What to Say?

“When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit. . . .” — Matthew 10:19 Are you ever at a loss for words? I am, at times, in difficult or sensitive situations, where the cost might be high. In our reading for today, we see Peter and John living out a promise that Jesus had given them—that the Holy Spirit would provide them with words in difficult situations. Jesus had commissioned his disciples to continue his ministry (Matthew 28:18-20), and now they were doing as he had taught them. They were healing people and proclaiming his forgiveness of sins and his resurrection from the dead. But Peter and John were arrested and brought before the religious authorities in Jerusalem, and those leaders wanted to know how the disciples had the authority to heal a lame man. The critical moment had come, and Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit,” proclaimed boldly that they had healed the man in the name of Jesus Christ, who had risen from the dead, and that salvation is found only in him. Unlike Christians in parts of the world that are hostile to the church today, most of us have not been called to account for our belief in Jesus. We can be grateful, though, for the faithful witness of Jesus’ followers. And we can trust that the Spirit will give us what we need when we too may be called on to share the truth about our Lord and Savior. Jesus, help us to trust you and the Spirit to help us speak with love and boldness when are called to do so in your name. Amen.