"What's Most Important?" A Sermon on Acts 9:32-43

1. Peter on Mission for Jesus

From Acts chapter 9 we see a widening of the gospel message from its Jewish beginnings toward the mission to the Gentiles. So, this was a time of great momentum for the early Jesus movement. Saul had just had his Damascus Road experience. Peter had found his own mission legs through his restoration to ministry by Jesus (John 21), and his following experience of the Holy Spirit resting upon him (Acts 2).

At Pentecost, Peter had preached with great effectiveness, many thousands being added to the Kingdom. Peter, with his disciple colleague John, was remarkably able to give the ability to walk to a man who had been born crippled (Acts 3); of course this being achieved in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Peter was also an important part of a self-sacrificing worshipping community that was attracting both respect and persecution.

Peter, in terms of the complexity of his missional call, would likely have been an extremely busy person. He also had the complication of being tempted to keep looking over his shoulder to see who might be coming to get him. By this time Peter was likely to have had an agenda in mind, of moving strategically from place to place, to preach the gospel of Jesus to a mass audience.

Yet, when the message came asking him to go to Joppa to respond to a specific pastoral need, Peter wholeheartedly responded! Peter was able to quickly determine what was the most important and pressing need, and respond to that! Here is a challenge for us to become wise interpreters of what really counts, and where the serious opportunities for ministry lie!

In Joppa (modern day Jaffa), the community was in distress about the loss of Tabitha (known also as “Dorcas”). Obviously her life of service had had a great impact on those around her, they regretted her death significantly, and would miss her terribly. We read later about widows attending Tabitha’s body dressed in the clothes that Tabitha had made for them. Tabitha was likely a widow herself, who may have selflessly hosted a household of other widows.

Tabitha’s friends lovingly and carefully prepared her body for burial, but at the same time were not going to give up hope that something could still be done! This was a level of human compassion that would be hard to deny!

They knew Peter was nearby – and Peter had been with Jesus for three years, and had subsequently become renowned for his healing ministry. If Jesus could raise people from the dead, then maybe Peter could as well. Although, we don’t know exactly what these people were thinking and expecting in calling for Peter to come, the level of emotion on display would suggest that they were not just looking for comfort. And the two emissaries sent to Peter were bold enough to ask him to come straight away (presumably before any burial would take place)!

Peter had just brought healing to Aeneas in Lydda (v.32-5). In Lydda, Peter would have connected up with Christians dispersed from Jerusalem or those who had become believers at Pentecost; but being semi-Gentile territory, he could also make the serious push toward sharing Jesus with non-Jewish people. His strategy for this was probably in place. And it was working, as people from Lydda, and even further to Sharon had become believers in Jesus.

And then the call came! How often is our day planned out to perfection … to get everything that needs to be done … done, when the phone rings! [Following the broad response to the healing of Aeneas in Lydda, Peter may have become the ‘go to person’, with many such calls upon his time.]

This particular call could have been seen as a disruption to Peter, as it could be to our day, but Peter is tuned in well enough to the heart of God to respond appropriately. Peter gave this worthy request priority; he “got up” from what he was doing, travelled the 15 or 20 kilometres to Joppa, and went to the upstairs room where the body of Tabitha lay in the company of many mourners.

There was no doubt that Peter was committed to the big-picture mission given to him, but he understood that responding to a pastoral need such as this, rather than being a divergence, was actually part of a wholistic response to the needs of a community. Peter didn’t hesitate – he attended to the presenting need!

Curious that Peter asked all the mourners to go outside of the room where Tabitha lay! I would have thought that it would have been helpful to have all those who knew and loved the deceased to remain present while prayers were said.

However, if we look back to when Jesus brought Jairus’ daughter back to life, Matthew’s Gospel has Jesus putting the crowd outside; likewise in Mark except for the presence of Peter, James & John and the child’s parents; and Luke records Jesus excluding anyone else from entering the room apart from these five people.

So what Peter’s exclusion of others from the room would indicate, combined with Peter’s action in kneeling in prayer – was that this was not Peter in his own capacity or strength that was bringing this remarkable resurrection about, but really Jesus. There might have been human voice and touch involved, but the power source behind this was actually Jesus.

We can only hope and pray, that as we speak into and touch people’s lives, that they will sense and appreciate the presence of Jesus! That Peter’s presence was interpreted correctly as Jesus’ presence in this incident with Tabitha – is seen in the numbers that came to believe in the Lord, as news of this event spread around Joppa.

2. Hospitality in the Name of Jesus

I love networking around the community; but I have been reminded of why I would be called to build relationships in the local community. This was not just so our church could be well placed to develop a long-term physical presence there, but so that people could be touched by the presence of Jesus.

No person can be seen as just a means to an end, not a local politician or council officer or community centre manager. These are all possible interactions in which Jesus might be seen. God longs to give new life to all people and be in relationship with them. But the challenging question has to be asked: ‘Can people see Jesus in me?’ & ‘Can people see Jesus in you?’

A spirituality based on the life of Jesus, will take seriously any hostilities we may have for others including people we don’t really know, and embark us on a journey of moving from that anxious hostility toward open hospitality. This will be a counter to a society suffering from suspicion, fear, defensiveness and aggression. This also opens up the possibility of receiving what others have to offer us, and participating together as mutual travellers in a ‘re-creative community’ amidst the alienation in the world. How do we relate to the stranger at our door or the ‘telemarketer’ on our phone? Sensible boundaries should be drawn (to protect one’s family), however might these all too often be convenient rather than really needed?

Henri Nouwen writes: "Hospitality … means primarily the creation of a free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy".[1]

So, offering hospitality in the name of Jesus, is more than just being prepared to you’re our home to friends, neighbours and strangers; it is about how we conduct ourselves, and how open we are to encouraging people and welcoming them into our life ‘space’.

The friends of Tabitha needed to be reassured that Peter would care about their grief and sense of loss. They needed to know that the creditable life of their deceased friend would be honoured. They needed to see that the representative of Jesus could bring them comfort and hope. Once we put ourselves out there – advertising a caring Christian community where everyone is welcome – we have to come up with the goods!

Peter was busy, yet was able to discern and respond to the most pressing need, that would reassure the community of Joppa that Jesus was alive, available and active. Peter touched Tabitha’s life in a remarkable way, and many came to believe in Jesus! May God guide us in integrating all the love, grace and giftedness we have been given, into a unified expression of care for the local community.

[1] "Reaching Out", pages 68-9