Open Door
In the old days, before garages were built integral with the residence, and today even the most prominent feature at the front of the house, garages were way out back, either at the end of a long driveway through the side yard past the kitchen door, or maybe opening into the alley and saving yard space. Once upon a time, I had an imaginary garage out back, opening to the alley, couple of cars from memory waiting for me just in case, a green 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme hardtop coupe, and a yellow 1951 Cadillac Series 62 sedan with black top. Both real in my life, I remember and loved both cars. I never entered although the garage door stood slightly ajar, but from time to time I'd peer through a cracked, dust-covered window at my dream cars, one of which I actually owned for some years during the thirties and forties of my life. The other was a daydream, sometimes a night dream, that I lusted after in the early fifties of the calendar. The yellow car seems to have slipped away, but the green Olds is still there far as I know, haven't looked recently. Someday you may see it streaking across the heavens, me at the wheel on the way to whatever God has in mind for me after this. TGBC time:
Acts 5:12-26
The Apostles Heal Many
Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.
None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
The Apostles Are Persecuted
Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, ‘Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.’ When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.
When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, ‘We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.’ Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. Then someone arrived and announced, ‘Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!’ Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Comments. An angel is a messenger, usually a messenger from God; or perhaps the angel is God's own self with a Word or, as here, an act and a word. Have you known the angel of the Lord? Known, seen, heard?