Year of the Bible
Acts of the Apostles 12
Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 12:
St. Luke has a keen interest in setting God’s plan of salvation firmly within the context of human history. While we’re most familiar with this at the start of the Gospel of Luke, it continues in Acts, and Chapter 12 is an example of how God’s plan supersedes the plans of secular political leaders who fashion themselves as “lord” or “savior” of the people (vs. 22). St. Luke recounts that James (one of the sons of Zebedee) becomes the first of the Twelve to be martyred and Peter is arrested (vs. 2-3). In a scene with echoes of the Exodus (vs, 3, 7-11), Peter is set free, experiencing the power of God and the intercessors of the local Church in Jerusalem (vs. 5, 12). God works his divine plans amidst human tumult (vs. 20-24) and we see a transition, as James (not the son of Zebedee) becomes the leader of the Church in Jerusalem as Peter begins to minister elsewhere (vs. 17).
The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 12:
James Killed and Peter Imprisoned by Herod
1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword; 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison; but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the Church.
An Angel Rescues Peter from Prison
6 The very night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison; 7 and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him; he did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel left him. 11 And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and told that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are mad.” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell this to James and to the brethren.” Then he departed and went to another place.
18 Now when day came, there was no small stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And when Herod had sought for him and could not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and remained there.
The Death of Herod
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and they came to him in a body, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and made an oration to them. 22 And the people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and died.
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul re turned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, bringing with them John whose other name was Mark.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"Put on your cloak and follow me." (v 8) Lord, is there something about the exciting mission experience of the disciples in this scene that inspires me to follow their example in some way?
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
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1 En aquel tiempo prendió el rey Herodes
a algunos de la Iglesia para
maltratarlos. 2 Dio muerte por la espada a
Santiago, hermano de Juan. 3 Y al ver que
esto agradaba a los judíos, decidió prender
también a Pedro.
Eran los días de los Ácimos. 4 Cuando
lo apresó, lo metió en la cárcel y lo
entregó a cuatro escuadras de cuatro
soldados para que lo custodiaran, con
el propósito de hacerlo comparecer ante
el pueblo después de la Pascua. 5 Así
pues, Pedro estaba encerrado en la cárcel,
mientras la Iglesia rogaba incesantemente
por él a Dios. 6 Cuando Herodes
iba ya a hacerlo comparecer, aquella
misma noche dormía Pedro entre dos
soldados, sujeto con dos cadenas, mientras
unos centinelas vigilaban la cárcel
delante de la puerta. 7 De pronto se presentó
un ángel del Señor y un resplandor
iluminó la celda. Tocó a Pedro en el
costado, le despertó y dijo:
–¡Levántate deprisa! –y se cayeron
las cadenas de sus manos.
8 El ángel le dijo:
–¡Vístete y ponte las sandalias! –y así
lo hizo.
Y añadió:
–¡Ponte el manto y sígueme!
9 Salió y le siguió, pero ignoraba que
fuera realidad lo que hacía el ángel; pensaba
que se trataba de una visión.
10 Atravesaron la primera guardia y
la segunda y llegaron a la puerta de hierro
que conduce a la ciudad, la cual se
les abrió por sí sola. Salieron y avanzaron
por una calle y de repente el ángel
le dejó. 11 Entonces Pedro, vuelto en sí,
dijo:
–Ahora comprendo realmente que
el Señor ha enviado su ángel, y me ha
librado de las manos de Herodes y de
toda la expectación del pueblo judío.
12 Consciente de su situación, se dirigió
a casa de María, madre de Juan,
de sobrenombre Marcos, donde estaban
muchos reunidos en oración. 13 Llamó
a la puerta del vestíbulo y, al oírlo,
acudió una sirvienta llamada Rode. 14 Al
reconocer la voz de Pedro, de la alegría
no abrió la puerta, sino que corrió hacia
dentro y anunció que Pedro estaba a la
puerta. 15 Ellos le dijeron:
–¡Estás loca!
Ella, sin embargo, insistía en que era
así. Entonces dijeron:
–Será su ángel.
16 Pedro continuaba llamando. Al
abrir le vieron y se llenaron de asombro.
17 Entonces les hizo señas con la mano
para que callaran y les relató cómo el
Señor le había sacado de la cárcel, y añadió:
–Anunciadlo a Santiago y a los hermanos.
Salió y partió hacia otro lugar.
18 Cuando se hizo de día se produjo
una gran conmoción entre los soldados
por lo que habría ocurrido con Pedro.
19 Herodes le buscó y, al no encontrarle,
procesó a los guardias y los mandó
ejecutar. Después descendió de Judea a
Cesarea y se quedó allí.
Herodes estaba airado contra los
de Tiro y Sidón. De común acuerdo
vinieron a él y después de haberse ganado
a Blasto, mayordomo del rey, le pedían la
paz, dado que sus tierras se abastecían de
las del rey.
21 El día designado se sentó Herodes
en la tribuna, revestido con los distintivos
reales, y se puso a arengarles. 22 El
pueblo le aclamaba:
–Es la voz de un dios y no la de un
hombre.
23 Al instante le hirió un ángel del
Señor, porque no había dado gloria a
Dios; y expiró comido por los gusanos.
24 La palabra de Dios crecía y se multiplicaba.
25 Bernabé y Saulo volvieron a
Jerusalén una vez cumplido su ministerio,
y se trajeron a Juan, llamado Marcos.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
"Ponte la túnica y sígueme". (v8) Señor, ¿hay algo en la emocionante experiencia misionera de los discípulos en esta escena que me inspire a seguir su ejemplo de alguna manera?
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