The Shadow of Peter

Acts 5: 12-15, 17-18

“12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.”

Crowds gathered so that the shadow of Peter might fall on them.  And the High priest and the Sadducees were jealous.  So jealous that they arrested the apostles and put them in jail.  

Jealousy is a kind of envy that is directed toward another person or persons when they are getting the things, the attention, the admiration, and the affection that you wish you had.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:19 that “ the works of the flesh are plain: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy,”

When we are jealous of others we are not being led by the Spirit of God, we are being led by the world.  The world tells us to put ourselves first, to expect to receive the love and attention of others, to expect to receive the material things.  And when someone else receives these things, we do not rejoice.  We are not happy.  We are jealous.

When we are led by the Spirit we are led by love and we rejoice in the spiritual successes of others.  

The shadow of Peter healed many who were sick.

And the people rejoiced and believed.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)