Note: On Saturdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
They didn’t believe Jesus had risen when Mary Magdalene shared the news with them.
They didn’t believe the two disciples who encountered the Lord on the road to Emmaus.
Finally, when they were at table and they saw him with their own eyes, they believed. And after chastising them, Jesus charged them anew to go out into the
world and share what had happened.
Then, they were unstoppable. When the Sanhedrin told Peter and John to stop teaching in Jesus’s name, the men said that would be impossible. Nearly all the apostles and many of the other early followers died martyrs’ death rather than be quiet.
Proclaiming the Gospel is simple within the relative comfort of a faith community. It becomes harder when we’re among people—relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers—who aren’t sure Jesus ever existed or who see His words as nice ideas and good concepts but don’t understand or have rejected the hope His death and resurrection offer. And yet, those are the very people who need the message proclaimed to them, through our words and actions.
Think about it: What would Peter and John say today’s Sanhedrin? What would Jesus say to today’s doubters? Somehow, I doubt any of them would choose to keep quiet to preserve peace. That sort of peace isn’t peace at all. It’s spiritual cowardice.
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