Walking and Leaping and Praising God

Friday, April 25

Christ is Risen!

The Word of the Day is “leaping.” The one thing about power that we can count on is that it will fade. The laws of inertia say that a body will stay moving in a straight line unless some force acts on it. But gravity, friction, and opposing forces will slow an object down until it stops.

So, we might expect that the power of the resurrection to move people to faith and hope would eventually weaken. The wear and tear of time, opposition, competing claims and interests, and the resistance of the devil would dampen the enthusiasm of the new movement of believers.

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION DOES NOT WEAKEN

But consider our reading of Acts 3:1-11. In this passage, Luke, the writer of Acts, reports the healing of a lame man at the temple gate. Peter heals the man in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And the man immediately regained strength in his legs. And Luke says, he entered the temple, “walking, leaping, and praising God” (OSB 8).

This marvel demonstrates that the glory of the resurrection has not faded. The power of the Name of Jesus Christ has not diminished. Jesus the Healer has risen and ascended into heaven. But He sent the Holy Spirit to give the power of healing to His disciples. Moreover, as the Lord performed many miracles, that ability has now been given to His followers. Thus, Luke records, “Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (OSB Acts 2:43; 5:12).

NOTHING CAN SUPPRESS THE VIGOR OF THE MOVEMENT

As the book of the Acts of the Apostles continues, we find that nothing can suppress the vigor and dynamics of the movement: not the passage of time, not the disapproval of the religious authorities, not being put on trial, not imprisonment, not even martyrdom.

What is thwarting the forces that oppose and resist the power of the Gospel? Some say the book of the Acts of the Apostles should be called the “Acts of the Holy Spirit.” This title is appropriate because the Holy Spirit was behind, through, and in the witness and actions of the early Church. The Spirit animated, enlivened, and guided the apostles’ proclamation and the Church’s growth. And that is still true today after 2,000 years. The Spirit is the “Advocate” who keeps the Church moving on the course set by the Lord Jesus and the apostles.

FOR REFLECTION

Note that this miracle is a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “Then lame shall leap like a deer” (Isaiah 35:6). What an image of how we might respond to the Resurrection of the Lord! Imagine going through life on this earth “walking, leaping, and praising God.” It can happen if, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the joy of the resurrection keeps us motivated and energized in the faith.