miracles are going to continue and new dramatic things will happen each day. After all, the apostles are doing signs and wonders, and people are flocking to become Christians. What new thrills will tomorrow bring?
Read a bit further in Acts, and you realize that the backlash from the religious establishment plus the Roman government is about to begin. The Romans really don’t care much about religious as long as their adherents remain obedient Roman citizens, paying taxes and homage to Mother Rome. Jewish religious leaders, however, are very worried. Not only are those leaders with consciences concerned that they might have missed the Messiah, but this new movement threatens to undermine their carefully constructed religious framework. Even though Jesus has taught reverence for the Law and obedience to it, these men are terrified, for they cannot control these Christians as they have the Jews in general. And while Jesus has taught reverence for the Law of Moses, he has scathingly criticized many of the regulations that have evolved in the centuries since. One prime example is that of Pharisees tithing the spices in their pantries but refusing to be compassionate to the poor or even to their own aged parents.
The dilemma new believers are facing is similar to the dilemma faced by Peter, James, and John after their experiences on the Mount of Transfiguration. Matthew tells the story:
Matthew 17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
After this mountaintop experience, Jesus, Peter, James, and John had to come back down into the valley where Jesus would have to heal a demon-possessed boy. No sitting around basking in reflected glory. No going off on a retreat to examine the experience that had just occurred. Nope, God immediately allowed Jesus to meet a major problem-demon possession that has resisted the best efforts of the disciples. Remember that by now, the disciples have gained a great deal of experience in casting out demons; this isn’t their first attempt. But this exorcism calls for more prayer and more spiritual authority than the disciples have at this point.
The question facing both groups of people is simple: How do you go on after you have been part of an incredible event? What do you do after the drama is over? In the case of Jesus and the disciples, Jesus exerts his authority and casts out the demon. In the case of the believers in Jerusalem, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” These believers worshiped daily in the temple, and began sharing resources together, sharing meals, and helping all those around them, and continuing to pray.
Quiet acts of worship, charity, and loving fellowship scarcely appear to match the startling events that have preceded them. But the fact is that God has not designed us to live on mountaintops. The Christian writer Oswald Chambers has described the problem accurately in his book My Utmost for His Highest (October 1st).
We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God’s perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley (see Mark 9:14-18). We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life— those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength. Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain. We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop. Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.
We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character. The mountaintop is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a terrible trap in always asking, “What’s the use of this experience?” We can never measure spiritual matters in that way. The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God’s purpose.
Have you recently enjoyed a mountaintop experience, some outstanding program or teaching? Wonderful! Now ask God what He wants you to do. God never intends for us to keep things to ourselves but for us to take what He has given and become better servants. May God help us, so that we will not be selfish, but serving instead!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to always look to You for our assignments and not to cling to inspiration as if it were only for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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