RHODA: who would have believed her?

 

                                    She’d seen him with her own eyes!

 

Beauty is in the beholder’s eye. A couple of months ago, I pruned the rosebushes in my garden, and the thorny stalks didn’t attract a second glance. Now pink buds and white velvety flowers flourish, brimming with vitality and beauty. As those tiny buds burst into full bloom, they overpower the stems, delighting us by their perfection. 

 

Rhoda was a young servant girl whose name means ‘rose.’ She guarded the entrance to the Jerusalem home of Mary, John Mark’s mother, where first century Christians gathered for fellowship and worship. King Herod had martyred James to curry favor among the Jews. Their approval incited him to arrest more Christians, such as Peter, Herod’s next prized trophy.

 

Imagine if you were a first century believer in Jesus, or if our twenty-first century government outlawed Christianity under the penalty of death! How would our churches respond to this situation? Would we hide, meet, and, most of all, pray?

 

Imagine the trepidation of the early church.

 “The guards have arrested Peter and locked him in prison!”

 “Oh, no! We must pray for him. Who else will they arrest? But while it’s the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they probably won’t bring him to court.”

“I’m not so sure about that. Do you remember Jesus was crucified during the Passover? The Sanhedrin didn’t give Jesus a fair trial and it won’t be any different for Peter. Let’s pray and wait.”

   Time crawled by. The church prayed, but each day, their hope for Peter, their loved and gifted apostle, sank further. His powerful witness for Christ carried a two-edged sword, revealing both the truth and inflaming the authorities. Would they martyr Peter or would God preserve his life? The church needed encouragement and was desperate for Peter’s release.

   But behind-the-scenes, God had prepared Peter’s dramatic rescue. On the trial’s eve, Peter, imprisoned between two guards, entrusted his life to the Lord and he slept. The next day would bring either deliverance to heaven or freedom to preach the gospel, and he was content with God’s sovereign plan.

 

Would I be at peace if uncertain of my survival by nightfall?

 

As Peter kept his focus on Jesus, an angel shone a light into the dim cell and struck his side to awaken him. The chains fell from his wrists.

 “Get dressed, Peter, and follow me.”  

 Although Peter thought he was dreaming, he followed the angel from the guarded prison out through the iron gate to the end of the nearest street. Not a single guard had stopped them. The angel left Peter, and that’s when he realized God had released him.

 Back at John Mark’s home, Rhoda watched the gate while the church gathered for an urgent all night prayer meeting. 

 “Please Lord, deliver Peter and protect us from the guards. James has died and we ask you to save Peter's life.” They persisted in prayer, each Christian earnest in their night long vigil. If the authorities killed Peter, what would happen to the church?

  Rhoda heard a loud rap at the gate, and she hurried to investigate. It was Peter! Hallelujah, God had answered their prayers. She raced back inside to tell the others.

 “It’s Peter, and he’s waiting at the gate!”

 “You’re crazy! He’s under impenetrable guard in prison and he couldn’t escape even if he tried. You must be seeing his angel.”

 “No! I saw him. He’s in the street, and he wants us to let him in. Can’t you hear him knocking?”

 They opened the gate, and he walked into their midst.

“Is it really you, Peter? How did you escape? Why didn’t the guards stop you?”

 They fired questions at him from every direction, overwhelmed to see him alive and free from injury because the impossible had happened. God had delivered his apostle at the eleventh hour.

   Rhoda was a young and insignificant servant girl in a Jewish household. Against such incredible odds, her credibility mattered little. Why would anyone consider her words valuable? But she was a rosebud, waiting to bloom into womanhood.

 “God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise.” 1 Corinthians 1:27.

 Young people's words are worthy of our consideration. Is God speaking through them? Do we focus on their faults or encourage their potential?

 “Through the praise of children and infants, you have established a stronghold against your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2.

    A servant girl or a small child may testify to God’s truth and bring him glory and praise. God calls Christians of any age to speak on his behalf, even if people mock their message. Noah and Jeremiah were ridiculed, but persisted in their mission for God. He delights in you because he sees your potential and trains you to be like his son. You can be the rose whose beauty shines to honor Jesus.

  As listeners, we should seek evidence of God's hand. The Christians in Mary's house found Peter at the door and praised God for his deliverance. If we discover the Bible has answers to our problems, our faith will flourish from a mustard seed to a mighty tree in God’s kingdom. The beauty and design of the universe witnesses to God’s existence and power. Romans 1:20. And if all seems lost, don’t lose hope, because God may deliver you at the last hour.

 “When you are still speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24. Keep praying until God answers because Jesus taught us to persist in prayer and never lose heart. Luke 18:1.