“And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:42).
There were many times in the Gospels when Christ was told to stop, when things got in the way, and it seemed as though Christ would have to stop, and yet He never did…
When He was born, He was told to stop… Not only could His Blessed Mother not find any place to deliver her Baby, but after He was born, Herod sent soldiers to kill the boys and therefore kill Him. And this did not stop Him. When there was no room for His Mother in the inn, she gave birth in a stable. And when Herod wanted to kill Him, Saint Joseph dreamed of a plan to escape to Egypt.
Later, when Christ was preaching in Nazareth, the people turned against Him and wanted to throw Him from a cliff, and He walked away from them unharmed.
“Some Pharisees came, and said to him, ‘Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.’ And he said to them, ‘Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem’.” (Luke 13:31-35).
And there too, Christ was unafraid. He called Herod a FOX and continued on His way. And He did this because He knew He was doing the Holy Will of God. And this means that He was safe in the knowledge that God would allow His Holy Will to be fulfilled. After all, who could possibly stand against God – who is the Almighty Creator of the Universe?
And I should know that – deep in my soul. For if I am fulfilling the Will of God then I have no reason to fear and nothing that could possibly get in my way or stand in my path.
When the Apostles faced the Sanhedrin because they were preaching the Good News after the Death (and Resurrection) of Christ, they were told… “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” (Acts 5:28). And the Apostles replied, though Saint Peter, “We must obey God rather than men.” And so the Pharisees beat them, but still the Apostles continued to preach, “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:40-42)
And I have been thinking about that today – for I am an Apostle of Christ. And I too, shouldbe unstoppable in fulfilling His Holy Will…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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