Thursday of Easter Octave: reflection

Theme: Not to us, but to your name be the glory, Lord

Reading: Acts 3:11–26

In today’s first reading, I wish to call your attention to Peter’s first response to the people gathered around him and John in Solomon’s Portico. After Peter and John had healed the lame man at the Beautiful gate, he clung to them, thereby drawing the attention and admiration of the people to them. Then, Peter told them: “men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?” He simply went on to tell them that it was Jesus’ name and faith in His name that healed the man.

We didn’t see Peter claiming that the man was healed because his altar was more powerful than the altars of other apostles, or that the man was healed because he released a triple dose of ‘abido shaker’ power. Also, Peter didn’t tell the crowd that the man was healed because he had prepared himself in the desert by fasting for 100 days. Yet, for many people of our time, men who lay claims such as these as the reason why miracles are flowing in their churches are the real men of God. It is a pity.

The lesson we should learn today is that whoever refuses to acknowledge Jesus as the power behind any miracle recorded in ‘his or her church’ did not perform such miracle through the power of Jesus, because the devil also performs wonders. This does not mean that all who shout Jesus! Jesus!! are disciples of Jesus. However, whoever is an instrument in the hand of Jesus will always realize that glories and praises from miracles should go to Jesus and not to him or her, and that every miracle is an opportunity to draw people closer to Jesus, as Peter did in today’s first reading, rather than an opportunity to flex his or her muscles.

May God bless and protect you as you face the activities of this Thursday. Amen.

Fr Isaac Chima