After Our Lord healed that poor man who sat at the Gate Beautiful, through the ministry of John and I, the crowds gathered. More and more people clustered around us. It was only a matter of time before the authorities arrived. We knew this, but nothing would have closed my mouth that day. We held back nothing, as more and more came to hear the Good News we had to share.
We told the whole story of Jesus. How our God had sent Him. How they had killed Him, but God raised Him from the dead. We proclaimed what we had seen: the Lord risen in glory. We told the people about the resurrection and life he offered them, which really aroused the fury of the Sadducees. We held Christ the Light before the eyes of everyone and felt the fire of him, blazing in our hearts. But then the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came, and it was close to evening time. We were arrested, and darkness fell on us as we were locked in prison.
And So It Began..
The fire of the Spirit had settled now, and cold fear began to curl around us in the dark. We turned to pray, trusting that courage would come and then John began to speak the words he remembered Jesus sharing with us,
“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.”
Our prayers became bolder, and we felt warmth and light returning to our souls. I knew Our Lord would not let me deny him now. At last, we drifted into sleep, leaning together, community within an invisible community, feeling the touch of angels around us.
Before dawn I saw John wake with a shudder and put my arm around him,
“Do not doubt His Spirit my brother,” I said, surprising myself with the confidence in my voice. We stared through the pale light which was beginning to seep under the doorway, trying to see what trials the day would bring. Then I remembered the words Jesus had spoken after those that John had quoted,
“When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.”
Into the Day
As we were brought out into the light, we looked out into the day before us, I saw the priests and the Temple guard, I saw the elders and the teachers of the law, Annas the high priest and Caiaphas, and others of the high priest’s family. As we gazed ahead the question rang out before us,
“By what power or what name did you do this?”
We turned to each other, closed our eyes for a moment and breathed in the Holy Spirit brooding around us, we saw the people gathered around waiting for the message we brought, and full of love and faith and the power of the Lord, Our Father, of Jesus and the Spirit, I opened my mouth and began to speak …
