Signs and Wonders
Acts 14:8-20
8 In Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet and had never walked, for he had been crippled from birth. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. And Paul, looking at him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said in a loud voice, ‘Stand upright on your feet.’ And the man sprang up and began to walk. 11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have come down to us in human form!’ 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice. 14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting, 15 ‘Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; 17 yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.’ 18 Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.
19 But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.
We have met the phrase “signs and wonders” a number of times in Acts (2:43, 4:30, 5:12, 6:8. 8:6, 14:3). Signs and wonders, miracles, are proof the Holy Spirit is at work, they demonstrate that God is present and working. Christians assert the power at work in signs and wonders comes from God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that the honour and the praise for the miracles goes back to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
On this point things went sideways in Lystra. A man who had never walked was healed. By the power of God Paul commanded the man to stand up, and the man did, having been healed. The crowd who witnessed the miracle immediately began to proclaim that Paul and Barnabas were gods living among them, identifying them with two of the Romans gods – Zeus and Hermes. And the crowd tried to worship Barnabas and Paul.
The signs and wonders had the people of Lystra ready to accept that God was active in the world, but they chose to worship the agents of God, not God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The people of Lystra recognized that divine power was at work – but they did not look beyond what they saw with their eyes to seek for the real power that made the healing possible.
Paul and Barnabas do everything in their power to turn the worship away from themselves and to Triune God of grace. They understand the danger of worshipping human beings, the danger of not seeing God in glory and honour beyond the immediately visible. Human being cannot save humanity, God alone does that; human beings are not worthy of being worshipped, only God is worthy of our praise and worship.
PRAYER:
O Lord, you are the only one worthy of praise and worship. Before you, and you only, do we bow the knee. We turn all the praise and honour we receive over to you, to you be the glory, the honour, and the praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.