Acts 9:36-43

Peter in Lydda and Joppa

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner. 

As with all the stories of miraculous healing in the Bible, the modern reader is faced with a choice, either to accept it at face value or to seek an explanation more in accord with present-day understanding. Was Tabitha really dead? Has a story about healing been transformed in the process of being passed on into one about the raising of the dead? Whichever approach the reader adopts it is important to recognize that the episode is included because it illustrates the healing and restoring power of the risen Jesus. His compassionate ministry did not end with his crucifixion, for what happens is not due to Peter but to the Lord to whom he prays.

Tabitha (or, in Greek, Dorcas – both names mean ‘Gazelle’) is a disciple and clearly well-to-do. She is generous and runs a women’s sewing circle. She is a widow, as are the members of her circle. They are the prototype of many community groups providing company and activities today.

The reference to “saints and widows” may occasion surprise. ‘Saints’ does not, as it would today, imply moral excellence. It is simply one of the standard terms for those referred to as ‘disciples’ and includes women like Tabitha herself. Widows are separately mentioned, perhaps because, like some church-based groups today, not all had embraced Christian faith.

Blessings as we pray that we might have eyes that see miracles.  Be safe!  Be well!  He is Risen Indeed!

 To Ponder:

• Is all healing the work of the risen Jesus using human agency?
• What challenge does Tabitha present to the community to which you belong?
• What is your answer to the question: ‘Did it really happen?’