Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico. 13 None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them. 14 Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them. 15 Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. 16 A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
The ministry of the Apostles in Jerusalem flourished and many converts resulted from the miraculous manifestations of God’s power demonstrated by the apostles that amazed the community. Solomon’s Portico was a large, covered walkway on the Eastern side of the Temple Mount where people gathered for various purposes. It served as a prominent location for the apostles to engage with the public and perform their ministry. While members of the early Christian community admired the Apostles’ works, they were most likely afraid to openly align themselves with them because of reprisal from the Sanhedrin, and the punishment of Ananias and Sapphira by the Holy Spirit through Peter which showed the seriousness with which God regarded deceit and hypocrisy within the community. (Acts 5:11). Despite their hesitancy, large numbers of men and women joined the early Christian movement as the Gospel message appealed to people from diverse backgrounds indicating its universal relevance and transformative power.
Jesus promised that all who believed in him would do great works (Jn. 14:12). The bold proclamation of the Gospel and the signs and wonders by the Apostles were the result of the community’s fervent prayers (Acts 4:29-30). The community believed that the Apostles were conduits of divine power with the ability to heal. They brought many sick people on cots out into the street with the hope that even Peter's shadow passing over them would bring healing. The Apostles' ministry spread beyond the city of Jerusalem and large numbers of people from the surrounding towns brought the sick and possessed people to be healed. They cured both the physically and spiritually sick and the Christian faith began to spread throughout Judea.
Almighty God, grant us the strength to let our hearts be fully converted so that we may become true disciples and follow your will. May we, like the Apostles, be vessels of your healing and transformation in the world. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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