Seize the opportunies of everyday life

Seize the opportunities of everyday life

 Many believers had one heart and one soul. And none of them said that some of what he had was his, but they had everything in common. 33And the great testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus was with great force, and there was great grace upon them all, 34 for there was no need among them; to everyone according to who needed it.

(Acts 4, 32-35)

We have a passage in front of us that can scare us. We see the ideal. This ideal is often used as an argument – you have moved away from the origin. You’re not faithful.

We have many such ideals – what a man, a woman, a husband, a wife, a father, a mother, a priest and the like should be. Often such ideals are presented to us, or we present them to ourselves or to others. There can be no problem if the ideal is perceived as a long journey destination, and partial goals are presented to motivate us to take the next step. However, the situation becomes much more complicated if the goal starts to be based. This is how it should be, so let’s sell our property and let’s share ownership. And here the problems just start – he just gave so much why me more, I have already left and why I still have to retreat again, I try and the other crap …

This is exactly what happens when we go in the opposite direction, starting from the goal. One gets to the end – as it should be – and then tries to complete the path. Then there is a kind of social engineering, or rather, religious engineering. I know what my life should look like, so I try to build everything to make it happen. But it is the way to frustration, disappointment, hopelessness, disgust.

I invite you now to see what the first community has done.

The description of the “ideal” community is at the end of the narrative that begins in Acts 3. There we read: 1 Peter and John went to the temple at 3 pm for the afternoon prayer. They did not do anything strange and did not plan anything strange. They just went to pray, as they always did. But at the entrance to the temple they meet a lame who was brought there every day. The lame expects money from them. Peter responds to his expectations: “Look at us!” 5 He looked at them and waited to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I have, I will give it to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and go!” Peter does not give what is expected of him, he gives something much more. We may say that I do not know how to heal, but that is not an excuse, I still own many things for which the world is poor.

This healing will arouse interest, and the apostles will seize the opportunity again. They see the possibility of reporting, so they use it: “Men, Israelites, what do you wonder and why do you look at us as if we were our own power or religion to make this walk? It pays to think about the structure of speech that Peter has. It is cerygmatic catechesis, centered on Christ, he refers to the problem, but also gives a solution, and above all gives hope.15 You killed the originator of life, but God raised him from the dead, and we are witnesses of it. 19 Then repent, and turn away your sins, and in his speech, Peter points out how the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in Christ, and it is worth reading the whole chapter.

Of course, the event will draw the attention of the priests: 1 While they spoke to the people, their priests, the commander of the temple guard, and the Sadducee’s 2 were invaded and enraged that they were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection in Jesus. 3 And they laid their hands on them, and put them in prison by morning, for it was evening. 4 But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of men increased to five thousand. Interestingly, just in time of persecution they reproduce.

The next day Peter has another opportunity to report. He speaks quite confidently. For the first time, the apostles have the opportunity to experience that what Jesus promised them really works: “Remember, therefore, that you will not think in advance how to defend yourself, for I will give you eloquence and wisdom that all your adversaries cannot resist or contradict” ( Luke 21: 14-15). Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, says in his defense: “Leaders of the people and elders! 9 If you are investigating us today for a good deed done on a sick man, as he has healed, 10 let you know to all and all the people of Israel Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but God raised him from the dead, this man stands before you in good health 11 He is the stone that you, the builders, rejected, and he became the cornerstone 12 And in no one else is salvation because there is no other name under heaven given to the people in which we should be saved. “