In a single statement, we read that Herod had James killed with the sword. He was the first of the Apostles to be martyred. Because he saw it pleased the Jews, Herod placed Peter in prison, intending to kill him after the Passover. People are always getting into trouble and sometimes escape by inexplicable means. We don’t usually go to prison when we get in trouble but we have sometimes anticipated trouble that failed to materialize or seemed to disappear inexplicably. Considering that Peter was chained between two soldiers with two others standing guard, Peter’s escape was truly a miracle.

Miracles are but one of God’s tools when he comes to our assistance. He does not always free us from trouble. Sometimes he just sees us through it. He did not get Jesus out of the Cross; He saw him through it. We must remember, if we see no angel when we are in trouble, it does not mean God has forsaken us. It means he has chosen another course.

Prayer was made without ceasing unto God for Peter. Who can measure the influence of prayer over this world? Luther said that he would rather face an army than have a hundred men and women praying against him. There are many who believe that the universe is governed by an inflexible and immutable law which does not respond to the personal desires of human beings. On the other extreme, there are those who say that prayer can do everything. All you need to do is to pray for whatever you desire. We know that if what we pray for is not aligned with the Will of God, our prayer is not going to be answered as we expect. Most of us are left standing between the two extremes.

There are two things that can come from prayer. First, it will always bring us closer to our God. The more we talk to someone, the better we understand what is important to them. The more we talk to God, the more the gulf between us is reduced and we understand the Will of God more clearly. The second thing that comes from prayer is that God will not give us some things until we want them enough to ask for them. If we want health but are not willing to work for it, we are not likely to receive it. If we want character but want other things more, it is not likely to happen.

Remember the phrase, "God helps those who help themselves?" If we are required to do something to receive God’s help, it would seem to be true. However, this phrase is not in the Bible. After all, with respect to our salvation, God helps the helpless. God certainly has the power to save anyone from any situation. It seems that sometimes, God does not choose to intervene unless we do our part as well. When someone on the other side of the world needs a pint of blood to survive, it seems it does not happen unless someone here donates it first. By the same token, could not our prayers for others be just the participation God wants before He intervenes?

As they exited the prison wards, they came to the Iron Gate that led into the city. I’m sure Peter had not figured out how to handle this last obstacle. The story does not tell us the Angel opened it for them. It simply opened of its own accord. At this point, Peter is sure that God sent an Angel to deliver him out of the hand of Herod and the expectation of the Jews. Our lesson in this story is to have patience in the calm trust that God will provide the strength needed when the time comes. We all worry unnecessarily in many cases. It is better to have confidence in the Lord and address the issue when and if it becomes a problem.

Note that the Angel of the Lord departed before Peter had found a safe haven. The Angel delivered him from prison but was not giving him a free ride through life. He must now continue on his own. We cannot expect God to make our lives smooth and easy. We can only expect him to make all things possible. We must still provide the desire and effort to make them worthwhile.

When Peter knocked at the gateway door of the House of Mary, the mother of John Mark, Rhoda recognized him but failed to let him in. Instead she left to tell the others that Peter was there. The others, knowing the security under which Peter would have been kept, thought she was imagining things. When she insisted, they said it must be his angel. This portrays Rhoda as somewhat out of control, but people often fail to do the correct thing when they are excited about something. It must have taken even longer to return to the door when those inside did not believe her.

Peter, on the other hand, was persistent and kept knocking until they opened the door. If he had stood quietly, they would have thought Rhoda was hallucinating. This plodding persistence on the part of Peter might seem out of character. He was predominantly fiery, impulsive and passionate. But we must be careful assuming that one will always follow their predominant traits. We know Napoleon as aggressive and ambitious. He was also reported to be as tender as a child on occasions. Jesus was gentle and sympathetic beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. But he could be totally inflexible with respect to his Father’s will. It is good to note Peter’s life as a fisherman. He kept on fishing even though he had toiled all night and caught nothing. As a disciple of Jesus, he kept following even though he failed to understand repeatedly. He kept on preaching even when he was opposed by his friends. It was a combination of passion and persistence that made Peter a leader.

We sometimes think our character is determined at birth. Some people are boisterous and outgoing while others are quiet and reserved. We do develop some tendencies very early but the real character of our being is forged over a long period of time. Real character is forged from setbacks, reversals, defeats, and failures. Setbacks and reversals lead to repeated efforts. Defeats and failures lead to a different approach to the challenge. Behind Peter’s persistence was the confidence that he had God’s support and good will. He did not continue because he was afraid of God; he kept trying because God loved him and trusted him.

Some people have a flair for making great beginnings. They have unbounded enthusiasm, an inexhaustible reserve of ideas, imagination, personality, and charm. They make a spectacular plunge into the ocean of activity to the cheers of the crowd. But a good beginning does not always produce a good ending. When the initial enthusiasm dims and the uninspiring duties seem to continue forever, the good ending becomes just a dream. Many people are able to launch an undertaking, but not everyone has the grit to keep it moving.

The final test is not the ability to rise to great heights on rare occasions; the final test is the ability to keep going, through the irritations and nuisances of each day’s toil without showing signs of a worn spirit. Peter did rise to great heights on occasions like Pentecost. But what really counts is that he kept going. If he fell down, he got up. If he made a mistake, he tried again. He weathered the storm of opposition from without and dissension from within. He was a rock whose spirit was unworn by the storm.

We do not know why Herod was displeased with the people of Tyre and Sidon but they went to great efforts to appease him because their country depended on him for food. That set up the great day upon which Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, spoke to the crowd and was acclaimed as a god rather than a man. They did not care that his power rested upon graft and cruelty. They only saw his outward splendor. How appropriate for him to perish from the inside out. And the word of God grew and multiplied.

The lesson in Herod’s death is clear. The church continued to grow without royal pomp or protection. The truth will live and grow, no matter what; while evil will fall and perish in spite of all its shiny exterior and fortified walls. Everything seemed to be against the church but God was for it and nothing could withstand it. The forces that threaten us today do their worst when they frighten us. Eventually, they cannot but fall by their own weight. The best Christian resistance to evil and oppression is endurance rather than retaliation. We must stand fast by the growing thing rather than ruthlessly uprooting the dying thing. It is better to endure the Herods of this world than to fight them. In the long run, the word of God grows and multiplies in spite of them.