In the Name of Jesus, Walk!
SCRIPTURE READING — ACTS 3:1-10
“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
— Acts 3:6
I had to watch my steps while hiking through a stretch called Raven Rocks on the Appalachian Trail in West Virginia. Giant boulders line the trail there, and sharp rocks litter the path. I gingerly danced through them, knowing that an injured ankle could end my walking for a while.
Soon after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (Acts 2), Peter and John met a man who had never been able to walk. He saw them entering the temple one day and asked them for money. Peter said he had no money but would gladly give what he did have: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” Peter said, “walk.” Peter took the man’s hand, and the man’s feet and ankles instantly became strong. So he began “walking and jumping, and praising God.”
Stories like this one from the early church demonstrate the healing power of Jesus as his disciples spread the good news of salvation in Christ. Many of these stories include physical healing, and sometimes even the dead are raised to life.
Today we still see Jesus’ healing power at work, but not always so dramatically. Yet even if our bodies are not healed now, our spirits are made whole with God’s peace and hope. And the good news about Jesus empowers us to praise God as we wait for the day of his coming again.
Lord Jesus, give us the heart and zeal to share what we have as we spread your good news everywhere. Amen.
“Tell Me, Please”
SCRIPTURE READING — ACTS 8:26-38
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about . . . ?”
— Acts 8:34
At Cove Mountain on the Appalachian Trail I had shelter from an all-night rain. The next morning I was back on the trail. No one needed to tell me where to go. I headed north, as I did every other day of my three-week trek.
Philip, however, whom the Spirit called in our story today, had instructions on where to go. An angel of the Lord told Philip to go south to the desert road leading from Jerusalem to Gaza. There Philip met an Ethiopian official who was returning home from Jerusalem. The Spirit then led Philip to stay near the man and to help him understand a passage he was reading from Isaiah. Philip explained that the passage was about Jesus, the Son of God, who came to die for our sin, and then Philip baptized the Ethiopian, just as the man asked him to do.
Through his Spirit and the Word, the Lord still commands us everyday. God calls us to walk in his ways, loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Does God speak to us in other ways, such as the way he spoke to Philip? God certainly can speak to us in dramatic ways, but more often the Spirit of God speaks to us in quiet, subtle ways through his Word and with the help of other believers (like Philip). We should always be following God’s Word and listening for his voice, especially as he nudges us to share the love of Jesus.
Lord Jesus, help us to listen for your voice and to share your love with the people we meet every day. Amen.
Walking Together
SCRIPTURE READING — ACTS 10:34-43
“Everyone who believes in [Jesus] receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
— Acts 10:43
On my way to Big Meadows on the Appalachian Trail, I walked for some distance with Dave, an Australian “bloke.” We chatted and shared notes and complaints about the trail. Though it was pleasant to talk with a fellow hiker, it was challenging to keep an eye on the trail and to keep up with Dave.
Acts 10 tells us the apostle Peter walked more than a day’s journey conversing with some Gentiles. As a devout Jew who would have shunned contact with non-Jews, this was a new experience for Peter. But God had explained to him in a vivid dream that he wanted people of all nations to be saved and to worship him. So when Peter learned that a Roman centurion, who worshiped God, needed to hear the good news about Jesus, Peter went with some Roman soldiers to Joppa to meet their commanding officer. That day Peter shared the good news of Jesus and baptized the centurion and many others there who believed and were welcomed into the family of God.
Thank God that Jesus has destroyed the walls separating us from people of other nations and cultural backgrounds. All who believe “are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:29). Still, we often tend to rebuild walls that keep us apart. Like Jesus’ apostles, we need to learn to embrace others who are different from us—and when we do, we experience the breadth of God’s love.
Lord Jesus, you came so that we can walk together with all of your followers and share your good news of peace and hope. Amen.
On the Move for Jesus
SCRIPTURE READING — 2 CORINTHIANS 11:26-31
I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers . . . in danger in the city, in danger in the country. . . . I have labored and have often gone without sleep . . . and . . . without food. . .— 2 Corinthians 11:26
After stopping for supplies in Front Royal, Virginia, along the Appalachian Trail, I enjoyed a delicious breakfast of buckwheat pancakes smothered in maple syrup. And sleeping in a bed the night before had felt luxurious after many nights of sleeping on the ground.
The apostle Paul had known many more hardships, however, in his travels to spread the good news of Jesus. Called to be a witness to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-16), Paul traveled to countless destinations, often on foot. And not only were many of his journeys rough, but he also frequently suffered at the hands of hostile people. At times he was beaten, flogged, and even pelted with stones. He was shipwrecked three times, and he was thrown into prison. Several times he had to flee for his life. (For more about these struggles, see Acts 13-28 and 2 Corinthians 11-12.)
Of all of Jesus’ disciples and followers, Paul may have suffered the most on his many journeys. Yet he boasted in his weakness so that the power of Jesus could be revealed. Ultimately he boasted in Christ, who suffered so much more for him and for us. Our own hardships too reveal the weakness that brings us closer to Jesus, our Savior and our strength.
Lord, when we are weak, we are strong for you. Help us to let go of ourselves and to trust your working in us as we serve you and others. Amen.
