We Are Witnesses (Reflections on Easter 3, Year B)

Bernardo Strozzi "Peter Cures the Beggar" Italian, 17th Century

“…To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name…” (Acts 3:15-16)

My wife and I went to a beautiful wedding a few weeks ago. It was for the daughter of one of our neighbors.  She’s a nice, Christian girl and she married a nice Christian boy and the couple referenced their faith in the vows they wrote for each other. The bride’s brother offered a pious and heart-felt dinner grace at the reception, and her sister gave a tender and sentimental toast. I was very much touched by all of it, and I made a point to compliment the parents of the bride on raising three young adults who were all loving, hard-working, and (miracle of miracles!) active in their church.

“Show me a good kid,” I told the mother of the bride, “and nine out of ten times I’ll show you an excellent parent.” The bride’s mother thanked me for the compliment, but asked, “You know who’s really responsible, right?” “Their father?” I asked. “No,” she replied. She pointed to the ceiling and said “HE is.”

I think this was more than becoming modesty on the part of our friend and neighbor. Rather, it was an honest confession of faith. It’s true that we are called to be Christian witnesses, and that the most important audience to our testimony may be our own children. Still, as I always like to point out, the definition of “parent” is one who has complete responsibility for something over which they ultimately have no control. In the end, we are dependent on the grace of God.

In the first lesson appointed for Easter 3 Year B in the Revised Common Lectionary (Acts 3: 12-19), we get to hear Simon Peter witnessing. It’s hard to imagine that this is the same guy who was denying Jesus in order to save his own butt just shy of two months ago. He and John have just astounded everyone by healing a lame beggar. The now former beggar is so jazzed that he no longer has to mooch spare change for a living that he’s actually leaping for joy in the Temple. Peter explains all of this to the amazed crowd by saying that he and John didn’t heal the man. God healed him through the name of Jesus Christ.

That’s a pretty powerful statement. It’s a witness to Peter’s own powerlessness and to God’s great authority through Jesus. Peter—a guy who liked to micro-manage everything—has finally learned to turn it all over to Jesus, and the result is that people are being blessed through his witness. I wonder what the other disciples are thinking. Can you imagine them saying to each other, “Get a load of Peter! He’s a new man—brave and modest at the same time!” His bravery and his modesty are both manifestations of his trust in God through Christ, and they speak as eloquently for his life of faith as do his words.

In the gospel reading (Luke 24:36-48) we see another appearance of the resurrected Jesus to the disciples. It’s the third time we have him showing his wounded hands and feet and inviting them to touch his wounds so they would be absolutely sure that this was their living, breathing, flesh-and-bone friend. He even asks for some lunch and eats it in front of them so they know he’s not a ghost (I guess he was little hungry since he left the disciples in Emmaus before eating dinner! See verse 31).

There are two things which really pop out to me in this passage. The first is that the disciples encounter a real, human Jesus. He’s not a ghost. He doesn’t exist in the abstract. If we’re to witness to him, we have to witness in a flesh-and-bone reality. My definition for the Christian life is always that we see Jesus in others (see Mathew 25:31-46) and be Jesus for others. If we can’t see him, we can’t be him. We need to connect to others, touch their wounds, and be willing to feed their hunger.

The second thing that I take away from this week’s gospel is Jesus’ declaration in verse 48: “You are witnesses to these things.” My go-to-gal for all things lectionary, Dr. Karoline Lewis of Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN noted in her commentary on this passage that Jesus doesn’t say, “You will be witnesses” or “You can be witnesses.” He says we ARE witnesses.

We are both people who have witnessed—seen and experienced—the goodness of God, and people called as witnesses to testify to that goodness and power. We are called to claim both the modesty and the courage to speak Christ to this wounded and hungry world. We are marked with his cross and sealed with his Holy Spirit.

How cool is that?

Keep up the witness, and thanks for visiting.