Cleaning our Glasses

ACTS IN 90 DAYS

A reading for Monday, May 18, 2020: Acts 4:1-22.

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus."

We all have working assumptions about how the world works, or doesn't. Each day we go about our lives living as if those assumptions were like glasses through which we view everything we see. It's very difficult for most of us to take off those glasses and to see things in a different way. It's part of who we are as part of the culture in which we live.

Today, Peter and John answer a summons to appear before the religious council. This is the highest authority of their age when it came to matters of faith. The council has on their glasses. Peter and John are just common ordinary men, not special in education or authority. Yet, they have performed things that the council cannot explain. The worldview and culture of the council is being challenged... how can these two do such things?

At this point in the narrative, there are two choices in how they might react. First, they can be open to what Peter and John are doing and can learn something new about Jesus. Second, they can shut it down and demand that Peter and John not tell anyone, anywhere about Jesus. Of course they choose the latter.

Consider this: If we had been on the council that day, how might we have reacted? Can we learn new things about what God is doing or are we stuck? Can we remove or change our glasses and see the world with God in a new way? 

Maybe the Spirit of God can just clean our glasses so we can see the grace God has already given us in the gift of Jesus Christ. Today is a new day. Thanks be to God.