An Unwavering Witness: Reflection on the 3rd Sunday of Easter

What inspiration can Christians today gain from the defiance of the disciples? They had been instructed by the Sanhedrin not to preach in the name of the risen Christ again. These fearful men, who only some days before, had fled and abandoned the Lord as he went to his death, now stand in defiance before the highest Jewish authority. Where did they get this courage? Of course from the resurrected Christ who breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. These disciples knew the consequence of disobeying the Sanhedrin, yet they remained unwavering in their witness to their faith in the resurrection. Peter declared: “We must obey God rather than men.” This episode has become the classic text supporting Christian resistance to misguided authority. The disciples remembered the words of Jesus, “whoever loses his life for my sake will keep it.” They were aware that earthly life is not an absolute, and must never be preserved at any cost when one’s eternal salvation was threatened. The questions that comes to mind for me include, at what cost is that temporary pass, or relief that I seek? Do I fear losing my life, my livelihood, or membership of any social group? Does the quest to protect my name, reputation or status make me shy away from preaching the gospel, or repudiate God’s commandments? Is my politics more important than my faith in God? When push comes to shove, would I privilege the policies of whatever government over the values of the gospel? The disciples show us today that although every authority comes from God, it is our obligation to obey them only to the extent that they do not ask of us whatever goes contrary to the teachings of Christ and his church. Recognizing that we have no lasting dwelling place in this world, our politics ought to be that of heaven. We must begin now to live like we want to live in heaven. Obedience to God should come first before any other. This is what loving Christ more than these entails.

Christos Anesti
Alithos Anesti