Peter in Lydda and Joppa (Acts 9:31-43)
This sermon was preached on 13/5/2012
Sometimes the church of Jesus Christ has periods of
persecution and at other times it has periods of popularity. In Acts 9 a period
of opposition comes to an end with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus and a period
of popularity begins. We can see the popularity described in verses 35 and 42.
One feature that marked the period of popularity was spiritual power and I
would suggest that is what Luke is stressing in these verses. Some aspects of
the power were limited to the people at that time whereas other aspects should
mark the church at every stage. It is at this point in his story that Luke
returns to what Peter was doing for Jesus.
Luke gives a beautiful description of the spiritual
environment in which Peter laboured for Jesus in verse 31. He says that the
church was healthy (it was being built up and growing in stature as well as in
numbers). Two details are highlighted: they walked in the fear of God and they
enjoyed the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
It is obvious from Luke's description that true fear
of God does not produce inactivity. Actually it is fear of man that brings
inactivity into the church. The fear that Peter is describing is not terror but
reverence, and reverence includes obedience and service as well as adoration.
The church was walking in the ways that pleased the
Lord and therefore he gave to them the comfort of the Holy Spirit. This is a
reference to all the good things that the Spirit brings into the lives of those
who trust in the Lord. The particular kind of comfort will be connected to its
specific situation and we can see examples of it in the incidents that Luke
narrates. Sometimes, the Spirit gives peace and joy, at other times he gives
assurance, at yet other occasions he gives consolation by reminding his people
of God's promises. It should be our desire and our aim as a congregation to
have this kind of dedication (walking in the fear of the Lord) and this kind of
spiritual enjoyment (the comfort of the Holy Spirit).
We can see clearly that Luke records the accounts of
two marvellous miracles. One is the recovery of a paralysed person and the
other is the raising of a dead person back to life. It is clear from the
accounts that the Christians in each location did not have the power to deal
with the problems. In the first case, Aeneas had been bedridden for eight years
and in the second case Dorcas had died. Their Christian friends were not able
to cure Aeneas or to prevent Dorcas from dying. And that is the normal state of
affairs in a Christian church.
We are not told if Aeneas was a disciple before
Peter met him, so it is difficult to say much about him personally. It is the
case that his name was identified with a Trojan hero, who despite his
mythological exploits was unable to help his namesake. Thankfully for our
Aeneas, the true Hero came to his aid.
Tabitha is different. She is the only woman in the
Bible who is called a disciple, and one of five disciples in the Book of Acts
whose name is given. Luke highlights her dedication in helping the poor and
needy in a practical way, especially widows. Her method of service was
consistent, costly and crucial. She did what she could do and she was loved for
doing it. And when she died, it was recognised that she would be missed. She
had lived in such a way that she was irreplaceable. It would be good to have
this reaction from others when we leave this world.
Peter’s special
role
Nevertheless these Christians were not living in
normal times because it was a period in which Jesus was working in a special
way through his apostles, one of whom was Peter. And we see here two examples
of how Jesus did so. First, he used Peter to recover Aeneas and then to raise
Dorcas from the dead. These activities were not proof that Peter had power in
himself, but that he was a special representative of the risen Christ, one of
his apostles.
John Stott mentions four factors from Luke’s account
that indicate that this was the case with regard to Peter. First, both miracles
performed by Peter followed the example
of Jesus when he did miracles during his public ministry. We can see
parallels between the way Jesus dealt with the paralytic in Capernaum and the
way that Peter dealt with Aeneas. Jesus told the paralytic to get up and take
his mat and go home, and Peter used similar words. And we can see that with
regard to Tabitha Peter followed the example of Jesus when he raised the
daughter of Jairus from the dead – he sent the mourners out and probably spoke
similar words as Jesus did (if he had spoken in Aramaic). So we can see that
Peter was dedicated to imitating the example of Jesus.
The second factor that Stott mentions is that both miracles were performed by the power of Jesus. This is clearly stated with regard to Aeneas
because Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your
bed.’ The
apostle makes it very clear that it is Jesus alone who would perform the
miracle and not Peter himself. We can see that Peter did not raise Tabitha by
his own power because before she was raised he prayed that the Lord would
intervene and raise Tabitha from the dead.
Thirdly, Stott points out that both miracles were signs of the salvation of Jesus. It is interesting that Peter says the same
words to the diseased man and to the dead woman. He tells them both to arise
and does by using a word that is also used elsewhere to describe the
resurrection of Jesus. Aeneas and Tabitha were not only the recipients of
individual help from Jesus, they also became signs to others of what Jesus’
salvation is all about.
His power will
be used to reverse the effects of the Fall, and death and disease are two
obvious consequences brought into our world because of sin. These two
individuals became powerful examples that Jesus, although now no longer on
earth, was still determined to deal with sin and its problems. They were signs
of the capability of Jesus. People could look at them and deduce that Jesus
could help others, not only the diseased and the dead.
Fourthly, Stott
points out that both miracles redounded to the
glory of Jesus. Aeneas lived in Lydda and Tabitha lived in Joppa, and in
both places the miracles were followed by large number of conversions. We are
not told how many believed, merely that a great number were converted. Jesus’
working of two physical miracles was intended to lead to his working many
spiritual miracles in the lives of a lot of sinners. The lesson is that while
the great majority did not need the particular miracles that Aeneas and Tabitha
did, they did need a spiritual miracle internally.[1]
Luke’s description
of the responses in each place is worth noting. Regarding those who responded
in Lydda and Sharon after the healing of Aeneas, we are told that they turned
to the Lord (v. 35). Turning is a picture of repentance because it depicts a
change of direction. Before they had been walking away from the Lord Jesus but
now they were walking towards him, having left their original intended
destinations in life. The same must be done by us as well. We have to turn to
the Lord in repentance if we wish to receive his blessing.
As far as the
converts in Joppa were concerned, their response is described as believing in
the Lord (v. 42). The preposition ‘in’ is very important. Luke does not say
that they believed about the Lord, although they would have done so. But
believing ‘in’ is a step beyond believing ‘about’, and it is an essential step
in order to become a follower of Jesus. We could say that believing about Jesus
is an act of the mind whereas believing in Jesus is an act of the affections. A
person believes in Jesus with gratitude for having come to save sinners, with
love because of his great display of love to sinners, and with joy because of
the prospect of having all one’s sins forgiven.
Our response
should be a combination of the responses made by the inhabitants of these two
communities – we should turn to the Lord in repentance and believe in the Lord
with all our hearts. If we do so, we will become true disciples, experiencing
his mercy and pardon, and looking forward to life in heaven for ever.
Peter, the dutiful disciple
It would be easy
to assume that Peter’s success was solely due to his special calling. There is
no doubt that his role as an apostle did result in him doing great things for
his Master. Yet we are also aware that there were times in Peter’s life when he
was not so devoted and when he was not used by Jesus in his service. So are
there any features from his life at that time which Luke highlights for us?
There are four, at least.
First, note how
Luke describes how Peter came into contact with Aeneas. Peter found him, which
suggests that he sought him out. We are not told why he did so or how he did
so. Probably the believers in Lydda told him about Aeneas. Peter could have
said to himself, ‘I will wait until somehow Aeneas comes to me and then I will
speak to him.’ Given the problem that Aeneas had, Peter would have had to wait
a long time. It was good for Aeneas that Peter took the initiative. In this
regard, Aeneas is a picture of all the people out there who are spiritually
unable to take a step in the right direction. They have to be sought out with
the gospel.
Second, we
should observe Peter’s response to the death of Tabitha. Luke stresses that
Peter prayed about the situation. The account is not suggesting that sometimes
Peter did not pray about an activity. Rather it points to the fact that there
will be situations that require special prayer. Peter had to do something that
he knew he could not do and which he had never done before. But he did not
focus on his own inability, instead he turned to the Lord for help. He asked
the Lord to do what only he could do, which was to give life to the dead. The
Lord heard his cry and power was sent from heaven. What was true of Tabitha
physically is true of everyone spiritually. They will not be raised through our
efforts unless we pray for divine power.
Third, we can
see clearly Peter’s humility in Luke’s account. There was nobody present when
Peter raised Tabitha. He could have presented the story in a way that would
have brought great credit to himself. It would have been easy for him to omit
the details about the praying and for him to say, ‘I commanded Tabitha to rise,
and she did!’ Nobody would know otherwise. Yet he was determined to ensure that
he did not give the impression that he contributed more than he did. In his
telling of what happened, he ensured that everyone knew it was the Lord who did
it. We live in a day where people ensure that they are recognised, whether or
not they deserve it. Perhaps we have heard the words of James Denney: ‘No man can bear
witness to Christ and to himself at the same time. No man can give the
impression that he himself is clever and that Christ is mighty to save.’
Humility is an essential mark of a Christian disciple.
Fourth, Luke mentions an interesting aspect of
Peter’s behaviour when he mentions that the apostle stayed ‘in Joppa for many
days with one Simon, a tanner.’ ‘Peter would never have done that in the past
because to stay with a person who worked with dead carcases would have rendered
him ceremoniously unclean. In this decision of Peter, we see his willingness to
identify with an individual whom others would not want to be seen with. Sadly
Peter would later be inconsistent with regard to ignoring the ceremonial law
such as when he refused to eat with Gentiles in Antioch. Yet here in Joppa he
put aside his previous scruples because they hindered the gospel.