The Lord's Promises

 [From the Sunday of the Paralytic, 2024, Acts 9:32-42]

In the Gospel of St. John, Chapter 14, Jesus is giving His “good-bye” message to His Apostles.  In so doing, He makes a promise to them. 

Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

What is it that our Lord is saying to His Apostles, and to His Church (His bride) through them?

We are given a glimpse of one fulfillment of this promise in todays Epistle from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 9.

Therein we find St. Peter on a missionary journey (as he went through all parts of the country—V32) and was in Lydda.  While there, St. Peter heals a paralytic (that which we see our Lord doing in today’s Gospel from St. John).  Here is one instance of the promise fulfilled of the works that I do he will do also.

But at this time the people at Joppa have a need.  A beloved disciple in their community, Tabitha, has died.  And so in faith they send for St. Peter.

St. Luke records here in the Book of Acts how the people in Joppa sent two men to seek to bring St. Peter to help with the death of their beloved Tabitha.

The distance between Joppa and Lydda is about 11 miles.  So this is not a 10 minute effort.  The average running speed for a 30 year old male is about 6 miles per hour, so this is a 2 hour trip for men from Lydda to reach Joppa, then find St. Peter, then at least 2 hours back to Lydda to the upper room where Tabitha lay dead.  This is if the messengers (and St. Peter) indeed run the whole way!

Why this focus on time?  In the three accounts of our Lord’s raising people from death, we have the account of the daughter of Jairus, who had “just” in that hour died.  In the account of the son of the widow of Nain, the young man’s death would have been within that current day, likely hours before.  In the account of the Lord’s friend Lazarus, he had been dead for four days.

This would appear to be (in terms of equivalence) similar to our Lord’s raising of the son of the widow of Nain.

St. John Chrysostom writes of this event with these words.

St. Peter sends all those in the upper room out, imitating his Master in this also (Mk 5:40).  For where tears are—or rather where miracles are, there tears have no place.  Certainly not in the celebration of such a mystery.

In the case of our dead, a great mystery is celebrating likewise.  Angels are present, commissioned from heaven… sent from the King Himself to call their fellow servant, and I ask you, ‘Do you weep’?  Do you not know what a mystery it is that is taking place, how awful, how dread, and worthy indeed of hymns and lauds?  For it is a very great mystery of the Wisdom of God.  As if leaving the dwelling, the soul goes forth, speeding on her way to her own Lord, and do you mourn?  Why then you should do this on the birth of a child: for this in fact is also a birth, and better than that…

For as the sun arises, clear and bright, so the soul leaving the body with a clear conscience, shines joyously… Think what the soul must then be, in what amazement, what wonder, what delight!

Christ is Risen!

Indeed He is Risen!