Civil Disobedience
It is with a lump in my throat that I present to you this PODCAST.
We are about to bid a fond farewell to someone who has become a dear friend of mine—a precious-if-forlorn 40-year-old lame man.
It started out as just another ordinary day in Jerusalem, as if any day in the Holy City, in the two months following Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection, could have rightly been described as ordinary.
Peter and John made there way up to the Temple for their daily 3 PM prayers. They had no idea that by the end of that up-until-then ordinary day, their personal lives, the entire nascent Christian community, and all of Jerusalem would be rocked to their respective foundations.
Peter and John encountered a lame beggar holding out a helpless hand as he sat in Temple Courts. Having compassion on this desperate middle-aged man, lame from birth, Peter and John mercifully proceeded to heal him in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Naturally, at hearing this now-walking man leaping and praising God, thousands of worshippers gathered in Solomon’s Colonnade to see what had happened. As Peter was explaining to these awestruck witnesses that this man was healed in the name of their recently-resurrected Messiah, the Temple authorities stepped in.
They forcibly removed Peter and John from the Temple Courts, threw them into prison, and held them in custody overnight to await their trial the next morning.
As the Sun rose in its majestic arc over the Mount of Olives, Peter and John were rousted from their slumber, released from their shackles, perp-walked before the Sanhedrin, and forced to defend themselves before the Supreme Court.
Their only crime? Enabling a 40+ year old cripple for the first time in his life to walk. That’s it.
But what Peter and John have to teach us by their example is a lesson well-worth learning, especially in light of today’s headlines.
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. 15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.
16 “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:13-20)
You see, the local authorities had ordered them to disregard and disobey a direct command from the Lord, God, Himself. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus had told Peter and John:
… go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
Now, we need to be careful in following Peter and John’s example. There is indeed a proper time, a proper way, and a proper place to be civilly disobedient, especially in obeying God’s decrees over earthly authorities. DO NOT destroy property. DO NOT attack police. DO NOT carry placards adorned with swastikas (as if that needed to be mentioned). DO NOT vent your rage – which is nothing less than an adolescent temper tantrum. Expressing one’s hate, even in the “name of Jesus” is NEVER PROPER. There is NEVER a right time, place, or way for any of us to ever behave in such a way.
Instead, we need to first ask if the authorities we are placed under are usurping God’s explicit commands and authority.
Secondly, as we observe Peter and John’s example, they “replied” ( not shouted or chanted) that they, “cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” They couldn’t stop telling people about Jesus Christ. They didn’t shout curses, vandalize, scream, nor demand their rights. They simply continued to tell people about Jesus. They simply could not stop.