indelible

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.  Acts 4:13,14

I love that passage.

Peter and John have been brazenly teaching about Jesus directly in front, and under the noses of the Jewish ruling elite.  Subtlety was not one of the markers of the early church movement.  There were no hidden meeting places or secret handshakes.  Everything the early church in Acts did was bold, simple and open for all to see.

This openness was partly the reason Jewish leaders were going to bed looking for first century versions of Tums or Pepcid AC.  If this new faith had been hidden and private, the Sanhedrin would have dispatched the temple guards to go all "Jason Bourne", on the believers and no one would have ever known.  Unfortunately, they did everything in full view of the public.  And if that wasn't bad enough, they seemed so jolly all the time.

They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.  Acts 2:46

This left the Sanhedrin in quite a pickle.   They desperately wanted to squash this emerging sect, but public opinion combined with high visibility was making things difficult.  And it wasn't getter any better.

And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. 

Acts 2:47

Enter Peter, John and a 40-year-old cripple.  Walking up to the Temple gate one day Peter and John are hollered at by some random beggar.  Heading over to him, they see that he is crippled.  The passage doesn't tell us how, but it includes an interesting detail about the duration of his handicap—“crippled from birth”.  This man didn't recently come down with some paralyzing ailment.  No.  He has been afflicted with a debilitating situation his entire life. 

It is reasonable to assume that his life for years has consisted of waking up, being hauled by friends or family members to the Temple steps, submitting himself to public humiliation in hopes for a small handout, then clawing his way back to whatever hovel he sleeps in.  Day after day, month after month, year upon year.  His voice and face indelibly etched in the eyes and ears of all who frequented the Temple.

This man calls out to Peter and John, begging for money.  Casting sideways glances at each other, Peter responds by telling the man that he has no money to offer.  He does however offer the person and power of Jesus the Messiah.

In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!  Acts 4:6

We know what happens next.  We've read the story and know that the man is healed and can now walk again.  But there is an important phrase that we miss.  Three words that reveal the power, redemption and joy of the moment.

"With a leap . . ."

The man didn't slowly and painfully gather himself up as though the miraculous healing slowly reset age old wounds.  He didn't simply stand and start walking.  He leaped.  In full view of all those gathered around the Temple steps he sprung for joy.  Though his handicap had defined his past, the power of Christ now indelibly etched itself across his present.

This was a problem for the Jewish leaders.  Everyone knew who this man was.  He had been begging at the Temple for years.  His story was well known.  Now, his healing and transformation were equally well known.  It would be pointless to try and discredit his story.  It was impossible to argue with the permanent, immediate and indelible change that had occurred.

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.  Acts 4:14

I love the simple power of this story. 

Painful past + redemptive message multiplied by saving grace = leaping for joy. 

Try as they might, the Sanhedrin could not deny the transformation that had taken place.  Like trying to wash a tattoo off with hand soap; no matter how hard they scrubbed, its wasn't going away.  This man's transformation was indelibly marked in the minds of everyone. 

Indelible change is the one thing that an unbelieving and hostile world cannot confront.  As the first century Jewish leaders realized, there is “nothing to say in reply” to an authentically transformed life.

in·del·i·ble 

making marks that cannot be erased, or removed,

that cannot be eliminated, forgotten, changed, or the like