Day 6, On The Road To Pentecost: PERPLEXED

Acts 5:17-26

In the early days of the church, as the Holy Spirit moved among the people, the apostles found themselves in hot water with the religious authorities.  In fact, they were put into a pubic jail.  The word was, “this has got to stop. We’ll put them in jail and that will shut them up.”  It didn’t.  An angel of God “during the night…opened the gates of the prison,” set them free and said to them, “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this life” (Acts 5:19-20).  They obeyed but when the authorities found out what they were doing, they rounded them up again, and brought them before religious leaders to answer for what they were doing.

Isn’t it interesting how the life-transforming work of God’s grace in certain places upsets the established order of things?  The God who would bring peace to the world is silenced, or so it seems.  If the powers that be have their way, the Gospel is simply opposed and rejected and stilled.

It is intriguing that the apostles and the early church, had no intention of being a problem to anybody.  They just has a message, a resurrected Lord, to share with the world.  They could not be silenced, and they sought to “speak to the people…the whole message of this Life” (Acts 5:20).  Some things have to be shared and proclaimed.  A message that proclaims the suffering, death, and then resurrection of someone, can’t be silenced.  Jesus is that “some One,” and those who have tasted, in their souls, who Jesus is and what He is doing, can’t be silenced.  Some things have to be shared and proclaimed.

Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it"  (“Our Daily Bread,” February 4, 1994). 

Some things just must be shared.  They can't be kept in a display case somewhere.  So it is with Jesus.  He must be shared.  The news is too good to be "consigned to silence."  May God help us to let our lives speak clearly the wonders of God amazing grace.