ACTS 4:1-12; 13-22
“IS IT BRAVERY OR BRAVADO?”
This morning's readings present us with a fascinating contrast between demonstrations of bravery and bravado. So what's the difference between the two? My dictionary defines bravado: as “a pretentious, swaggering display of false courage”; whereas bravery: is defined as “undaunted courage in the face of frightening or threatening circumstances”. (Random House Dictionary)
Six-year-old Calvin is infamous for his displays of bravado. As one critic observes: “In Calvin and Hobbes, bravado is a core survival mechanism and comedic staple for Calvin. He frequently uses exaggerated confidence, loud threats, and grandiose alter-egos to mask his small size, insecurities, and the fact that he rarely wins conflicts in the real world. Bill Watterson brilliantly uses this bravado to contrast Calvin's wild, internal fantasies against his ordinary, humbling reality.”
Repeated appearances of Calvin as Stupendous Man or Spaceman Spiff shows Calvin in his best bravado, shaking his fists at the cosmos, and winding up in the principal's office.... In one strip, he shakes his fist at the skies: “What are you looking at? I'm significant! So screamed the dust speck.”
That's about right. Perhaps Hollywood's most famous example of bravado, presented in all it's absurdity and cosmic humor, is that of a certain character German author, Frank Baum, dreamed up...
The lion initally presents himself as brave/fearsome but underneath he's nothing but a cowardly kitten. His toughness was a cover up for the underlying core of insecurity and shame – the shame of a lion afraid of his own shadow, who doesn't count sheep to fall asleep 'cause he's afraid of them.
That’s bravado! It’s the kind of false bravery present among the religious leaders who 'boldly' take a stand against Peter and John and their healing of a cripple in Jesus' name. Luke draws attention to their bravado in three ways. First, by noting that “Annas the high priest was there, along with Ciaphas...” (Luke 4:6) These are the same guys who led the religious leaders to seek Jesus' death but did not have the courage to do it themselves so they manipulated the Roman Governor into ordering it.
Second, the council’s 'courageous' overtures in arresting Peter and John are a cover up of their shame and fear. Luke reveals that when they're confronted with God’s handiwork in a walking cripple they become strangely mute. “Since they could see the man who'd been healed standing right there among them, they had nothing to say! So they sent them out and conferred among themselves.”
(Acts 4:14-15)
This Jesus in which Peter & John have healed the man is the same Jesus that repeatedly showed Annas and Ciaphas and their colleagues up. He revealed the shamed of their hypcoristy with his words and miracles. To see that a man who everyone knew had been born cripped now leaping about silenced their bravado and led them into similar behavior as before. They began conspiring in secret.
And Third, when noting how passionate the crowd had become, Luke observes how their knees buckle and their resolve recedes: “They finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot.” (Acts 4:21) Like the cowardly lion, they're afraid of their own shadow. But the film's main expression of bravado comes in an unexpected place. As it turns out, the good and all powerful Oz is not who he appears to be either. He too is good at the masquerade. He too is hiding behind a persona. He's a charlatan hiding behind a curtain.
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In Acts 4 we have the same group of people responsible for Jesus’ death now taking issue with miracles being done in his name. They’re supposed to be the good guys but somehow all their efforts at playing that role have only exposed it as mere bravado. In contrast Jesus' followers, have displayed true bravery: a courage rooted in love, willing to risk it all, sharing Jesus in hope of setting a sinner free
Like Jesus, when he encountered hurting people, their hearts were aching for this guy. It was the power of God’s love that was unleashed thru John and Peter by way of the Holy Spirit. Jesus love for them had rubbed off on them. John wrote repeatedly about it in his letters to the church: “We love each other because he first loved us...and gave us His Spirit that we may live in him and he in us!”
(1 John 4:13,19)
What's so amazing about this story is that Luke notes that it is their adversaries who articulate the difference between bravado and bravery. As the city is buzzing with the excitement of the evidence that Jesus' miraculous healing power has been unleashed again, only now it's flowing through and from Jesus’ friends, Luke tells us that “the members of the council were amazed when they saw the bold-ness of Peter and John, for they could see they were ordinary men, who'd clearly been with Jesus!”
(Acts 4:13)
Jesus had spent his time articulating and demonstrating that the kingdom of heaven was busting loose here on earth as lives were being transformed by God's love and now Peter makes use of this miracle to help those present see it for theemselves, as he declares, “There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them!” (Acts 4:12)
It’s as if Peter and John can’t contain themselves knowing that God himself can not be contained – not by a crucifixion, nor by any beggar’s crutches, and certainly not by bravado. The religious leaders want to keep God in the box they are accustomed to but God is bigger than that, better than that, more engaging than that. And so with remarkable courage and conviction Peter and John proclaim, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard!” (Acts 4:19-20) God is too big for that!
As soon as children are old enough to speak, one of the first questions adults ask is: ‘How big are you?’ When my niece was little she'd answer by stretching out her hands and standing on tippy toe, would say: ‘I’m sooooo big!’ Now to be sure, that's not a scientific answer. You can’t just use it anywhere. Guys: If your wife were to ask, ‘How big do my hips look?’ you might not want to stetch out your hands and exclaim, ‘You’re hips are soooo big!’ Not if you want to live long, anyway!
But what about God? How big is your God? How big is Christ in your life? Our response is generally not articulated in words but in how we live. The way we live reflects our perception of God.
Many today tend to live in a constant state of anxiety and fear because everything depends on us. Our mood is governed by our situation. We limit our generosity because our financial security depends on us. Because God is too distant, or too small, the opinions of others matters govern our life choices. We’re in risk of becoming slaves to what others think of us. When we have a chance to share our faith, we shrink back. When facing decisions we tend to plow now and pray later.
When I was a student my friends and I often went to a tavern where they had dart boards and pool tables. We would show up in time for all you can eat buffalo wings, order a pitcher of beer to share & play a few games of pool. One night a fight broke out at the bar and we tried to break it up.
Unfortunately I slept in the day they covered how to break up bar-room brawls. ‘All right, you guys, cut it out right now! I’m serious!” works pretty well on at youth group but w/seasoned gladiators who are running on sizable quantities of whiskey and testosterone, it's not so effective.
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But to my astonishment the thugs in question, looked up, and with fear in their eyes started to slink away. “Whoa”, I thought, ‘I didn’t know I had it in me!’
I looked behind me to check my friends’ reaction when I saw him – this huge gorilla of a man. Apparently Brutus was the bouncer. I imagine that if Hercules had married Xena the warrior princess, this could've been their child. I looked back, did a double-take, and in the twinkle of an eye, my attitude went from “would you guys stop fighting – please?”, to “You’d better not let us catch you hanging around here again.” Suddenly I was a new man - because of good old Brutus!
Suddenly I was filled with boldness and confidence. I was ready to come to the aid of the needy and oppressed. Why? Because Brutus was behind me. Suddenly I had some muscle in my corner. I eventually realized that Brutus couldn't go everywhere I went and stand behind me whenever life got a bit risky, even though I tried to convince him it would be in his best interest. The fact that he couldn’t turned out to be a good thing. (He didn’t believe in soap!) No, actually, I don’t need him.
I have one who is far greater than Brutus with me at all times, and the power to calm storms, heal cripples and raise the dead is at his fingertips. And yet.., all too often, my life does not reflect that reality. All too often I let go when I should hold on...; I worry when I could pray; I hoard when I could share; I criticize the crippled instead of lending a hand, as Peter and John on the way to church that day.
So how can I change my perspective? How can I come to believe that Christ is truly enough? How can I live in a way that reflects that I follow the One who is SO big? There's a way by which we come to perceive and experience the trust-worthiness and strength of God. It's called worship.
Have you ever wondered why God insists on being worshiped? Does God really need us dreaming up ways to tell him how great he is? Doesn’t he know that already? He does, so let's be clear
- worship is not about filling God’s unmet ego needs. God has made us so that when we experience something that causes awe, we have a need to celebrate it. When I saw Mount Rainier for the first time, or a double rainbow, or had my first whale sighting, something in my spirit demanded that I express my delight. In other words, our experience is incomplete until we can express it and share it.
Consider the preacher who skipped church one Sunday to sneak nine holes at the golf course. He wound up playing the game of his life... Gabriel asked God: “Why did you let him do that? Why didn't you punish him?” God smiled and replied: ‘I did punish him. Who’s he going to tell?’
We worship God not because his ego needs it but because without worship our experience and enjoyment of God is incomplete. We worship God not because he needs it, but because we do.
I need to worship because it helps me keep in mind that I have a Big God in my corner. I need to worship because without it I'm prone to live in a spirit of self-preoccupation. I need to worship because without it I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod thru life with blinders on. I need to worship because my natural tendency is toward self-reliance, subject to bravado instead of boldness.
The reaction among the crowds to the healing of the crippled man is telling. Our reading in fact ends on this note: “For everyone was praising God for this miraculous sign – the healing of a man who’d been lame for more than forty years.” (Acts 4:22) Their response to God showing his hand, His inclination to show His love in personal powerful ways, reflects that of the healed man him-self which we read last week: “All the people saw him walking, leaping and praising God!” (3:9)
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In C.S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian, Lucy comes upon Aslan the Lion, the Christ figure of the Narnia stories, after a prolonged absence. “Aslan, you’re bigger!” Lucy exclaims.
“That is because you’re older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?” she asked with amazement.
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”
(from C.S. Lewis’ Prince Caspian)
So it is with us and Christ. This is why the story of Peter and John and healed cripple ends in worship. Worship expresses the disciples’ post-Pentecost, understanding of who Jesus is. “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop talking about the wonderful things we have seen and heard!” (Acts 4:19-20) We cannot stop talking about Jesus because God is SO big!
Here’s the thing: as you seek to discern and pursue Jesus' calling on your life, God will seem bigger, and your worship will grow deeper. The underlying message of Acts is that Jesus’ story isn't finished yet. He's still looking for people who will dare to trust him, refusing to give in to fear or be deterred by failure. Jesus’ story isn’t finished yet. He wants to continue to share it to and thru you!
May you like Peter and John find that obeying God is less of a duty and more of a delight, as you too find that you just cannot stop talking about the wonderful things you have seen and heard!