What I’m Thinking: Healer Needed

Simon Peter found himself asked to visit and offer healing to one of the disciples of Joppa. It also launched a different kind of healing.

Here’s a transcript:

I’m thinking about the ninth chapter of Acts of the Apostles (Acts 9:36-43), in which Peter gets called out to visit Tabitha, or Dorcas (both of those names translate to “gazelle” in English). He’s been asked to come because she’s sick, very sick, and possibly even dying.

He simply walks up, places her hand in his, and says, “Tabitha, get up.”

And she did.

It’s an echo of a similar healing that Jesus had done. Luke told the story as well, about the healing of the daughter of a synagogue leader. Curiously enough, in other gospels Jesus gets quoted as saying, “Talitha cum,” or “Little girl, get up.”

Talitha. Tabitha.

The parallel is a little difficult to miss.

What strikes me, though, about this, was that this is an occasion where Simon Peter was sought out, that it was Simon Peter who heard the words, “We need you to come.” And he did.

He came, and it made a difference in the life of Tabitha (of Dorcas), in the lives of all her friends and family. It turns out it also made a significant difference in the history of the church, because chapter 10 which follows is Peter’s encounter with a set of Gentiles called by God to be part of the people of God.

Gentiles, strangers, whom God suddenly pronounces part of the people of faith. That changed the world.

So this week as Muslims celebrate Ramadan; as Jews have finished their Passover observance and are looking ahead to the next holy day; as Orthodox Christians have celebrated their Easter celebration; as we look forward to the Holy Spirit and its tongues of fire and intelligible languages at Pentecost: what I’m thinking is we have all been called to come to the bedside of someone, to come to that sensitive, needy, and vulnerable place for someone. And there we have the opportunity to bring a good word, to bring a summons to renewal of life.

We have also been called to stand on the doorstep of the stranger, on the doorstep of a foreigner, and become for them that same kind of healing.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m curious to hear what you’re thinking. Leave me your thoughts in the comment section below; I’d love to hear from you.