We Are What We Eat

As we conclude, we continue our discourse on the observation of the members of the Sanhedrin, on the manner of Peter and John, let’s remember these details. It is good to think of them because they season, heighten and give deeper meaning to what is happening in this session between the Sanhedrin members and two disciples of Jesus. These are the religious men of God who lead the people of God and who want to know of Peter and John, By what power or what name did you do this? Acts 4: 7b.

Two disciples of Jesus, with no kind of earthly, authoritative standing or academic scholarship, have these highly qualified men of the highest religious order, totally baffled. These men of power and authority, are forced to call a special meeting to discuss how to deal logically, wisely and astutely with Peter and John. They simply cannot dismiss the fact that a beggar, who was crippled, whom they all knew, was now no longer a beggar, lame and begging. He was standing there in the temple courts with them all, as right as rain.

The unschooled baffle the schooled.

The uneducated confound the educated.

The unlearned astonish the learned.

The unqualified amaze the qualified.

Here is our text quoted again. When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, and ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4: 13

We continue to search this verse for truth, truth that can make many uncomfortable, uneasy, and even cynical. It is also truth which sets free many bound, troubled and anxious believers. However it leaves us, be it known that this is an individual exercise with individual fruit-bearing. It’s like rain falling on all the fruit trees in the garden, keeping them alive and lush, but only a few fruit trees bear the fruit they are supposed to bear.

What did these highly educated men see in this uneducated pair? Will you agree that they saw boldness and courage like they never saw before, in such men? They saw what was a direct result or response of being fed by Jesus.

What did these men of authority all observe in Peter and John, not one and not the other? They saw power and authority to do works among the people which they, with all their human power and authority could never even dream of doing. They observed what was a direct result or response produced by Jesus’ Food. They could only display the Spiritual power and authority of their indwelling Lord and Master.

What was it that caused these men of the Sanhedrin, the highest, the supreme authority of the Church, to marvel at these two arrested men before them? It was the mere fact that they could easily see that these men were ordinary men, not one of their calling or calibre. These were not just simple, ordinary men, but they were uneducated, untrained and unschooled in the things of God, according to pure, human study. They marvelled because of the unarguable fact that these two men were with Jesus. They saw the fruit of testimony, the pure, unadulterated evidence of those who were fed by Jesus.

Think carefully about it. People, all people - believers and non-believers, sceptics and non-sceptics, cynics and non-cynics, Jew and non-Jew - saw the works of Peter and John. The crippled beggar whom they had healed in the Name of Jesus, was walking around for all to see. I mean, people did not have to witness the actual healing to believe. They did not have to see and hear what Peter said and did to the lame man, to believe. No! The produce or fruit was sufficient, undeniable testimony of who Peter and John were.

They clearly showed that they were what they ate. They fed on the Lord daily, as His living, ever-working Spirit kept them nourished in the things of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit within them, worked the works of Jesus and spoke the words of Jesus in them.

As believers and followers of Jesus, He who was crucified, died and buried, and He who is risen and lives in all who will accept Him, His works and words are all that can be seen in you. When people see your works and hear your words, do they take note that it is not you, and that you have been with Jesus? Does your light so shine before people, in your works and words, that they see the Risen Lord Jesus, and Father God is glorified, through a mere, sinful mortal as you?