Acts 3:12-19 (NRSV)
Read Acts 3:12-19 on biblegateway.com
Verse 12When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? Verse 13The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. Verse 14But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, Verse 15and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. Verse 16And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. Verse 17"And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. Verse 18In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Verse 19Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,
Devotion
As a young pastor, well-known theologian Reinhold Niebuhr journaled about his vocational struggles (like many of us), especially with the task of regular preaching. In his book "Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic," he commented: "How in the world can you reconcile the inevitability of Sunday and its task with the moods and caprices of the soul? The prophet speaks only when he is inspired. The parish preacher must speak whether he is inspired or not."
In Acts 3 we have a "young" preacher named Peter. His exact age is unknown, but his new position and the inspiration behind his words are profound. A well-known invalid begs for sustenance for another day, but Peter sees the underlying need. "In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk."
I'm sensing that the "sermon" doesn't like to fit neatly under the capstone of meeting religious expectations. Rather, it looks around for the right moment and the word that fits the need. Like Peter and his hearers.
Prayer
Christ Jesus, catch us in a moment of need, and speak just the right word through us. Amen.