Peters Shadow
August 8, 2011
Dear Friends,
There is an interesting turn of phrase in Acts 5:15. It reads,
As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
Did you ever consider what an odd thing it is that people lay along the streets in hopes that Peter’s shadow might fall on them? It is obvious from the context that people believed that even if Peter’s shadow fell on them they would be healed. This is an example of very powerful faith. It is also evidence of the effect that Peter’s actions were having on those around him.
Let’s conceptually explore shadows. A shadow is a representation of something. If you see the shadow of a tree, you are not seeing the tree itself, only a darkened depiction of what the substance is. When you saw Peter’s image, what were they seeing? To state the obvious, they were seeing the darkened image of a man named Peter. When we consider his shadow further, however, we realize that they were not only seeing the image of man on the ground, but the image of God. Genesis 1:27 tells us this plainly.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
While I believe that God does resemble humans in His physical being, the more important image in which He created man was in our capacity to mimic His character and ideals. He gave us the capacity for morality, compassion and love. When God passed before Moses and Moses “saw” God, he saw God’s character (see Ex. 33:12-34:7). In a figure then, the image of Peter represents the image of God’s character. Peter was showing men the image of God through his deeds and actions. His depiction of God was so strong that the people were compelled to move forward in faith.
Can we do the same thing today? In many ways we can. Like Peter and Jesus, who “is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15), we can do “miracles” after a sort. By this, I mean that we have the capacity to positively impact those in need, whether physically or spiritually, around us. We may not be able to feed 5,000 as did Jesus, but perhaps we can feed five. We might not be able to raise someone from the dead as did both Peter and Jesus, but we can help raise someone from the pits of despair with a kind word or a thoughtful gift. We might not be able to heal the sick by simply walking by them, but we may be able to help heal someone by walking up to them and expressing our love, care and concern. If we do these simple things, we are letting the image of God – His shadow – fall upon them.
While we are offered a wonderful opportunity to share God’s shadow with others, it is oftentimes easy for us to cast the wrong shadow. Instead of casting a shadow of light and bringing glory to God’s name, we can easily slip into casting a shadow of darkness. This shadow of darkness can be sparked by feelings such as frustration, greed or jealousy, and can cause our interactions with others to be negative or destructive. Upon reflection, we find that many of the dark shadows we cast internally stem from that part of our nature that employs greed, insecurity, lust, etc. When we recognize this dark, sinful shadow, let us utilize the body of Christ and strive in humility and repentance to weed out these destructive behaviors so that through Christ, our shadow might be transformed.
The key to casting a good, strong shadow is to draw near to the Light.
The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. (Matt. 4:16 NIV)
Imagine walking toward a beautifully blinding light. When others approach us as we walk toward this glorious light, we pray that the shadow of light, or representation of God’s character, would fall on them. In order for them to remain in that shadow of light, they too will have to walk toward the Light. You can see the rippling effect that could develop simply by walking toward and encourage them to continue walk. Also, as you walk toward the Light, your shadow grows larger. By digging a deep well filled with the Fruits of the Spirit, it is oftentimes more natural to share the wonderfully redeeming shadow of God with others. Referring back to the rippling effect, you can imagine how shadows of light are perpetually developing and growing if we all choose to walk toward the Light. While you may be in a small shadow or a large shadow point in your life, do not let that deter you. The first step for everyone is the next step toward Christ.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7 NIV)
Have a great week,
Thanks to my daughter, Ana, for her contributions to this TFTW.
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