April 9th - Reflection

Reading
Acts 5:17-26 (NRSV)
The apostles freed from prison

Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, "Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life." When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, "We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. Then someone arrived and announced, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.

Reflection
So what is going on? Put Jesus in the tomb and he comes out. Jesus enters through a closed door. Apostles put into prison but get out with all the doors locked. So what is going on?

News events that shake our lives. Sometimes things just don't make sense. What is going on? Some of this can't be explained in the physical sense of things. What is going on? Some things happening are in the spiritual sense of things. Something great and wonderful has occurred. Jesus has risen! He has risen indeed! What is going on?

There is something spiritual in the physical world! Jesus is alive and we have a hope beyond this world. We run to tell all the world of what Jesus has done for me and for you and we can't be held back. We can't even be held back by what is physical in this world. We are released spiritual beings in a physical world where the Kingdom has come. We are free from sin and death and the devil, even though we live in a world that still has sin and death and the devil, but now we have hope in Jesus. Jesus has released us from our prison and we run to tell all about his glorious, life giving deeds.

So what is going on? News of Jesus is going on! News of hope in our world! News that can't and won't hold any of us back that run to tell this great story of Jesus love. Acts of compassion and love coming through the spiritual to the physical in love. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, it's you that's going on! As I run to tell that you have risen indeed, work your love through me in this world. --- Amen