“A miraculous escape, to say the least”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Acts 12: 1-17 (Forward, p. 36) CEV p. 1148
Wow! No wonder Peter thought he was dreaming and no wonder the servant girl Rhoda thought that it was Peter’s guardian angel there knocking of the garden gate. Herod Agrippa I had already executed James, the brother, and seeing as this had so pleased the Jewish leaders, had arranged for Peter to be arrested as well. He planned to have Peter put on public trial as well, presumably to have him executed.
And so, Herod had Peter thrown in jail, shackled by two chains on his hands, with a guard on either side, and two other soldiers guarding the entrance to the jail. It all sounds rather secure, and yet the angel of the Lord came and rescued him. The chains fell off his hands and he was able to pass by the two groups of soldiers undetected. Indeed, even the iron gate to the city, locked as it was for the night, opened of its own accord. Once they, the angel and Peter, were out on the open street, the angel disappeared, and Peter was able to make his way easily to the house of John Mark where the disciples had gathered for prayer. After telling the assembled crowd what had taken place, Peter left them—presumably for their own safety in case Herod should mount up a search—and went elsewhere.
What this says to me is that God was not yet finished with Peter, but had other, more extensive, plans for him. And, certainly, it says something about the efficiency and power of combined corporate prayer. We are told that ‘while Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him’ (verse 5). Prayer accomplished something, yes, indeed. We would do well to imitate them in this. Who knows what God might end up doing! Something equally miraculous? Who knows?
Forward notes: “Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed” (verse 16).
“My mother said to me recently, ‘You’re always discerning something.’ Her statement caught me off guard. Was it of curiosity or judgment? Regardless, I responded, ‘Yes, of course I am.’ Every day, I seek to know God’s will, God’s desire. What is true? Will this decision or that one set me free or further entrench me in my need for security, affection, or control?
“Freedom came to Peter like a dream. He did not know that the vision of an angel guiding him safely past sleeping soldiers, on-duty guards, and locked gates was real. In this dream state, he followed the angel to freedom.
“When the people hear that Peter is free, their first response is disbelief: ‘You are out of your mind!’ Pursuing the freedom Jesus offers may sometimes seem outrageous or impossible, but the Lord works in mysterious, magnificent ways if only we listen and follow.”
Moving Forward: “How do you actively discern God’s will in your life?”
A concluding note or two: our author suggests that the two soldiers guarding Peter on either side were asleep, though the narrative never mentions this. However, it would explain how Herod felt justified in having them executed, for falling asleep on guard duty was considered a capital offence.
However, today’s account does raise some other questions for me. Firstly, how was Herod able to execute James without a trial, whereas a trial was necessary for Peter? And, where was the jail located? Presumably it was outside the city walls if the gate to the city had to be opened for the now freed Peter to re-enter the city. Some interesting questions.