"Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” 39So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
Acts 9:36-43
Tabitha, a disciple of Christ, has died and because her witness was profound and her faithful service great, her death has caused a tidal wave of grief within her community.
It's too much. To go forward without her seems impossible. Her giving and generosity were well known. Many came to depend on her, especially the widows and most likely the poor. But now she's gone. So Peter, their leader, is found and urged to come. As he arrives he's greeted by weeping mourners who have no words, but who offer evidence of Tabitha's lavish gifts of love. Holding up one garment after another, they want Peter to see what they all have come to see; a beautiful life, faithfully lived, in service and love of others. So in place of offering comfort alone, Peter, by God's power and grace, offers resurrection as well.
The gift of resurrection to Tabitha and her community was most definitely a miracle.
Yet, I can't help but wonder if the miracle was more than the prolonging of a remarkable and good life of a faithful disciple. I wonder if Tabitha’s resurrection drew more believers to Jesus because of the “life possible” it revealed. In Tabitha, others came to know and see a completely different world order. In place of a community of “haves” and “have nots,” Tabitha’s relationship with Christ helped shape a community where everyone, regardless of social status or need had a place at Christ's table. I wonder if the real miracle that day was the breaking down of walls. I wonder if what was truly resurrected were people’s hearts.
Yet such a resurrection will continue to raise questions too. Why was Tabitha allowed to live longer when so many other faithful souls were not? Perhaps, so more might come to believe, as the text suggests. But to be honest, it's not a very satisfying answer. While others coming to know Jesus is a blessing to be sincerely celebrated, at some level Tabitha’s resurrection will always prompt the age old question of "Why was she healed and not another?" I have no satisfying answer. I only know to follow Peter's lead. I only know that for a time, I too must place all the hurt and sorrow of the world outside so that I may find a quiet place to kneel down and pray. Only then will I be able to hear the voice of Jesus saying, "Get up," open my eyes, and allow Him to help me up and out, back into the world of deep hurt and need. If I do, I too may experience a miracle.... the ongoing resurrection of my own heart. I may enter into the holy invitation of Lent, which is a good thing since it's just up ahead. I may learn again that intentional reflection, prayer, repentance, and fasting- setting aside those things I love way more than Jesus- will be just what I need to resurrect this weary heart of mine again... and again... and again.
Perhaps Lent, for all of us, may serve as a prompt, that for a time, we put all that is breaking our heart "outside"... or to the side.. not to forget, dismiss, diminish, or hide from, but so we may be "prompted" to find some quiet place to kneel down and pray. It's not that the needs holding our heart go away. No matter how much we wish we could put them physically and mentally away, the needs remain. Rather the "outside" Lent prompts is something of a liturgical move. It's an act of faith that works to trust God's steadfast hold on things. It's a call to worship to lay down our burdens so that we may be replenished and renewed by the One who will help us pick up those burdens once again. It's an offering of humility and prayer for help so that we may hear the love of Jesus empowering us back into life. Maybe it's as simple as taking a walk outside, listening to a beautiful piece of music, praying a familiar prayer, resting in the company of a friend, doing something kind for another, or writing down our thoughts in a journal. Or maybe it's as hard as giving ourselves permission to sob and weep at all that's broken, reading a difficult book, staying put when we want to walk away, coming clean about our manipulative motives and judgment of others, getting our "house in order," or spending some intentional time in solitude, alone. Maybe it's some of both. But however we find Lent's prompt, may it hold before us the promise of resurrection and life. If we do, it will help us hear the voice of Jesus saying, "Get up," so that we may open our eyes, and allow Him to help us up and out, back into the world of deep hurt and need once again.
May Lent's prompt and the One who holds us all bring you everlasting life.
Lenten Blessings, Leslee
Comments