Acts 3:12 Seeing this, Kefa addressed the people: “Men of Isra’el! Why are you amazed at this? Or why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk through some power or godliness of our own? 13 The God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov, the God of our fathers,[a] has glorified his servant Yeshua — the same Yeshua you handed over and disowned before Pilate, even after he had decided to release him. 14 You denied the holy and innocent one, and instead asked for the reprieve of a murderer! 15 You killed the author of life!
As a young pastor, well-known theologian Reinhold Niebuhr journaled about his vocational struggles (like many of us), especially with the task of regular preaching. In his book "Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic," he commented: "How in the world can you reconcile the inevitability of Sunday and its task with the moods and caprices of the soul? The prophet speaks only when he is inspired. The parish preacher must speak whether he is inspired or not."
In Acts 3 we have a "young" preacher named Peter. His exact age is unknown, but his new position and the inspiration behind his words are profound. A well-known invalid begs for sustenance for another day, but Peter sees the underlying need. "In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk."
I'm sensing that the "sermon" doesn't like to fit neatly under the capstone of meeting religious expectations. Rather, it looks around for the right moment and the word that fits the need. Like Peter and his hearers.
Christ Jesus, catch us in a moment of need, and speak just the right word through us. Amen.
James Aalgaard
Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Wenatchee, Wash.
Master of Divinity , 2000
Acts 3:12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him.
14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you,
15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 "And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.
19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.[New Revised Standard Version].
“But God has raised him from the dead! Of this we are witnesses. 16 And it is through putting trust in his name that his name has given strength to this man whom you see and know. Yes, it is the trust that comes through Yeshua which has given him this perfect healing in the presence of you all.
17 “Now, brothers, I know that you did not understand the significance of what you were doing; neither did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had announced in advance, when he spoke through all the prophets, namely, that his Messiah was to die.
19 “Therefore, repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be erased;[Footnotes:
Acts 3:13 Exodus 3:6, 15][Complete Jewish Bible]As a young pastor, well-known theologian Reinhold Niebuhr journaled about his vocational struggles (like many of us), especially with the task of regular preaching. In his book "Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic," he commented: "How in the world can you reconcile the inevitability of Sunday and its task with the moods and caprices of the soul? The prophet speaks only when he is inspired. The parish preacher must speak whether he is inspired or not."
In Acts 3 we have a "young" preacher named Peter. His exact age is unknown, but his new position and the inspiration behind his words are profound. A well-known invalid begs for sustenance for another day, but Peter sees the underlying need. "In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk."
I'm sensing that the "sermon" doesn't like to fit neatly under the capstone of meeting religious expectations. Rather, it looks around for the right moment and the word that fits the need. Like Peter and his hearers.
Christ Jesus, catch us in a moment of need, and speak just the right word through us. Amen.
James Aalgaard
Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Wenatchee, Wash.
Master of Divinity , 2000
Acts 3:12 When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him.
14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you,
15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
16 And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
17 "And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.
18 In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.
19 Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.[New Revised Standard Version].
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