Fifth Sunday after Epiphany (9 February 2025)

Today’s meditation is based on our New Testament Reading. It is a very familiar passage for us. It is about Peter and John going to the temple to attend the prayer at the ninth hour. Ninth hour is not 9:00 am according to today’s time calculation. Jewish people started calculating their time from sunrise. The ninth hour after dawn is around 3:00 pm according to Jewish practice. Midafternoon prayer used to be one of the main prayers in Jewish tradition. Biblically, there is a significance to the ninth hour. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, the darkness was over the land from sixth to the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost (Mark 15:34&37). Acts chapter 10 talks about the centurion whose prayer was answered in the ninth hour. Theologians believe that the Ninth Hour is “the hour of death and the emergence of life”. 

When Peter and John went to the temple, they saw a lame sitting on the gate of the temple. He was begging and he asked Peter and John some help. He expected to get something from them. A crowd must have gathered to watch the conversation between the apostles and the lame man. Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. The lame man stood up, walked, entered the temple and praised God. The people were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

If we look at Peter in the gospels, we will know that Peter was not always like this. In Matthew 10 we read about Jesus calling the 12 disciples and giving “them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease”. But in Matthew 17 we read about a father who brought his son who was demon possessed to Jesus. There was a big crowd, so the father asked Jesus’ disciples to heal his son but they could not heal him. Jesus had already given the disciples authority and power to heal but they could not heal the boy. We read in Matthew 17:20 that Jesus said it was because of their unbelief. In another instance, Peter saw Jesus walking on the water. He wanted to walk on the water like Jesus. He asked Jesus’ permission to walk on the water. He started walking on the water but when he looked around him, he was afraid and lost his faith and confidence. When he started sinking, Jesus stretched lifted Peter up. Jesus rebuked him saying, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” Peter had his doubts. Peter denied Jesus thrice before Jesus was crucified. But what changed Peter? What made Peter bold enough to proclaim Jesus as Christ? How did he get the boldness and authority? Today, we too can relate to Peter. We are not always strong in our beliefs. But the need of the hour is for us to be bold and firm in our faith like Peter. So let us quickly meditate the reason for Peter’s changeover.

After Jesus was crucified on the Cross, the disciples were scattered. The Jewish community did not accept Jesus as Christ and Messiah because they believed in the Almighty Father who revealed Himself as Jehovah. They did not believe in Trinity. The Old Testament laws said there is only one God. So they could not accept Jesus as Christ. The religious leaders crucified Jesus because of jealousy and envy and ordered that no one should proclaim Jesus as Christ. Death sentence was the punishment if anybody proclaimed Jesus as Christ and Messiah in Roman kingdom. The disciples were terrified and hid themselves.

After resurrection, Jesus was with the disciples for nearly forty days .During this time, He reminded them about His teachings and the purpose of His first Advent. When the disciples and the people from different nations gathered on the upper hall, the Holy Spirit was poured on everyone and they started speaking in tongues. When they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they could not be silent. Nearly five thousand men accepted Jesus as Christ and their personal savior. When they received the Holy Spirit, the apostles boldly preached the gospel in the temple of God. They proclaimed Jesus as Christ everywhere. In simple terms, when the disciples received the power and authority from the Holy Spirit, they could not control themselves because of the anointing that was bubbling in their heart and directing their lives. The disciples were equipped in Christ to do miracles. They put their trust on Lord Jesus. As Jesus said in John 14:12 says, when the disciples believed in Jesus, they did the works that Jesus did and greater works. The main thing for us to understand from this passage is that when the disciples received the Holy Spirit, they were equipped by the Holy Spirit to use the power to the  glory of the Triune God.

Today, have we received the Holy Spirit’s anointing? Are we equipped to do our Lord’s work? How strong is our faith on our Saviour? Can our faith move mountains? Our faith on our Lord is necessary to bring others to Christ. Do we have the courage to bear witness for our Lord? Can others see the glory of our Lord in our works? Can others praise our Lord because of our activities? Can others see Jesus through us? If not, shall we open our hearts today to invite the Holy Spirit in our lives and handover complete control? Only with the Holy Spirit’s anointment we can use our Lord’s authority to build His kingdom in this earth. When Peter lifted up the lame man, he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. Similarly, we are called to lift others so they enter into a relationship with our Lord and they too walk with Him and praising Him every day.

I would like to close with a question to ponder: like the lame man, if someone asked us for help today and we do not have any money to give, what will we give them?

I pray we are anointed by the Holy Spirit and directed by the Holy Spirit in all aspects of our lives. I pray we are strengthened, equipped and confident in our walk with our Lord. I pray we are faithful in our witness and bring Jesus to those in need. I pray those whose lives we touch entered into a relationship with our Lord and they too walk with Him and praising Him every day. Amen!