An Act of Kindness
Many times, when Jesus healed someone, the religious leaders would renounce and accuse Jesus of some falsehood or being linked to evil so they could justify the healing as not being from God.
How can kindness ever be evil? How could they think that curing someone of a crippling disability is evil? Unless, of course, they recognized the evil within themselves.
Peter and John were taken before the court of seventy-two religious’ leaders. These were all learned men. Let’s see, two fishermen against seventy-two learned men. Seems like the fishermen will suffer greatly.
Peter is courteous, treating them with respect. They want to know under whose authority had this healing been done. In other words, who is responsible for the healing. Peter announces it is Jesus, the one whom they had scourged and crucified and is now risen from the dead. And it was just the name of Jesus that effected this healing. This is one powerful name.
Would the religious leaders of the day believe? No, instead they instruct Peter and John stop using the name. That would be impossible. They have seen the risen Lord. Nothing is going to stop them now.
Do we try to rationalize things we do not understand? I do believe it is hard for people to see and believe in actual miracles. Even if the miracle happened to them. Have you ignored the miracles that have happened in your life?
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen