Note flow charts of this passage are available.
Jesus said, 'It is enough for the student to be like his teacher'. In all walks of life, students learn from and become like their teachers.
I’ve noticed it in preaching. Sometimes you can tell which preachers trained which students. Because they unconsciously adopt the same turns of phrase and mannerisms. And when you know both master and apprentice, you get a sense of de ja vu. I’ve seen all this before.
Jack Gibson was the Rugby League Supercoach of the 1970s and 1980s. He revolutionized Rugby League coaching techniques and won 5 premierships as a result. He influenced Wayne Bennett, who managed to win St George a premiership after 31 years.
Well, Wayne Bennett learnt from what Gibson did, took from his methods and perfected them[1]. Gibson won 5 grand finals, but Bennett won 7 and still counting.
Wayne Bennett himself had an apprentice, someone who played under him at Canberra, and was his Assistant Coach at the Broncos: Craig Bellamy[2]. Bellamy learnt so well from his master that Bellamy himself has won two premierships with the Melbourne Storm (even though they lost one of them subsequently!).
The good student learns from the master and replicates his results. Becoming a master means being a good student.
Consider Elijah and Elisha. When Elijah had had enough (1 Kings 19:3ff), God appointed Elisha to be his attendant and successor. From that moment, Elisha saw everything God did through Elijah – fire from heaven, parting the seas, even being taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2).
And what did Elisha’s ministry look like? It looked like Elijah’s.
Elijah provided oil so a famished widow and her son child could live. And Elisha provided oil so a famished widow and her two sons could live. Elijah raised a widow’s son. Elisha also raised a widow’s son (2 Kings 4) and even Elisha’s bones raised a dead man (2 Kings 13:20-21). Elijah’s prayers brought rain and ended the famine And Elisha also brought water to drink and food to eat. Elijah was taken up to God in a chariot of fire, and Elisha was surrounded by God with chariots of fire. By Elijah’s word, there was a famine for three and a half years, and by Elisha’s word, there was famine for seven years.
Elisha indeed received a double portion of Elljah’s Spirit. But the shape of his ministry was the same as his master.
It’s the same in every master - apprentice relationship. Just as Anakin copied Obi Wan, so Darth Vader copied Darth Siddious. Paul said, ‘Follow my example, as I follow Christ’. “It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master” (Matthew 10:25). That’s why we must choose our teachers carefully, because bad company corrupts good character.
Last week we saw that Jesus chose Paul. Paul received his teaching and commission from the risen Lord Jesus Christ. So if you reject Paul’s teaching, you’re rejecting the one who sent Paul, Jesus.
This week, we remember that Jesus also chose Peter. He chose Simon, changed his name to Peter, meaning Rock. And he always seems to have first place among the Apostles. Peter was the natural leader of the twelve. He followed his master for three years, being with him, listening to his teaching, following his commandments, and witnessing him doing good and healing all under the power of the devil. Peter, like Paul, was a sinner. Paul sought to destroy the church, and Peter had denied the Lord of the church.
But just as Jesus converted and sent Paul, Jesus also restored and sent Peter. Peter, too, now takes the lead role. The leading Jerusalem Christian now takes the message of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ to all Judea and Samaria.
See excellent map at http://biblestudio.com/l/lydda.htm
We pick up the story of Peter traveling around the coastal zone between Judea and Samaria. There are both Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles in these regions. Peter seems to be visiting the Jewish Christians in these towns, formed into churches. Notice, these are not churches that Peter planted or founded. For the word has created the church. And the gospel is outrunning the apostle.[3] But there are still saints – here meaning Jewish Christians -- scattered from Jerusalem following Stephen’s stoning. And others have heard their message and become believers. And Peter is traveling here and there strengthening and encouraging them.
There’s nothing like face to face meetings. Businesses spend millions to have face to face meetings. Fly here and there. And Peter is doing that. Yet another reason to keep meeting at church. Another reason to not give up – but to meet face to face and not settle for second best. It church was important enough for Peter to travel around to visit, so it’s important enough for you and me to go to.
Now the only person mentioned in Lydda is Aeneas. We don’t even know for sure if he is a Christian. We probably could assume it, but we don’t know.
Aeneas has either been bedridden for 8 years, or alternatively he was paralysed since he was 8. The expression could mean either. And with a word, Peter heals him. Rise up, and make your bed.
And immediately, we have a sense of de ja vu. I’ve seen this before. Isn’t this what Jesus did? Yes it is.
Peter says, Get up and take care of your mat (Acts 9:34). And Jesus says the paralysed man lowered by four friends, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ (Luke 5:24).
Only the names have changed. Except, Jesus heals to point to himself: ‘So that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’. And Peter does it to point to Jesus: Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you.
Jesus points to his own authority to forgive sins and thus heals the paralysed man. And Peter points to Jesus as the Lord and heals the paralysed man.
Notice, it is Jesus who does it both times. The first time in the flesh. The second time, through the one he sent, Peter.
Well, here is a miracle. And it is a powerful evangelistic tool. The result was pretty clear. Verse 35: All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
And that raises a question. If that is a result of the miracles, why don’t we see more of them? Why don’t we see them today? Now? Why aren’t we ‘doin’ the stuff’? After all, God wants many people to be saved. Surely this is the proven method? to have all of Mulgoa and Warragamba and Silverdale and Wallacia and Luddenham turning to the Lord.
Some Christians, of course, say that we should have such ‘power evangelism’[4]. Denominations and movements have arisen because they are seeking this sort of experience in the present day. And then the fault lies with faulty Christians who won’t enter into the fullness of what God has to offer. We put ‘if the Lord wills on our prayers’, or ‘but no matter what happens’.
But notice Luke records that the healing comes when the Apostle Peter comes. Lydda, it seems, didn’t have miracles until Peter came. It had saints and the gospel, but not miracles. Elsewhere we read that ‘signs, wonders and miracles’ are things that mark an apostle (2 Corinthians 12:12). Signs and wonders are marks of the apostles. And we don’t have apostles anymore. So perhaps we should not expect the miracles that mark their ministry.
That is not saying that God doesn’t heal anymore. God can do what he likes when he likes how he likes, through whom and to whom he likes. God answers prayers and God is merciful. He can extend our lives and provide us healing if he wills. But my point is that we shouldn’t expect the signs of apostles if we don’t have apostles anymore.
Peter was an Apostle. And he did the stuff that Jesus did. For he was simply extending his Master’s Ministry. When Peter healed, it was really Jesus who healed. But that doesn’t mean that I or you should or can. Miracles are for God to give. And frequently, God seems to have decided not to give them. Remember what Paul said, ‘Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified’. (1 Corinthians 1:22) We know that even if we don’t have their miracles, we still have their gospel which saves.
About 20 kilometres to the North West of Lydda was the port city of Joppa. It was a distinctly Greek city, though there were Jews there too. The gospel is progressively moving into the gentile world. And we are introduced to a story full of sadness and pathos – the sudden death of a wonderful Christian woman.
Perhaps you know a dear Christian friend who has died. Live long enough, and it will happen to you. Someone at church that you’ve buried before time. And you say with Billy Joel, ‘Only the good die young’. Well, that’s not true. But some of the best die before their time. Jesus died at 33. A fit, strong, generous Christian, former Commonwealth Games athlete and businessman, Warden and Treasurer of his church, dies at 43 of bowl cancer, leaving a wife and 6 children[5]. And a whole Christian community weeps.
Well, Tabitha, whose Greek name was Dorcas, was one of those Christians whose lives were littered with good works. Verse 36:
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. (NIV)
She was full of good works. The grace of God made her zealous for good works. And her faith worked through love.
Wouldn’t you like that said about you at your funeral? That you were full of good works and always helping the poor? That you leave a life full of evidences of your faith in Christ, a life littered with good works.
We Protestants mustn’t be afraid of talking about good works. We are not saved by them. But we are saved for them. They are evidences of our salvation. They show what God has done in our lives.
Verse 37:
About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. (NIV)
Being a good Christian doesn’t save you from living in a fallen world. Tabitha was a model disciple. She also got sick and died. And her sickness and death is no reflection whatsoever on her faith, which worked through love. I say that because some Christians think sickness and death are marks of a lack of faith. They were not so in Tabitha’s case.
So the church is in grief.
And they know that Peter is 20 kilometers up the road. So they urgently call him to come. Peter, come to us. We don’t know what you can do. Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there. We need you, Peter!
So Peter, without car or travel allowance, does what every minister of the gospel should do. He goes. He walks the 20 kilometres to the grieving church. And what does he find.
Verse 39:
Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. (NIV)
Picture, the big bearded Galilean fisherman, warm from his 20 kilometre walk. Picture all the widows, presumably whom Tabitha helped. They can’t help it. They pouring out their grief to him. They are crying. They show the undergarments and the cloaks she made. Look at this. Tab’s hand made this. And this. And Peter look at this one. Look at this one I’ve got on. She made it for me. Look how kind Tabitha was to us. Look at how she was a great blessing to us. And now God has taken her away. We have her no more. And they weep in the presence of the Apostle.
They grieve, but not as the world.
Isn’t this a wonderful testimony.
Do you think you will be missed like this woman was? Would you like to be missed by those among whom you labour after your go?
I wonder how Peter felt? Did he feel like his Lord, at Lazarus’ tomb:
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in Spirit and troubled’ (John 11:33 NIV).
We’re not told that Peter wept. But we are told that Peter acted. Verses 40 and 41:
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up. ” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. (NIV)
And again, we have a sense of de ja vu. For there was another room from which Jesus likewise barred the mourners (Luke 8:49ff). Jesus once said ‘Talitha, get up’ (Mark 5:41) (Aramaic for little girl). And Peter now says, ‘Tabitha, get up’. (Aramaic for ‘Gazelle’) And both master and student were gentlemen. Taking them by the hand, not worrying about ceremonial cleanliness or otherwise, they helped their sister up.
The sender and the sent work the same way. And again, Peter has evangelistic success. Many people believed in the Lord Jesus as a result of the miracle worked through Peter.
In fact, a door seems to have opened for Peter in Joppa. Verse 43:
Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. (NIV)
Now, tanners prepared animal hides. As a result, they were thought to be ceremonially unclean by stricter Jews. It seems that Peter doesn’t have much of a problem with them. Peter is perhaps being softened up for a greater break with the ritual cleanliness of the Jews – associating with Gentiles.
What can we take from these two stories? Three things.
First, about Peter. Peter is shown to be a genuine Apostle of Jesus by his miracles. All through these two stories is the sense of de ja vu. He is indeed feeding Christ’s sheep, and he is doing it in a Christ shape way. As Peter did, so did Jesus. And even if God doesn’t wish to heal through us, Peter is still a model for all who would pastor and tend to God’s people. Meet and encourage God’s people face to face, seek them out, visit the sick, go to the grieving, listen to them, pray for them.
Second, about Tabitha. Look at the testimony of faith and good works. Won’t you like people also to miss you as they did her? Live to be missed!
Third, about Jesus. Jesus still works through his Apostles. And while we do not have the Apostles in person, we have their written words. We have Peter’s words in 1 and 2 Peter. We have Peter’s preaching in Acts. And when we read and listen to them, they bring the witness Jesus to us.
Let’s pray.
[1]http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1806618,00.html#ixzz1m2j9l91n
[2] http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/07/31/wayne-bennett-the-greatest-but-bellamy-looms/
[3] Note that neither Peter nor Paul planted the church in Rome, but it came into existence either as a result of the conversion of diaspora Jews who returned to Rome following Pentecost following Peter’s preaching. Perhaps Philip the Evangelist planted the churches. Perhaps the diaspora Jews.
[4] John Wimber http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal/journal10/b-wimber.html. It is sobering to note that the main advocate of ‘power evangelism’ had cancer, stroke and heart disease, and after a fall and surgery died of a brain hemorage at 63. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1998/february9/8t2015.html. What does this fact prove? Nothing, except we all get sick and die, unless Jesus returns.
[5]http://www.fairfieldchampion.com.au/news/local/news/general/devoted-father-farewelled/1846516.aspx