A Tale of Two Disciples
Well actually, it’s a tale of four disciples. “A Tale of Two Disciples” echoes classic literature, so, hey, why not? Two of the readings for this coming Sunday are Acts 9:1-22 and John 21:1-19. We have Saul and Ananias in Acts; Peter and John in John’s Gospel. And with no great surprise, Jesus figures prominently in both accounts. I will note here that this is the resurrected Jesus in both passages.
Let’s look at this chronologically, John’s Gospel comes before the Acts of the Apostles. (In the assigned readings for Sunday, it is reversed.) Peter, John, and some other disciples have gone out fishing and caught nothing. Jesus calls from the shore for the fishermen to throw out the net, and they take quite a haul! Peter ties his jacket around his waist and jumps into the water. Then occurs what I consider a curious passage: Jesus said to them, “Come, eat breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+21&version=EHV>
Now we hop over to Acts. Note the difference between Peter and Saul.
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them to Jerusalem as prisoners. As he went on his way and was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you need to do.” The men traveling with him stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. They raised Saul up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could not see anything.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+9&version=EHV>
Saul did not see Jesus, only heard him, and had to ask “who are you.” Peter saw, and heard, and knew it was the Lord.
Now to double back to John and Ananias. John was following Peter and Jesus. “When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?'” (John 21:21 EHV)
“If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? You follow me.”
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+21&version=EHV>
Back to Acts 9:
There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias! ”He answered, “Here I am, Lord. ”The Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. In fact, at this very moment he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he can regain his sight.” Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he did to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
The Lord said to him, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. Indeed, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+9&version=EHV>
The point I am trying to make is that Jesus has a plan for all his disciples. You may question your role, you may not even like your role. (“I will show him how much he must suffer for my name”.) The other scripture reading for Sunday is from Revelation 5 and it ties everything together:
They sang a new song, saying:
You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and you bought us for God with your blood
out of every tribe and language and people and nation.
You made them to be a kingdom… for our God.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+5&version=EHV>
Christ made us to be a kingdom for our God! That is his plan for all his disciples!
There are times when we will be like Peter and tie a metaphorical jacket around our waist and jump into the water. There will be times when we, like John, will follow Jesus and someone will ask, “What about him?” Maybe like Saul, we will hear and not see and ask, “Who are you Lord?” Or like Ananias, we will say, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he did to your saints.”
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.
From <https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+5&version=EHV>
In Acts 9, there is healing and conversion. In John 21, there is shown the abundance of God’s gifts of the material, and abundance of Grace in forgiveness. In Revelation 5 there is the Lamb standing in the center of it all!
He is Risen
He is Risen, Indeed
Halleluiah Amen
Trust the Promises
Steve Skiver