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April 29, 2009 Wednesday of the Week of Thomas and the Feast of Basil, Bishop of Ostrog, who led his people first under the yoke of Turks and then endured the guile of the Latin Christians who sought to undermine his labors in Christ.
The ancient Jewish Sanhedrin did not accept the message of the Lord Jesus or of His
Apostles; but experienced consternation before the wisdom those they disdained as "ignorant"
men. Take the challenge of knowing Christ as primary in your life through prayer, ascesis,
scripture and Liturgy and attain superior wisdom.
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Acts 4:13-22 (4/29) Apostle for Tuesday of the Week of Thomas
Responses to the Gospel III ~ Consternation: Acts 4:13-22, especially vss. 13, 14: "...And they
realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with
them, they could say nothing against it."
Not all who hear the saving message of the Gospel receive it as the foundation for true life. Does
your heart ache when you see so many turning from the True Foundation? It is sad! So many
look in the wrong places as St. John of the Ladder suggests: "If you seek understanding in
wicked men, you will not find it." Many are captive to their passions. St. Peter of Damaskos
compiled a list of all the passions and found 298 of them, and any of them can lead a man to
refuse Christ's call. The case of the Sanhedrin is especially poignant. As the high Council of the
ancient People of God, they did not accept the Apostles' words; for, captured by their passions,
they disdained the wisdom of 'ignorant' men (vs. 13).
Their response to St. Peter's presentation may be characterized as consternation - a dismay that
produces confusion. Christians label their rejection of the preaching of the Gospel as momentous
and tragic. It bore bitter fruit for most of the members of the Council. Worse, their decision has
had lasting effects on "Israel after the flesh" (1 Cor. 10:18). As a devout Jew, St. Paul struggled
with the reluctance of the Jews in his time. He found the Church to be the true Israel of God, and
that "...blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles [all other
nations] has come in. And so all Israel will be saved..." (Rom. 11:25,26). The Holy Fathers of the
Church always and solidly have supported this teaching of the Apostle Paul.
Examine with me the response of the Sanhedrin to the Apostles to see what caused their
consternation. Then, by the grace of God and our ascetic labors, we may be cleansed of those
passions that prevented the Council from fully embracing the Gospel for salvation.
St. Luke says that the Sanhedrin observed that the Apostles were bold (Acts 4:13). Actually, the
Council members were timid, but not because they faced superior students of Scripture. Most of
them were highly-trained. They lacked the illumination of Holy Spirit, and so they hesitated
before the Truth. May the Holy Spirit that transformed St. Peter from a brash man to one filled
with pure, humble, and holy boldness, enlighten and guide us!
The Council could see that the Apostles were uneducated, but in what sense? Plainly, these
fishermen had not been schooled in human institutions and wisdom, as their speech and manner
revealed (vs. 13). On the other hand, the Apostles knew the Lord Jesus, He Who is the source of
all truth and knowledge. For a full three years they had associated with Him in prayer, teaching,
worship, travel, and at table. First things first: before all else we must seek a deep, intimate
relationship with the Lord Jesus, before trusting in our education, and know-how!
The Sanhedrin, in hearing of the teaching and ministry of the Lord Jesus and His Apostles,
misconstrued their message, doctrine, and activities (c.f., Mt. 15:2; Jn. 2:18-25). It is best to
dedicate ourselves to knowing the Lord directly in prayer, ascesis, scripture, and liturgy!
From bare and occasional contacts, second-hand reports, and endless rumors, the Sanhedrin
acted solely to retain their power. It was thus that they decided Jesus should be arrested and put
to death. They sought to apprehend Him (Jn. 11:53-57), and most personally avoided Him (Jn.
3:1-2). They brushed away the genuine truth about Him, believing instead that He was a danger
to be eliminated (Mt. 27:1; Lk. 22:71) - a glaring example of avoiding God, Truth, and
righteousness in favor of imagined expediency, of failing to go to the Source to test beliefs and
decisions. God grant us the desire to know Him, love Him, and serve Him above all, always!
Blessed art Thou, O Holy One. Enlighten me with Thy statutes.
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