One sign of our brokenness as humans is our unhealthy attraction to bad news.  Stories of wholesale slaughter are always front-page news while stories of redemption tend to be stuffed deep into the newspaper and get little column space compared to tragedies.  Many of us will purposely chase a fire engine or slow way down upon passing a traffic accident, in both cases hoping to capture a glimpse of sensationalistic disaster.  Even the announcements of major lottery winners are given precedence over that of major life savers, like surgeons, who no doubt are bringing people back from the edge of death on a daily basis.  Why is this so?

    Even as Christian believers, many of us are hesitant when it comes to broadcasting life.  We’re quick to report and pass on the latest titillating gossip but how often are we equally enthusiastic about passing on prayer requests or the joyous news of prayer answered?  In fact, miracles—both major and minor—happen around us every day, yet they seem not to draw our attention enough to run out into the streets and shout out loud, “Hallelujah!  Praise be to God!”  Maybe it’s because sin has jaded and numbed us to life so much we are no longer affected by the miracle of it and, meanwhile, it takes ever-larger doses of disaster to grab our attention.  Even in his own time, Jesus had it no easier.  He had done major miracles but, despite this, they did not fit the paradigm of “messiah” that many of the Jewish religious establishment at the time were looking for. The miracle of Jesus—that is, of life—was walking among them daily and they never saw it because their focus was wrongly placed.

    If Jesus came back this very day, as he has promised some day he will, would we recognize him for who he is?  Would we experience his miracles or boringly chalk them up to technology and coincidence?  As unique creatures of God, we were—all of us—created to broadcast life.  As Christians, we are especially called to broadcast its victory over death.  How strong is our broadcast and just what are we broadcasting?  Do others get good, strong, clear reception from us?  Do they receive daily news of the miracles of life?

 

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.

At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs.

Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’

So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them.

Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.

He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive.

This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

 

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,

and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.

So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’

Jesus answered, ‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me;

but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.

The Father and I are one.’