Love in Action
Now there was at Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. Acts 9:36, RSV.
What if you were in charge of miracles? What if, at your whim and desire, you could decide who would be miraculously healed and who would die from a painful disease? What if you could choose what lost child suddenly gets found, what miraculous scientific breakthrough would create a wonder drug?
Even though this is the kind of thing Hollywood movies are made about, the idea is intriguing, because to have a handle on such power tells us something about our values. And that's why this amazingly brief reference from Acts 9 is so intriguing. It just may tell us something about God's values.
Imagine the setting: The young church is growing, mostly (we think) because courageous individuals such as Peter and Paul are standing in public places and preaching to large crowds who stand in rapt attention. Should one of those great early preachers become ill, we would convene a large prayer meeting. We might even urge an all-night prayer marathon, reminding God how vital and necessary the person is to His cause.
But in this barely mentioned event we see a woman whose credentials don't list sermons or degrees. In that community she has the reputation as the one who mends worn overalls for the poor carpenters and delivers casseroles to the harried young mothers. She stays up late and gets up early because she's so good at what people really need—tender listening and skilled touching. And when she dies, she leaves a love-shaped vacuum so large and deep that God says, "This is a real loss."
So He has two men send for Peter from a nearby town, and the disciple receives permission to bring Dorcas back to life. When Peter died, he did not receive the same favor. Sure, God always has lots of things to take into account when working miracles. But the case of Dorcas emphasizes His esteem for love in action.
In what ways can you be a Dorcas to your family, church, or community, and put love into action?
What if you were in charge of miracles? What if, at your whim and desire, you could decide who would be miraculously healed and who would die from a painful disease? What if you could choose what lost child suddenly gets found, what miraculous scientific breakthrough would create a wonder drug?
Even though this is the kind of thing Hollywood movies are made about, the idea is intriguing, because to have a handle on such power tells us something about our values. And that's why this amazingly brief reference from Acts 9 is so intriguing. It just may tell us something about God's values.
Imagine the setting: The young church is growing, mostly (we think) because courageous individuals such as Peter and Paul are standing in public places and preaching to large crowds who stand in rapt attention. Should one of those great early preachers become ill, we would convene a large prayer meeting. We might even urge an all-night prayer marathon, reminding God how vital and necessary the person is to His cause.
But in this barely mentioned event we see a woman whose credentials don't list sermons or degrees. In that community she has the reputation as the one who mends worn overalls for the poor carpenters and delivers casseroles to the harried young mothers. She stays up late and gets up early because she's so good at what people really need—tender listening and skilled touching. And when she dies, she leaves a love-shaped vacuum so large and deep that God says, "This is a real loss."
So He has two men send for Peter from a nearby town, and the disciple receives permission to bring Dorcas back to life. When Peter died, he did not receive the same favor. Sure, God always has lots of things to take into account when working miracles. But the case of Dorcas emphasizes His esteem for love in action.
In what ways can you be a Dorcas to your family, church, or community, and put love into action?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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