Acts 5:12-18 - Jealousy
Scripture:
Acts 5:12-18
12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.
13 But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem.
14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,
15 to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.
16 Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.
17 But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.
18 They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.
NASU
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Thoughts:
Like they had been of Jesus, the Jewish leaders of the day find themselves jealous now of the apostles (verse 17). After all, they were generating quite a following for themselves (verse 14), although in reality the disciples knew as we do, that what was drawing people was the work of the Lord, not the disciples, themselves.
It's doubly sad to see the Jewish leaders responding in this way, given that these same men had a hand in the crucifixion of Christ, as Peter later reminds them.
Acts 5:30
30 "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross."NASU
They had Him crucified because of their jealousy of Him as He performed great signs and wonders, and the people followed after Him and His teaching. Then these leaders would have heard about His resurrection from the soldiers at the tomb, so they spread a false story, claiming the disciples stole the body. And now, the miracles are happening again, "in the name of Jesus!" (Acts 4:9-10) All of this, and yet these men still refuse to believe in Jesus, but rather try to thwart His work.
It reminds me again, of how sin makes a fool out of us. The behavior of the Jewish leaders is irrational if they truly believed in God! Clearly He is working, yet their jealousy will not allow them to see it. Jealousy, specifically, can make a big fool out of us! The jealousy of these men not only will cost them any joy and peace at the moment, but will cost them eternally as they reject the Messiah.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for the times I find myself jealous of others. Jealous of their accomplishments at work or in ministry, or just how their life is going compared to mine. Forgive me for this sin! Help me instead to rejoice with those who rejoice as you told us to do (Romans 12:15), and to have faith in You! I don't want to lose any of the joy and peace that can be mine in You, by being jealous of another.
And jealousy reveals my lack of belief in who You say You are, in that I feel that since someone else is blessed, then I can't be. But You are infinite in resource, ability, and love. Therefore, the blessings of another in no way hinder Your plan for my life. Give me faith to believe this! Keep me from thinking in an earthly manner. Renew my mind, I pray.
Amen
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