healing and an escape

Good morning all,
This morning's reading shows the apostles' second run in with the religious authorities. The first time they were released with a warning to stop teaching about Jesus. They openly said they would follow God's orders rather than the counsel's. Today they are arrested again for teaching and for making a spectacle by healing. This time it is God who releases them from prison through an angel.

We can understand why the authorities would be upset about all of this because it seems like the apostles are really making a stir. In John's Gospel Jesus tells the disciples that they will do even greater works than he has done because of the Holy Spirit living in them. Here we see that promise coming true. Jesus healed many, even sometimes just by having someone touch the hem of his cloak. Here we see people bringing sick people out to where they know the apostles will be hoping Peter's shadow will pass over them for healing. The church is powerful when we proclaim the good news boldly, trusting in the Spirit's power.
Blessings on the day,
Sam

Acts 5:12-26

12Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, 15so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. 16A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

17Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, 18arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, 20“Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.” 21When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, 23“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”

24Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. 25Then someone arrived and announced, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.