Acts 9:32-43 

³² As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. ³⁴ “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. ³⁵ All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

³⁶ In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. ³⁷ About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. ³⁸ Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!” ³⁹ Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. ⁴⁰ Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. ⁴² This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. ⁴³ Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Fake Healer

Many sham religious leaders are using faith healing as instrument to solicit money and take advantage of religious fanatics.

Have you heard of those who would sell miraculous water, oil or handkerchief?

It is truly amusing that many people are convinced that there’s power in those things.

The book of Acts has narrated various instances where the disciples have been involved in healing ministry. Ananias prayed for Saul and he could see again. Peter has his personal experience in the healing ministry. While there was no specific method to cure someone, it was in the name of the Lord Jesus that Peter ministered to those who were miraculously healed.

Sickness or death, many people who saw miracles have turned to the Lord.

1. Sickness

³² As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. ³³ There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 

Peter travelled with his intention to visit and minister to the believers in Lydda. Lydda was a city, 30 to 40 kilometers west of Jerusalem.

A certain man in Lydda named Aeneas was healed in Jesus’ name through Peter. Aeneas must have been a well-known paralytic in Lydda as he was paralysed and stayed in his bed for eight years. It would have been tough for Aeneas and for those who took care of him for 8 years.

When they saw the miraculous healing happened to Aeneas, all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon who saw that miraculous healing believed in the Lord. Sharon is the maritime plain extending from Carmel to Joppa or the coastline along Mediterranean Sea west of Lydda.

There was no doubt that the news about Peter’s healing ministry quickly reached Joppa. The city of Joppa is located in the plains of Sharon which is very near to Lydda. When the disciples in Joppa learned that Aenas was healed through the healing ministry of Peter they urged Peter to come to Joppa.

Anyway, what can we learn from the healing ministry of Peter?

³⁴ “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. ³⁵ All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

The Bible is silent and did not mention if Peter prayed for Aeneas or not. He just said, “Jesus Christ heals you” and then told Aeneas to get up and roll up his mat.

Is it appropriate to use the same phrase that Peter said when we wish the sick to be healed? Have you tried Peter’s method on Aeneas to those who are sick that you wish to be healed? Do the methods of Peter in his healing ministry still applicable these days?

Call 911

Unknowingly, many believers are not aware that they failed to practice their faith in God when they are faced with urgent and serious physical difficulties. When someone had a heart attack or stroke, involved in car accident or a life threatening incident, the first thing that comes to mind is to “Call 911.” 911 is the modern day saviour.

What made many people even believers honestly rely with 911 first and foremost? Why is it that many believers remember the Lord only after they have called 911?

Anxiousness and result-oriented mindset drive many of us to ignore the Lord. Panic and fear of danger reveals the absence of peace from the Lord. It is not only fear about what might happen to a victim but scared of what others would say if something comes to worst.

We may not understand every possible scenario and God may allow healing or even death. When the peace of God reigns in our heart, no matter what happens, that peace of God helps us be assured that He has a great plan for us.

To have the peace of God, to experience the fruit of the Spirit growing bigger in our life benefits us who experience that peace more than we can ever imagine or think of. The Lord designed it that disciples bear the fruit of His Spirit for our wholesome living. It is an indication of spiritual maturity when a disciple remembers to pray first before calling 911 in times of urgency or life-threatening situations.

Interestingly, life-threatening situations reveal the level of faith in God more apparently. Anyone can easily claim to be eternally saved; anyone can readily ignore the reality of death. Anyone can sincerely claim that he is not scared of death but it won’t help to grow in faith.

Faith is proven true in practical applications not in just is sincere assumption or empty claims. It would be more beneficial to frequently check the level of our faith by observing our responses when we are faced with urgency or life-threatening situations.

Check your heart and mind if you are scared of death or not.

Do you call 911 first during critical conditions? Do you have the peace of God to pray first before calling 911?

Peter has proven that death has been defeated when he prayed and Dorcas came to life.

2. Death

³⁶ In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. ³⁷ About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. ³⁸ Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

It is truly very beneficial for us to do good things to others and help those in need. Here is a great example of the Lord’s word, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

V.36 says that Tabitha or Dorcas was always, yes, always doing good and helping the poor. She was dead; she did not know anything anymore. She was not concerned about life because she was already dead.

The disciples in Joppa thought that it might be the proper move to bring her to life. Was it because many would benefit if Tabitha comes to life again that the disciples want her back from the dead? What was God’s purpose that He allowed Tabitha to die and let her come back to life?

³⁹ Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. ⁴⁰ Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. ⁴² This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. ⁴³ Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

It would have been better for Tabitha to have eternal rest but God answered the prayer of Peter and Tabitha came back to life. That miracle became the talk of the town of Joppa and many people believed.

“Tabitha was dead and was alive after Peter prayed for her!” That’s not trivial news.

“Miraculous healing!” “Dead then alive!” That should be the headlines of newspapers!

Seriously, how would you react if your neighbor is declared clinically dead, but comes back to life when someone prayed for that dead person?” How do medical doctors and hospital staffs deal with patients who are dying?

Secret Language

In his new book, “The Secret Language of Doctors,” Dr. Brian Goldman reveals a veritable dictionary of verbal shorthand used by many physicians, nurses and other health professionals to discuss various types of patients and even their own colleagues.

Patient-directed slang includes such terms as: “Yellow Submarine,” referring to an obese patient with cirrhosis of the liver; “frequent flyer” or “cockroach,” for a patient who repeatedly comes to the emergency department with one health complaint after another; and “status dramaticus,” used to describe patients who noisily magnify their symptoms to get quicker medical attention. “Code brown” is a word play on the drop-everything, come-running emergency “code blue,” code brown is a slang for feces or excrement that needs cleaning up on the ward.

Work demands in the hospital must be very challenging physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Praise God for those whose lives are devoted to work for the benefit of human health.

Whatever you decide to do when you get sick, you may go to the hospital, visit your family doctor or personally solve your health problem, remember that this earthly life is temporary. The more serious the sickness is, the more intense the testing of faith would be.

Sickness and death are practical realities in life that we can never escape from. Sickness and death are God’s instruments to draw us closer to Him and ministry opportunities to draw others come to the Lord.

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