What was significant about the shadow of Peter?

For my blog I am going to focus on Acts 5:15-16 where Luke wrote “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.  Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” These particular verses struck a chord with me because although I have read about many miracles that have been done in the bible, I had never read about a shadow that healed people and I wanted to find out more about it. Did it really happen? Or is it some sort of exaggeration? I have always been fascinated by the works of miracles, like when Jesus would heal the sick or the blind, and even the crippled with just a touch of his hand. However, was Peter’s shadow really what healed them? Or was it something different? 
   

                                                                                       

The only facts we know from the wording of verse 15 are that people thought highly of Peter’s miracle-working and that they put faith even in his shadow. Verse 16 does say people were healed at that time, but there is no evidence that Peter’s shadow was the reason.  The verse says that “all were healed”, even those who were not under Peter’s shadow. People wanted to believe there was something special about Peter, so they got closer to him in hopes of having some healing come over them. It wasn’t the first (orlast) time that people sought a special blessing through a physical object. The paralyzed man in John5 believed that water in a certain pool could heal his lameness. Some Ephesians in Acts19 believed that healing power was concentrated in articles of Paul’s clothing (cf.Matthew 9:21). Some people today put their trust in handkerchiefs that have been “prayed over,” in homage to the saints, or in holy water.                              

This sounds to me like people were being healed by God through Peter, it was not Peter himself that held the power to do so, but more likely the spirit of God working through him for these miracles to happen. An example of this is in Acts 3 and 5 when “God’s power was demonstrated through Peter and John when a lame man was healed. The news spread quickly, and a great crowd gathered in Solomon’s Colonnade, full of amazement. Peter spoke to the crowd, correcting their assumption that he and John had special power in themselves: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (verse 12). The apostle then goes on to point the crowd to Jesus: “It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see” (verse 16).

In Acts 5, the sick were not being healed by shadows or auras or magic garments; they were being healed as a direct answer to the apostles’ prayer in Acts 4:30: “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” The miracles performed by the apostles were demonstrations of the Lord’s power and mercy, affirming Christ Jesus as Savior and testifying that their message was true.”

These miracles of healing brought attention to the early church and shed light on the truth of the teachings of the apostles and the fact that God was with them. The religious leaders who were jealous of Jesus’ power and authority saw the apostles as a continued threat and demanded respect for themselves. The apostles weren’t demanding respect for themselves.  Their aim was to bring respect  to God.  The apostles had acquired the respect of the people, not because they forced it, but more so because they deserved it. 

It is significant that Peter and the others had spent time with Jesus, and were held in some high regard for that connection. But the awe was not to be related to them, but to Jesus.  The “cult of personality” continues to exist today, more so in relation to “healing and miracle” ministries.                                                                                

Allusions in Game of Thrones

For my topic this week I chose to do an allusion to the HBO series Game of Thrones. I have to say, I've been watching this show since it first came out and my obsession with it is a little embarrassing. For those of you who may not be familiar with the show, it is based off of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series and has captured the attention of many who have read it. Set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, the series chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among the realm's noble families for control of the Iron Throne. As the series opens, additional threats emerge in the icy North and in the eastern continent of Essos. The novels and their adaptation derive aspects of their settings, characters and plot from various events of European history. Allusions can be tricky to find if you aren't paying attention, but if you look hard enough you can find them in almost anything. I’ll be mentioning a few I've noticed in the first two seasons.

   The Whore of Babylon
            Revelation 17 tells us: "Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who is seated upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the dwellers on earth have become drunk.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; and on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of harlots and of earth’s abominations.’ And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her I marveled greatly" (Rev. 17:1–6).   

Melisandre: Game of Thrones

Melissandre, or as she is otherwise known as the Red Woman, channels her inner Whore of Babylon in this series. Notice she also wears the scarlet cloak. Originally born a slave in Essos, Melisandre is a Red Priestess of the Lord of Light, a deity that is not widely worshiped in Westeros. Hailing from Asshai, a country located in the far east of the continent of Essos, she claims to wield powerful magical abilities,particularly the power of prophecy. Melisandre wears a large ruby necklace that seems to glow whenever she performs her magic. Some years ago she crossed the Narrow Sea and came to the court of Lord Stannis Baratheon on the island stronghold of Dragonstone, to preach her faith. Stannis and the majority of his household have now converted to her religion, and she has become a close adviser to Stannis himself. Throughout the first two seasons, she continually shows her true, ugly colors as a priestess to help Stannis. One instance is when she convinces him to betray his wife and impregnate her in order to win the war. She gives birth to a dark shadow assassin that ultimately kills Stannis’s brother Renly. She also has people burned as sacrifices to the Lord of Light. 

Ned Stark

Another allusion I found in the series was that of Eddard Stark, or Ned as he is mostly called. Eddard is the head of House Stark and Lord Paramount of the North. He is a dedicated husband and father, a loyal friend and an honorable lord. Eddard becomes Hand of the King to his lifelong friend, Robert Baratheon, when the previous hand dies insuspicious circumstances. He follows his predecessor's footsteps and uncoversan incestuous relationship between Queen, Cersei Lannister, and her brother, Sir Jaime Lannister. Robert dies after being injured while hunting and Eddard challenges the legitimacy of his successor, Joffrey Baratheon, but is betrayed by hispolitical allies and arrested for treason.He confesses to the crime to protect his family, but is nevertheless executed due to Joffrey'simpulsive sadism. The conflict between House Stark and House Lannister sets the stage for the War of the Five Kings. To me, Ned seems to be a Christ-like figure. He honestly should have been king, he would have made a great one, but Littlefinger betrayed him and wound up leading to his death, thanks to Jeoffrey. Does anyone else see how that parallels back to Judas betraying Jesus? These are just a few of the allusions I found while adamantly enjoying this awesome series. I’m sure to find more as the show continues but these are the ones that stood out to me the most thus far.  I have attached a video of some highlights of the first two seasons if you would like to check it out.