As
Luke tells the story of the mighty acts of God in and through his
church, he wants to make sure that we understand the ongoing work and
ministry of God’s people. The story of Ananias and Sapphira has led
to death and fear, but it is not the end of the story, and all is not
lost.
The
ministry of Jesus through his body, the church, goes on. One way that
Luke highlights this continuing work is in the ministry of healing.
Just as Jesus was known as a healer, the apostles became known for
their work in healing. And many people who were sick and tormented by
spirits were healed.
While
we may not be living in a time when an apostle’s very shadow brings
healing, we do live in a time when we are still called to bring
people who are ill and troubled before the church for prayer—and,
specifically, prayer for healing. The apostles did not heal. They
were agents of healing by the power and in the name of Jesus.
Notice
that while many people brought their loved ones to the apostles for
healing, there is a note that some people did not dare join the
believers who met together in Solomon’s Colonnade. May we not be
people who do not dare to join, but may we instead be drawn even
deeper to the church that continues to proclaim the message and
ministry of healing in the name of Christ, our Savior.