Chapter Thirty-Seven
New Beginnings
Acts 2: 42 – 3:10
Peter and James wanted to get things a bit more organized before they started sending people off in all directions spreading Jesus’ message. James said something about starting to establish the Kingdom of God right here and now in Jerusalem. So the families of the apostles and of some of the disciples moved into the city. We would gather together every day to pray in the Temple. We also ate a daily meal together and remembered Jesus in a special way at that meal. It was like being at the Last Supper again. We also shared our money as well as our food. If anyone needed anything, we all helped out. We were trying to create the kind of large family that we had been when we had walked with Jesus.
I say we because I was a part of that family. In fact, I was having a great time because I got to play with the kids. The grown ups were too busy with their day jobs and with spreading Jesus’ message. Actually, they weren’t just spreading what Jesus called “The Good News.” They were also trying to model their life on Jesus’ life. They were actually the presence of Jesus in the world. Let me tell you this one story.
One day Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the mid-afternoon prayer time. They entered through the gate called The Beautiful Gate. There was a beggar at that gate who was crippled from birth. When he asked Peter and John for money, they said they had no money to give him. They had something better. Peter told him “In the name of Jesus, get up and walk.” The man slowly pushed himself off his begging mat and stood up. Then he began to walk. Then he actually began to jump around. The people were cheering. I could see that Jesus was still present and alive, in his followers.
This ends my part of the story. Now that I no longer can travel with my friend Jesus, I guess I’ll just stay here in Jerusalem with my other friends and remain here till the end of my days. I expect that one day I will see Jesus again. Friends always get back together.
Thanks
Thanks especially to Marcus Borg, Raymond Brown, John Crossan, and Joseph Fitzmyer for their many insights.
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