Scripture: Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.
Acts 9:36-43 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Yesterday’s Daily Focus, Peter travels down (in terms of elevation) to Lydda (located twenty-five miles northwest of Jerusalem) to connect with the saints (fellow members of the church) residing there. Upon arrival, Peter meets a man, Aeneas, who has suffered from paralysis for eight years. Invoking the name of Jesus Christ, Peter commands Aeneas to rise and make his bed—and he does. And all those unbelievers who witnessed this miracle come to faith in the Lord.
Today’s devotion continues Peter’s outreach in the Sharon region. Hearing Peter was visiting nearby Lydda, two men from Joppa arrive and plea for Peter to go with them to Joppa to restore the life of a beloved church member, Tabitha (Dorcas in the Greek), who has served their community well with good works and acts of charity. Peter agrees and, upon arrival, continues to the upper room where Dorcas’ body lies. Surrounded by hovering widow friends, who show Peter all the beautiful garments Tabitha made, Peter asks them to leave so he can prayerfully focus on restoring her to life. Once in the right mindset of discernment, Peter calls out Tabitha’s spirit by name and commands her corpse to rise. Miraculously, she opens her eyes, spots Peter, and sits up. Peter then extends a hand and helps Tabitha to her feet. Lastly, he calls for those gathered outside the upper room and presents Tabitha to them.
In usual form, Luke presents a brief addendum noting how the church continues to grow in number, and he adds that Peter remained in Joppa, staying with Simon, a tanner.
Of note: Joppa (modern Jaffa and also mentioned as Yāp̱ô during Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land, see Joshua 19:46) is located about thirty-five miles northwest of Jerusalem and ten miles northwest of Lydda along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It served as the primary seaport for Jerusalem’s commerce. Its historical significance includes the harbor where Solomon received cedar for the temple’s construction (2 Chronicles 2:16) and the port where Jonah sailed for Tarshish (Jonah 1:3).
Of further note: The Hebrew name Tabitha means “gazelle.” Luke describes her as a disciple, and this is the only instance of the feminine form of the word in the New Testament.
Takeaway: As the saying goes, “Good news travels fast.” Hearing of Aeneas’ healing, Tabitha’s loved ones dispatch a team to go and fetch Peter, believing that if Peter possesses the power of the Holy Spirit to heal a paralytic, it’s not too far of a stretch to restore one’s life. Still, for Peter, this is a big step in his faith. While he had pronounced the death sentence on Ananias and Sapphira, calling a corpse to life is a whole other matter. Still, he witnessed Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter to life (Mark 5:35-42). Indeed, Peter also saw Jesus order distracting onlookers to leave the room and then command Jairus’ daughter to rise to life. Here, we see Peter follow a similar healing process. Moreover, once Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter to life, he ordered her parents to give her food to eat—not unlike Peter telling Aeneas to take sustenance after healing him (see yesterday’s Daily Focus for further explanation). Thus, we see Peter following the example of his Master to perform increasingly more challenging miracles.
Our takeaway? It is the same for us in all matters of faith, whether called to extend healing prayer or to speak the truth in love. While we cannot duplicate the works of the Son of God, we can follow our Supreme Healer’s example within the confines of our personalities, gifts of the Spirit, and circumstances to bring healing and restoration of the mind, body, and spirit of fellow humans. The critical element is to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us. Our part? Earnestly pray. Then, exercise humility and flexibility to discern the Holy Spirit’s direction. And just as with Peter, he will lead us to more extraordinary acts of faith as we step out in faith. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to seek inspiration by reading and reflecting on how Jesus healed others.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for your Son, our supreme healer and lover of our souls. And we thank you for his, Peter’s, and all the other saints’ examples of faithful healing revealed in Scripture. While they inspire us, we understand that we must follow your Holy Spirit’s lead to account for the limitations of our personalities, spiritual gifts, and circumstances surrounding these moments. So would you please help us to earnestly seek you in prayer and act in good faith when opportunities to extend your healing power present themselves? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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