Transformative Power of Christ: Healing and Renewal

Peter said to him, anas, Jesus the Christ heals you or it could be translated is healing you that is at that moment arise and make your bed. I find that last portion somewhat significant he doesn't just tell the man to get up from his bed, but he said as soon as you get up out of your bed I want you to make your bed. [00:05:20]

Let me say to you for a moment this morning that if you are a Christian as the bumper sticker reads that we've all seen God is not finished with you yet in every person's life who is sitting here this morning or standing there remains deficiencies sanctification is a whole lifelong process that is never completed until our entrance into Heaven. [00:08:09]

Until then we are glorified and freed from sin altogether in the meantime we are called to move from infancy in our spiritual journey towards adulthood to grow up into the fullness of the image of Christ and be more and more each day conformed to him because right now for the Christian Jesus is making us whole but no one of us is whole yet but we will be someday. [00:08:44]

Peter didn't take any credit for this. Peter didn't say in my name get up off your mat and walk no he said get up anas Jesus the Christ is making you whole make your bed that happens in this little Village of L where centuries later Richard the lionhearted made famous by The Legend of Robin Hood when he went on his crusade to the Holy Land stop and dwelt in this city for some time. [00:09:42]

Tabatha there was a disciple there named Tabatha there was a lady there whose name was Tabatha, Tabatha you're in the Bible did you know that your brother is too Uriah but Tabitha we meet now whose Aramaic name was Tabitha and her Greek name was Dorcas listen to this description of this woman how would you like to have this for an epith the woman was full of good works and charitable Deeds which she did. [00:10:37]

Let me get the picture Peter is summoned just as his Lord had been summoned to Bethany recently on the occasion of the death of Lazarus his friend and we have John's account how Jesus ventured then to Bethany and raised Lazarus from the dead so now the alarm is sent to Peter and he comes the 10 miles or so to see about this woman who had died and when he gets there there is this crowd of people. [00:12:03]

The crowd is made up mostly of widows and we learn now what Luke meant when he said that this woman was given to charity and filled with good works what she had done was made garments constantly of tunics and blouses and other forms of clothing to distribute to the widows and so now to honor her in her death the widows of the community came to the home where she had been laid out for her funeral viewing as it were. [00:12:48]

They brought with them the garments the Tabatha had sown for them we don't want to miss this because remember what jesus' brother James said that the essence of True Religion is the care of widows and orphans and there is a special compassion from Jesus towards those who suffer the loss of their mate particularly the women who lose their husbands and we are to give special concern to minister to those people. [00:13:18]

Peter we are told after he put the women outside he went into the room and he knelt down and he prayed doesn't say he did that with theas it's one thing to heal somebody that's been paralyzed for eight years that's hard enough it's another to raise somebody from the dead this time Peter gets on his knees and he starts to pray earnestly and then we are told by Luke that he looks over at the body. [00:14:59]

He looks at the corpse in his presence and begins to talk to it and he says Tabatha arise and Peter's staring at this corpse and the body opens her eyes the eyelids that had been closed in death are now open opened in life and the first thing Tabitha sees when she opens her eyes is Peter who is there and after she opens her eyes and sees the Apostle she sits up in bed. [00:15:54]

Now listen to what Peter does that he gave her his hand and lifted her up and we called the Saints and the widows he presented her alive Now ladies and gentlemen we can misunderstand the idiom that's here it's not that she's sitting up and she's strong enough now in her Resurrection to be half alive and needs the help of Peter to lift her up off the bed no no no no no for Peter this was an act of shivalry. [00:16:57]

This is the Jesus that we're here to adore to worship this is the Jesus who sets his table before you this is the Christ who is making you whole and one of the means by which he makes us whole is by feeding us and strengthening Us in healing us through his word and through the sacrament and he is here sometimes when we read these stories and we think about all the years that separate us from Apostolic days. [00:18:58]