Daily Devotion for Lent 2020 - Day 8

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:17-42 (NRSV)

Within today's reading, we have a clash of authority. 

The temple authorities claimed their leadership and teaching through the rites and rituals of accreditation that had been long established.  In examining this from a United Methodist perspective, they were claiming their right to authority through the lens of Tradition.  The ordination service would be an example of Tradition of a modern rite lending authority to our clergy.

The apostles were claiming their right to authority through their experience of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  They believed that Experience overcame Tradition in this instance as they report in verse 29, "We must obey God rather than any human authority."

They then go on to witness to their experience of the resurrection.

The first response of the religious authorities is to do away with these upstarts.  Fortunately, Gamaliel convinced them to respond in a less lethal manner.  He seems to give their experience if not the benefit of the doubt, at least the designation of a possibility.  And so, if it is a possibility, then maybe we should allow it to play out to see if God is behind it.

This is the difficulty of basing authority on experience.  If we haven't had the same experience, can we trust these claims?  We must see if they are validated through their corresponding behavior.  For instance, if they claim to act on behalf of God, do we see them helping or harming those around them?

While the apostles escape imprisonment, they don't escape a beating.  However, they don't seem to see this as a defeat but rather as a victory.  This attitude is reflected in Paul's letter to the Romans from 5:1-5:

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.   (NRSV)

What kind of message would the apostles
have left on their jail cell wall?

Their witness to Jesus as the Messiah or Christ is their mission.  They are not dismayed by this minor setback of imprisonment and flogging.  It could be that their initial release from jail by a messenger of God overcame any anxiety they might have previously been under.

Today, we continue to operate out of the authority of Tradition and Experience to witness to Jesus as the Christ.  Our authority of Tradition as United Methodists comes to our laity through our baptism and our vows of church membership.  We pledge to "serve as Christ's representatives in the world" and to faithfully participate in the ministries of our congregation through our witness.  The congregation empowers and authorizes each member to do this very thing.

How might our own experiences of resurrection influence our Christian representation and our witness?  Where have you been lifted up in this life when you stood on the brink of failure?  When have you received an opportunity that led to blessing?  When have you escaped an unpleasant consequence of your behavior unscathed?

If we train our minds to see resurrection in our lives, it not only lifts our spirits but it shapes our story.

Prayer for the day:

Blessed are You, O Lord, who has nourished me from my youth up, who gives food to all flesh. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness. that we, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom to You be glory, honor, might, majesty, and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.


Prayer from The Clementine Liturgy

Photo by Spencer Cross via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.