Oh those poor religious leaders. They thought they had gotten rid of their problem when they got rid of Jesus, but those pesky apostles just keep preaching and healing! The number of followers just keeps growing! So they arrest the men and question them.
But never fear, Peter has the Holy Spirit working in him. He courageously answers the religious leaders questions with truth. There's a Scripture that comes to mind here, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12). God's word, given through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, lays open the motives of man. The religious leaders are taken aback. Who are these uneducated men? Why do they speak with such power and authority? How are they going to fix this new problem?
In their pride and arrogance, they order Peter and John to cease and desist. Yeah, that's not going to happen. Notice that Peter answers respectfully, but honestly. Respect is a BIG DEAL. You may not agree with someone but you need to treat them with love and respect. That doesn't mean you are to obey man over God. It simply means you decline with respect. Oh, how disrespectful our nation has become. We have taken our freedom of speech to new levels of whining, complaining, and just plain blasting of others. Look, you have two choices - act like the world or act like Jesus. Speak your opinions or speak the truth. Show the world your actions or show the world God's love.
Peter and John chose to show God's love, to speak the truth, to imitate Jesus. Where did it get them? Not too far in man's world, that's the truth. But they weren't concerned with man's world. They were concerned with the kingdom of Heaven. And that is where they excelled. Their honesty, faith, and love helped to build the kingdom of Heaven. I would call that pretty successful.
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