Scripture: Acts 9:32-43
Video Link: https://youtu.be/HljaddMFH5M
Structure:
- Introduction
- Peter and Aeneas
- Peter and Tabitha
- Peter and Simon
- Conclusion
Introduction:
Good morning everyone.
Today is Mothers’ Day. To be a mother it seems, is to be interrupted. Mum, can you take me to football? Mum, what’s for dinner? Mum, can you help me with my homework? Mum, where’s my favourite top? Mum, can I have my friends over? Mum, can you get this Lego out of my nose? Mum, I don’t feel well.
Of course, it’s not just mums who get interrupted. We all live with interruptions these days. Cell-phones pinging at all hours, social media alerts, work emails coming in at 10 o’clock at night and so on.
Sometimes interruptions are a good thing; they can slow us down, allowing us to reflect and see a different perspective, providing opportunity for a much-needed reset. By the same token, interruptions can also distract us from the more important stuff, syphoning off our vital energy.
With the bigger interruptions to our lives, we do well to ask: How is God at work in this interruption? Maybe the Lord is trying to get our attention?
Last week we started a new sermon series in First Corinthians. This week we interrupt Corinthians for Mothers’ Day. Our message this morning is based on Acts 9, verses 32-43, which features a woman named Tabitha. We don’t know if Tabitha had children of her own but she certainly showed a motherly love and so her story seems appropriate for Mothers’ Day.
God willing, we will return to Corinthians next week, unless there are more interruptions. We’ll see how it goes. From Acts chapter 9, verse 32 we read…
32 As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.
If we were to depict today’s reading in the form of a pie graph, it would divide into three uneven portions. Aeneas gets four verses, Tabitha gets seven verses and Simon the tanner gets just one verse. Let us begin then with Aeneas.
Aeneas:
Interruptions come in many forms. Sickness is a common interruption. When I was about 18 or 19, a spider bit my leg while I was on camp. The bite became infected. I thought I could deal with it myself by squeezing out the puss. Unfortunately, that just made it worse.
The lower half of my leg swelled to almost twice its normal size and I had to go to hospital. They put a drain in the wound and pumped me with IV antibiotics.
I was in hospital for a few days. Funny how it’s often little things (like spider bites) that interrupt your life.
When I look back on that time I wonder if I missed what God was trying to tell me. At 18 and 19 I had a lot of energy and not much experience. I thought I could do everything.
I was working part time, studying fulltime at uni, immersed in Youth for Christ leadership, not to mention keeping up with family commitments and maintaining a social life. My schedule was full to overflowing and I didn’t think anything of it.
In hindsight the hospital interruption may have been God’s way of getting me to slow down and think about what was important. I was doing too much and needed to drop a few things. But being young and insensitive, I didn’t pick up on the Lord’s divine intervention. I didn’t want to be interrupted and so I learned the hard way.
The book of Acts tells the story of the Holy Spirit and the church in the first century. One thing we notice throughout the book of Acts is the way the Holy Spirit gently interrupts people’s lives in service to God’s purpose.
The apostle Peter was an agent of the Holy Spirit. Peter travelled around the country telling people about Jesus and encouraging the church. As an agent of Jesus’ Spirit, Peter was open to the Spirit’s interruptions, which are really divine interventions.
One time Peter was visiting God’s people in Lydda. Lydda isn’t far from Jerusalem. While in Lydda Peter found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. Eight years of being confined to a bed is a significant interruption to one’s life.
During that time Aeneas would have been dependent on the kindness of others. He also would have had a lot of time to think. We are not told whether Aeneas believed in Jesus or not. It’s possible. But it’s also possible Aeneas knew nothing about Jesus.
Peter said, 34 “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up.
Aeneas doesn’t ask for anything that we are aware of. Peter simply makes a declaration. Jesus’ healing here is the sovereign act of a King. Jesus has made an executive decision that Aeneas will walk again and Peter announces the good news.
This miracle points to Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus, who had died on a cross, is alive and well and indeed powerful enough to heal by his Spirit.
Peter is interruptible enough to notice what the Spirit of Jesus is doing here. Aeneas is also interruptible. He doesn’t need to think twice. He has had 8 years to think. Aeneas responds in faith and obedience by getting up immediately.
The account of Aeneas’ healing echoes Jesus’ healing of the paralysed man in the gospels. Jesus forgave the man first, then healed him. The response of the people on that occasion was awe and praise.
But in Acts 9, the people responded by turning to the Lord. They repented and believed in the risen Jesus in other words, which is something more than awe and praise. Aeneas’ healing is a clear sign to them that Jesus is alive.
Okay, so that is Aeneas’ piece of the pie. What about Tabitha? Well, Tabitha gets the lion’s share, 7 verses.
Tabitha:
My stepfather used to say, ‘People are not machines’. He never really explained what he meant by that which was good because it made you think. People are not machines, could mean a number of things.
For example, it could mean people have feelings, and you need to be mindful of their feelings when dealing with them. You can’t just put people away in the shed at the end of the day like you do with a chainsaw. You need to listen to people and show kindness and appreciation.
People are not machines, also implies people are unique, one of a kind; unlike machines which come off the production line all the same. Because people are different, it doesn’t work to treat everyone the same way. If you want to help someone, you have to take time to understand them. Indeed, you have to understand yourself and your own points of difference.
People are not machines. A machine can go and go and go all day and all night, but people are not like that. People need to have their work interrupted.
If you work at a computer, you need to take a break every so often to walk around and have a stretch and look out the window at the real world.
And if you work with people all day, you need to come home and have some time alone. Even if you love what you do for a job, you still need one or two days off a week to rest and be restored.
Sleeping at night and dreaming are God’s way of interrupting your conscious mind, allowing the waters of your soul to be still and heal. People are not machines. We need to be interrupted sometimes.
Tabitha lived in Joppa, what we know today as Jaffa. Luke (the author of Acts) gives us two names for Tabitha. Tabitha is her Aramaic name and Dorcas is the Greek translation. Luke was writing for an ethnically diverse audience.
Tabitha translates into Hebrew as Zibiah. Zibiah was the mother of king Joash, in the Old Testament. Tabitha’s name means gazelle or deer, which brings to mind Psalm 42, As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you.
But also that saucy poem, Song of Solomon, my lover is like a gazelle.
Tabitha’s name then touches the collective unconscious, evoking memories of love, longing, worship, royalty and motherhood.
More importantly, verse 36 says Tabitha was a disciple. A disciple is an apprentice, someone learning to be like Jesus. Reading the New Testament, we might think all of Jesus’ disciples were men. They weren’t. Many of Jesus’ disciples were women, which was a new thing 2000 years ago.
We could say disciples are not machines. Disciples don’t come off a production line all the same. Disciples don’t learn by uploading a computer programme. Disciples learn organically through experience, by being around other believers, by reading the Bible and having a go at what Jesus taught.
Tabitha did her apprenticeship (she learned to be like Jesus) by doing good and helping the poor. As she served and cared for people, Tabitha learned to love like Jesus loves.
Discipleship does happen at church on a Sunday morning but that’s not the only place it happens. Discipleship is worked out in your everyday life. We learn to be like Jesus as we care for children and parents. We learn to be like Jesus as we seek the wellbeing of our husband or wife and our neighbours and friends.
Discipleship happens in the morning when you walk into the kitchen to find a sink full of dirty dishes. It happens late at night when you are struggling to stay awake and your teenager wants to talk with you.
It happens at work, when no one is watching, and you are tempted to do something dodgy. It happens on the train when everyone is watching, and you give up your seat for someone who needs it more.
It happens too when you set time aside for prayer and daily devotions. Christian discipleship is woven through all of life. It is in your regular routines and it is often also in the interruptions to your routine.
Tabitha’s life and good works were interrupted by sickness and death. If an engine dies you can usually take it to pieces, replace a few parts and bring it back to life as good as new. But when a person dies, it’s pretty final.
Death is the ultimate interruption. When death comes at the end of a long life well lived or when it interrupts pain and indignity, it is welcomed. But when death comes too soon… well words and reason fail us.
Tabitha’s death came too soon. Her body was washed and she was placed in an upstairs room. Washing the body was Jewish custom at that time but placing the body in an upstairs room was unusual.
Normally, the body would be buried before sunset the same day, if possible. But in Tabitha’s case, her church was not ready to let her go. They held out hope that even now God might intervene to save her and them.
Two men went to get Peter in nearby Lydda, about 10 miles away. Peter, who was probably quite busy with many people turning to the Lord in Lydda, accepted the interruption and went to Joppa where he was taken to see Tabitha’s corpse in the upstairs room.
All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
Clearly, Tabitha was not just a human sewing machine to these widows.
They cared about her and were deeply distressed at her passing. Death doesn’t just interrupt the life of the deceased; it interrupts the lives of all those who feel the loss keenly. Grief is often an unwanted interruption. Grief ambushes us when we are not expecting it.
The widows’ tears bear testimony to Tabitha’s love for them. Tabitha did more than just feed and clothe the poor, she interrupted the monotonous ache of their loneliness. She offered some light and companionship.
To make clothes for someone by hand is a very personal thing. You have to get to know the person first. You need to get the right measurements of course, but more than that you need to understand what they like and what will be useful for their daily life. Tabitha really knew these widows and they knew her.
Peter could plainly see the love and grief of Tabitha’s community. So he sent them all out of the room, got down on his knees and prayed. Peter wants to consult with the risen Jesus before he does anything and he doesn’t want an audience.
After praying Peter says, “Tabitha, get up”. She opens her eyes, sees Peter and sits up. Peter then helps her to her feet. Again, this miracle of bringing Tabitha back from the dead points to Jesus’ resurrection.
Those who are familiar with the gospels will notice the connection with Mark chapter 5, where Jesus brought Jairus’ daughter back from the dead. On his way to Jairus’ home, Jesus was interrupted by a woman with a bleeding complaint. Jesus healed the woman, but by the time he got to Jairus’ home the 12-year-old girl had died.
This didn’t stop Jesus though. Jesus sent the mourners out of the room where the child was lying and said to her in Aramaic, “Talitha koum”, which means ‘little girl, get up’.
In Acts chapter 9, Peter imitates Christ almost exactly, clearing the room and saying in Aramaic, “Tabitha koum”, which means ‘Tabitha, get up’. We are meant to see that the risen Jesus is at work here, interrupting death with his life-giving Spirit. Peter did not do this by himself. The risen Jesus did it through Peter.
After Jesus has resuscitated Tabitha, Peter presents her to the believers and widows. It’s one thing to receive her physical life back, Tabitha also needs to receive her social life back. She needs to be restored to her community.
The response of the wider community in Mark 5 was one of amazement. The people of Joppa do better than that though. Many in Joppa believed in the Lord when they heard of Tabitha’s resuscitation. Faith in the risen Jesus is a deeper response than amazement.
Simon (the tanner)
At the very end of Acts chapter 9, Luke gives us one solitary verse that at first glance seems inconsequential…
43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
A tanner is someone who works with animal skins. This requires them to handle dead animals. Under the law of Moses, handling dead animals makes a person ceremonially unclean.
This meant Simon the tanner was not able to participate in religious life or community life to the same degree as others. In fact, people probably avoided Simon in case he somehow contaminated them.
Peter has just participated in Jesus’ miracle of raising Tabitha from the dead. People all over Joppa are believing in the risen Jesus. Peter could have stayed wherever he wanted (in a flash house with the cool people). And yet, Peter chooses to stay with Simon the tanner, a virtual outcaste. Why?
Well, again this all points to Christ. Jesus fulfills the law on our behalf.
Jesus’ death and resurrection means the ceremonial law no longer applies.
Touching dead animals makes no difference to your relationship with God. What you believe, say and do, that’s what matters to God.
Probably too Peter was following Jesus’ example. During his earthly ministry, Jesus crossed boundaries and created connections with unlikely people.
We are reminded of the time Jesus chose to stay in the house of Zaccheaus the tax collector.
Zaccheaus was sort of like Simon the tanner, an outcaste. Jesus interrupted Zaccheaus’ social isolation and Zaccheaus welcomed the interruption, showing hospitality to Jesus and generosity to the poor.
In a similar way, Peter interrupted Simon’s isolation and it appears Simon was pleased to welcome Peter and show him hospitality. Simon may have only got one verse, but he gets the most time with Peter. Imagine the conversations they had. What would you ask St Peter if he stayed in your home for a while?
Conclusion:
We’ve been talking this morning about interruptions and how these can be a good thing, divine interventions even. C.S. Lewis had this to say on the subject:
“The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life — the life God is sending one day by day.”
Part of our faith is welcoming interruptions as our real life; the life God is sending us day by day.
Let us pray…
Loving God, thank you for interrupting our lives for good. May you interrupt our busy-ness with your rest. Interrupt our loneliness with your presence. Interrupt our failure with your forgiveness. Interrupt our fear with your love. Through Jesus we pray. Amen.
Questions for discussion or reflection:
- What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
- What interruptions do you experience most often in your life? How do these interruptions make you feel?
- Why do we need to be interrupted sometimes? (When might interruptions be a good thing?) Can you think of an example from your own life when an interruption may have been a God thing? What happened? How did you respond?
- Discuss / reflect on Aeneas’ healing and Tabitha’s resuscitation. How are they similar? How are they different? What do these miracles reveal about Jesus?
- How did Peter work out his discipleship? How did Tabitha work out her discipleship? How do you work out your discipleship?
- Why did Peter stay at the home of Simon the tanner? What would you ask Peter if he stayed in your home for a while?
- What difference would it make for you to welcome interruptions as the life God is sending you day by day? How might you do this?
Tawa Baptist 