Acts 9:32-43 CSB
As Peter was traveling from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. [33] There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. [34] Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed," and immediately he got up. [35] So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. [36] In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated Dorcas). She was always doing good works and acts of charity. [37] About that time she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. [38] Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who urged him, "Don't delay in coming with us." [39] Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. [40] Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. [41] He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. He called the saints and widows and presented her alive. [42] This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. [43] Peter stayed for some time in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.
Isaiah 42:3 CSB
He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick; he will faithfully bring justice.
Healings
Imagine that you are a tree limb. A late-season storm has bent you nearly to breaking, and now you hang at an angle, held to the trunk by only a few pale threads of wood. The other limbs are full with new growth—small, bright leaves trembling in the breeze—but through those few remaining fibers, barely enough reaches you to keep your bark from going gray. A pruner, walking the yard with his tools, would see you and finish the job with one clean cut. But this is not Jesus. Jesus is the one who stops, who looks closely at those pale threads, and who binds the wound.
Or imagine that a night storm takes out the power. You sit on the couch with a blanket around your shoulders, listening to the rain drive hard against the windows, and you light what candles you can find. Most of them catch easily, throwing warm light up the walls, but one—short, its wick nearly drowned in old wax—only sputters, throwing a weak and wavering light that barely reaches the edge of the coffee table. The easiest thing would be to press your finger to it and let the others burn. But Jesus is not about the easiest thing. Jesus cups his hands around the struggling flame and waits for it to hold.
We see Jesus at work in this way through the Apostles and the power of the Holy Spirit. Great healings were happening, both to restore people, making them physically whole, and to spark a fire of faith in those who watched. The Apostles’ words were proven true as God worked miracles through them, starting in Jerusalem and moving out into the rest of the world.
In this season of the early church, we see a two-fold mission taking shape. Peter is the one who opens the door of faith to the Gentiles, and Paul is the one who will eventually step through it as the primary Apostle to the nations. Peter holds unique credibility with the Jewish congregation, while Paul, as a Hellenistic Jew, possesses the cultural background and open-mindedness qualified for ministry to the Greek and Roman world.
The Holy Spirit works through Peter and Paul so that others might believe. As Peter traveled from place to place telling others about Jesus, he found Aeneas, a man who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight long years. When Peter spoke, Aeneas was healed; the “broken tree limb” was restored. Then there was Tabitha, a woman known for her charity and love, who passed from this life. Her community was devastated, but Peter told her, “Tabitha, get up.” The “smoldering wick” reignited. Tabitha opened her eyes and sat up.
These miracles became known throughout Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Interestingly, Luke notes that Peter stayed for some time with Simon, a leather tanner. For a devout Jew, staying in the house of someone who constantly handled dead animals would make them ceremonially unclean. Yet, we see a transition beginning; Peter is being led by the Spirit to overcome long-standing traditions. By staying with the tanner, Peter is being prepared for his next call: taking the Gospel to the Roman centurion, Cornelius. The door was opening, making a way for the Gospel to eventually reach the very heart of Rome.
Reflection Questions
- In what area of your life do you feel like a “bruised reed” or a “smoldering wick” right now? How does the image of Jesus cupping His hands around your flame change your perspective on that struggle?
- Aeneas was paralyzed for eight years before his restoration. Why do you think God sometimes waits years before bringing a season of healing or change?
- Peter stayed with a tanner, moving past his comfort zone and religious traditions. What “tradition” or comfort zone might God be asking you to move past so you can be a bridge for the Gospel?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You that You are a God of restoration. Thank You that You do not discard the broken or extinguish the weak, but instead, You bind our wounds and protect our flickering light. Give us the faith of Peter to speak words of life to those around us, and the humility to stay wherever You lead us—even when it challenges our traditions. Open our eyes to the “Tabithas” and “Aeneases” in our own communities who need to see Your power. May Your name be known in our towns just as it was in Joppa. In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
