Cooperation With Christ As Embodied Reality of The Resurrection
A Study of Acts 9:32-42
In those days, as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." And immediately he rose. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, entreating him, "Please come to us without delay." So Peter rose and went with them. And when he had come, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him, weeping, and showing tunics and other garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside and knelt down and prayed; then, turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, rise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
Acts 9:32-42
Christ is risen, indeed, and today's Epistle reading provides further proof of the resurrection with accounts of healing and raising the dead. In the narrative we receive from Acts, we hear Peter heal Aeneas, who was paralyzed for eight years.
It is fitting that we have this reading today, given that the Gospel is John's account of the healing of the paralytic, and this is the very feast we are celebrating today.
We also hear of a narrative in which Peter raises a woman named Tabatha-Dorkas from the dead. Yet there is a key question we shall spend our time with today: Who heals and raises from the dead? How are the apostles seen as portraying such a power? What message do we need to receive today regarding these two healing accounts?
First, let us look at the two narratives and see how exactly these signs and wonders are carried out. Regarding Aeneas, Peter simply tells him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." In this statement, we see a simple call to action, yet it is not in Peter's name that this command is being made; instead, it is in the name of Christ.
Jesus Christ heals you, is what is stated, and we hear within the narrative that upon hearing this, Peter's word is true, for Aeneas rises from his bed, which he had occupied for eight years. Thus, we see from the narrative that it is not Peter who is healing this man, but Christ is at work in him.
We may ask whether this is the case for the resurrection account we hear within this same Epistle, for in it, Peter says, "Tabitha, rise." We may be under the impression that he is the one raising this woman. Yet we need to look to the line before, which shows us Who has the power to raise this woman. It states that "Peter knelt down and prayed," then he turned to her body and said, "Tabitha, rise." This reveals to us that in Peter's orientation in prayer, Christ is the one who raises her from the dead.
In each of these narratives, we witness a profound truth: Peter is not the source of these healings but a vessel through which Christ's power is revealed. This power is not accrued through worldly means, but the same divine power at work in Christ's earthly ministry is now revealed in His Church. It's a testament to the awe-inspiring reality of Christ's resurrection and His ongoing work.
All of us, as believers, have received the Holy Spirit, and Christ is at work in us through the Spirit, carrying out the same works and wonders He carried out in His earthly ministry. Thus, the whole of Acts recognizes that Christ is the one who is at work within His Church, and we are His coworkers in His saving mission.
Being a coworker in Christ's ministry means that we cannot do anything alone, for God is the one who gives us all, even our very life. Yet we see that the Apostles are living proof of what a life of faith accomplishes, for when we allow Christ to work in us and through us, seeking Him in all matters, we too will see the great works of Christ in our lives. We are all called to be coworkers in His plan for salvation, actively participating in His divine mission.
In this call to be a coworker, we see these powers at work in the Apostles. This is not a power they receive because of status or lineage; instead, it is a power that is at work in them through their humility.
In Peter's posture, we see this humility at work when he allows Christ to raise Tabatha. He is said to have knelt down beside her when he was praying. In kneeling, he lowers himself, showing that there is one Who is greater than he is. This one is Christ, as we heard from the healing of Aeneas, and after Peter prays, he commands, "Tabitha, rise."
Even though in word, Peter does not invoke the name of Christ, in action, he is clearly shown as doing so, for Peter is not the one who holds the power to raise the dead; instead, it is the one to whom he submits himself in this humility. Thus, Peter's posture exemplifies how we are called to embody our faith, for we are all called to live with the whole of our being, the reality that Christ is our Lord and at work in His creation. It is not enough to make statements alone; instead, how we live and orient our lives also needs to be centered on Christ. This humility, demonstrated by the Apostles, is a key aspect of our faith and should guide our actions and attitudes in all aspects of our lives.
Thus, in the humility of the Apostles, they can carry out all of the signs and wonders we see carried out by their hands. None of us is God, yet we are called to be coworkers with Him as He works in us. When we, too, submit our will to the will of God, He is at work in us, and we are at work in Him. This is what is meant by our call to center our lives in Christ, for when we put all into His hands, He provides us all that we need for a life centered in Him. A life centered in Christ is participating in the salvation He offers us. So we see that the Apostles actively participate in the reality of the resurrection as they strive to know, love, and serve the Lord and His creation.
At times, this is easier said than done, and I must admit that I miss the mark in this regard all too often. Yet, as we see in this Epistle reading, the reality stands nonetheless. Regardless of how often we miss Christ, it is our call to turn to Him in all matters so He can fill what is lacking in us as we strive to be coworkers with Him and His divine plan for salvation.
Turning to Christ, especially in times of need or when we feel lacking, is a crucial aspect of our faith. Christ is the one Who gives us what we need to know, love, and serve Him and His people. Thus, it is our call to turn to Him for the whole of our lives so He can fill all that is lacking in us.
So, when we hear narratives such as this, we are called to focus not on the miraculous in itself but on the saving act of Christ that is at work in His creation. It is all too easy for us to fall into the pitfall of focusing on the dramatic nature of miracles and then jump to the conclusion that if we do not see the lame walk and dead raised, then God is no longer with us. Yet if we make the space for God in our lives, we see His saving works are in and around us even today. The works of Christ do not have to be as dramatic as we see in the Acts account, for as stated before, God gives us all we need to live our lives in Him. So, if this is the case, we must look for Christ in all matters of our lives.
Again, looking for Christ in our lives is easier said than done, but it is a reality that we are called to nonetheless. When we orient our lives toward Him, we see the purpose of all the signs and wonders He offers us in the Scripture. They are not intended for us to become despondent because we may not be able to see them in our lives; this is a temptation and a trick of the Devil. Instead, they are provided so we may realize that God is at work in His creation, leading us all toward salvation in His saving presence. So it is our call to model His holy ones, such as the saints like Peter, so that in humility, we may allow Christ to continue His saving work in His creation.
So what we learn from this Epistle, and I argue from the whole of Acts, is that we are not the source of miracles; instead, we are called to be coworkers with Christ in His saving ministry.
When we, too, humble ourselves and turn to Him in all matters, He is at work in and through our lives as we cooperate with His saving acts. This power is not our own; instead, like everything else, it is a gift that reveals that Christ is at work in our lives.
Thus, we need to take narratives such as this as reminders that we, too, are participants in the same acts of salvation we see carried out in today's Epistle. What further proof is there of the resurrection than turning to Christ and seeing He is at work in our life and the whole of His creation?
So, as we continue to chant that Christ is risen, let us embody this reality like Peter in humility and ask the Lord to reveal how He calls us to know love and serve Him and His creation as He does so for us. As we do so, we will continue to discern how we are called to be coworkers with Christ. Through this labor of love, we will continue to fully participate in the reality that Christ is risen indeed!
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