Week 42 Acts
If I compiled a Top Ten List of Stories in Acts then Peter-in-prison is likely on it.
There’s a couple of things to think about in the story.
First of all a man named James is executed. But Peter escapes. So I wonder why the one guy dies and the other is saved. I realize there’s not much point in wondering why because I don’t and won’t know. Still…I wonder.
Secondly is that Peter’s there in prison. Then an angel appears, tells him to get dressed, releases his chains, and leads him out. While this is happening Peter: thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was really happening. He knew something was happening but didn’t think it was a real something – more like a dream-sequence, wish-fulfillment, an abstraction or fantasy. Finally, alone on the dark street he figured it felt too real to be fake.
Third thing is his friends. While Peter was in prison: the church prayed very earnestly for him. I don’t know what they were praying because when Peter walked to Mary’s house a servant answered the door and saw Peter, ran back and told the people, and then they told her: you’re out of your mind. Then on second-thought they decided: it must be his angel.
The story is perplexing, incredible, reassuring; a story of lower-real meeting upper-real.
A great story.
Note: quotes from Acts 12:9, 5, 15 (NLT)