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| In chapter 2, the Holy Spirit comes as Jesus promised. A great wind and tongues of fire come upon the gathered believers on Pentecost day. For the Jews present, these symbols of wind and fire remind them of the Exodus event. The crossing of the Red Sea helped form a mixed crowd into the people of God, a people with a common experience of deliverance. So too Pentecost now births the new people of God. Pentecost also reverses the break-up of community that happened as a result of sin in the Tower of Babel story (Genesis 11). Here in the upper room, the believers also speak in many languages, but this time, instead of breaking up community, it makes a new community. Other Jews who are gathered for Pentecost heard the news about Jesus in their own languages and believe. Chapter 2 ends with a description of the early church right after Pentecost. Many are being added every day, as Peter and others preach boldly about Jesus. The believers devote themselves to the teaching of the apostles. They eat together, pray together. Community life even includes material possessions, as the believers hold all things in common. Some who have property sell the land to help provide for the members in need. Others keep their houses and provide hospitality and a place for worship. The believers do not forsake the temple however, as is evident in our story. And other people notice; not only do they notice the miraculous healings and other miracles; they surely must also notice the great love the believers share together. It is into this context that the Acts 3:1-10 story emerges. The healing of the lame man, in one sense, is just an expected outcome from all that the believers are doing right. Being filled with the Spirit, going to the temple to pray—these things don’t lead to an exclusive community but people who see and respond to the misery of the world. This is a church that has it all—community life, evangelism and concern for the marginalized in the society. And surely the lame man qualifies for marginal. In this culture, lame people are considered sinners, sick or lame because of their sin or the sin of their parents. And, ironically, they can’t go to the only place to get rid of their sin—the temple—because their lameness makes them unclean. Continued... |
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