At the end of the gospels, we see Jesus restoring his disciples (who'd so recently been deserters), and getting them back about the work of His kingdom. He does not condemn his fair weather friends, but instead greets them warmly with the word "Peace" as Matthew records it. How powerful would that be to hear? No wonder that from then on, these men were willing, even glad, to suffer mockery, beatings, and death for their Lord. These disciples had run out on their leader at his darkest hour, seen the movement for which they'd dropped everything apparently "crushed," and were left hiding in fear that they might suffer the same fate as Jesus. Lo and behold, when their captain conquers death, there's no reminder of or condemnation for their failures because through his death, those failures had been paid for.
The book of Acts picks up where the gospels leave off and shows how this small "band of brothers" who'd stood at Jesus' side go on to turn the known world upside-down sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Recently I had a conversation with a friend about a certain passage early in the book of Acts which is particularly meaningful to me when I think about my role in taking the gospel of Christ to the world. In the fourth chapter, the religious leaders lock Peter and John up after the two heal a lame beggar. Despite imprisoning the two, word spreads and many believe in Jesus as a result. This prompts the leaders to bring Peter and John in for a little shakedown . They ask the two straight up, "By what power or what name did you do this?" Peter pretty much hits them back with, "You mean when we gave a lame man the power to walk? That would be by the power of the man you served up to die: Jesus Christ. Oh, and FYI, he conquered death and if you want salvation, you're gonna have to go through Him " (paraphrase).
Here's my favorite part. The next verse (4:13) reads as follows in the NIV.
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."
This verse gives me tremendous hope. I've often struggled, as many Christians do, with the idea that I'm not as qualified or capable of sharing my faith as those whose Biblical knowledge exceeds mine due to more formal training. Maybe it's an inferiority complex I took on while going to a Baptist university and living in a house full of guys training to go into the ministry. However, this passage blows that notion out of the water. One does not need a seminary degree and a well-prepared defense of the doctrine of election to testify to man's need for Jesus Christ. I'm not decrying Biblical studies; the church needs leaders who have have been taught thoroughly and were prepared for church leadership through rigorous, disciplined study under great theological minds. Yet, one can't deny that this verse shows the religious "scholars" to be more than just a little dumbfounded as they listen to the passionate, powerful proclamation of Jesus as Messiah coming from two ordinary men whose area of expertise was catching fish, not preaching.
What was so amazing about their preaching? Was it their doctrinal knowledge? Was it their exegetical prowess? Did anyone in the crowd note their public speaking skills? Nope. The difference was that it was obvious these men had been with Jesus. These men spoke with power that did not testify to who they were, but rather to the miraculous power of the man they'd dropped their nets to follow. This is what I tend to forget. Training is important. All Christians should feel drawn to invest and grow in their knowledge of the Bible as well as to understand and hold to sound doctrine. But, those who preach Christ cannot roll on knowledge and training alone. Those things are like a car. Even the most amazing car, no matter how sleek it is or how much horsepower it has under the hood will not move without fuel. Peter and John were "unschooled" and "ordinary" and definitely did not have the "car" the religious leaders did. Based on training and education, the religious leaders were Aston-Martins...Peter and John were Ford Festivas. The key difference was that Peter and John had gas in the tanks. They had been with the Master and learned to love him for who He is. That type of relationship is what fuels a true disciple of the risen Lord.
One of my favorite testimonies in the Bible comes in the ninth chapter of John when Jesus heals a man blind from birth. After the man receives his sight, he ends up being brought before the Pharisees to do some explaining. After asking him what happened and receiving an unsatisfactory explanation, the Pharisees bring in the man's parents to verify that this guy was actually blind to begin with. Because they don't want to get in trouble, the parents verify he was born blind and then roll over on him by essentially saying, "If you want any more information, ask him, he's a big boy" (gee...thanks, mom & pop). This time the Pharisees question the man by accusing Jesus of being a sinner (for doing God's work on the Sabbath, mind you) and demanding he tell them how Jesus healed him.
I love this guy's response for its simplicity and honesty: "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." This man had been left alone to beg his entire life with no one to teach or train him. He was an outcast left to waste away in his blindness. He didn't know much...but he knew who Jesus was because he had firsthand experience of His power. After that, the Pharisees ask again what happened and this man, someone with absolutely no spiritual stature in their eyes has the gall to say to them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" WHOA! Did he just try to evangelize the top dogs of the religious ladder? TOTALLY, and the story goes on. The Pharisees claim to be disciples of Moses and admit they don't know (and apparently have little interest) where this Jesus is from. To this our boy says, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." You might think the Pharisees, being schooled in religiosity would reply, "Good point, well said." Wrong. Incensed at the fact they'd just been taken to school by a dude they considered the dregs of society, the Pharisees throw him out.
This passage shows us once again that the true mark of a disciple is not an impressive resume. Diplomas and degrees do not convince people that we have experienced Christ's redemptive love and mercy. People can spot fakes, posers, and frauds a mile away. Conversely, when someone has been in the presence of Christ and he has become their treasure, the change is undeniable. That's when people know they've seen "the real deal."
May it be, God, that you open our eyes to see how mighty, majestic, and merciful you are. Allow us to know your Son in His fullness and to let Him be our greatest treasure that despite what we may not know, we would clearly know you.
Thanks Andy, a blessing.
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