Peter sometimes gets a bad rap. We remember him trying to set up booths for Moses, Elijah and Jesus. We remember him having insufficient faith to walk across the sea to Jesus, we remember him refusing to let Jesus wash his feet, and that threefold denial before the cock crows. His frailty and fallibility are undoubtedly encouraging to us for even with all these weaknesses Jesus makes him the head of the church.
This morning’s reading from the book of Acts, Luke’s account of the early days of the church has been set adrift from its context. “When Peter saw it he addressed the people.” A strange beginning which prompts us to look back to answer our question “When Peter saw what?”
The preceding story is set at the beautiful gate of the Temple where a lame man is being carried in as he is every day to lay there and to beg for alms from the people going in for the three o’clock prayers. Peter and John seeing him there begging from them declined to give him any money but instead Peter said: “I have no silver or gold but what I have I give you - in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth stand up and walk.” The lame man is spectacularly healed and he enters the temple walking and leaping about praising God.” When the people saw this they all ran to Peter and John who by now are in Solomon’s portico. And this is what Peter saw, an excited, enervated crowd running to them to hail them and give him and John the credit for the miracle. Now this is a new Peter, not the one who ran away from a servant girl and the taunting when she said “He is one of them!” but one who has been empowered by the events of recent weeks.
The transforming effects of the resurrection and of Jesus’ appearances to them all the coming of the Holy Spirit (for all this takes place after Pentecost) not to mention his own self confidence boosted by these miracles of healing have so altered Peter that he wants to confront, argue with and if possible change the crowd in front of him. He absolutely grasps the opportunity to do so which may be even more surprising since here in the Temple he leaves us in no doubt that this audience are the “crucify” crying people of Good Friday. Brave therefore in the face of possible attack or arrest yet he does not hide his belief and allegiance.
In our Gospel reading Jesus stood among them and said “Thus it is written that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be procl;aimed in his name to ALL nations beginning with Jerusalem.” Notice how closely Peter follows these instructions. He and John are at the Temple in Jerusalem at the very centre of the Jewish world; they are to take the message of the Messiah to all nations. Peter begins his preaching by recalling Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to underline that Jesus is from the one true God, the God of these people, of their ancestors and of Peter. By this power has the lame man been healed, we Peter and John are but witnesses, just as Jesus said, and look at what Peter proclaims - repentance and forgiveness. He says repent and your sins may be wiped out.
Peter, previously known as wayward; “Get behind me Satan”, Jesus told him, is now fully in line, following the instructions to the letter, he is changed forever. There are the transforming results of all they had seen, felt, herald and now fully believed. Can we reach back to grasp this and be transformed ourselves?
Amen
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