In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear the sage advice of Rabbi Gamaliel, a Pharisee and renowned teacher of the law in Jerusalem. He was also the teacher of St. Paul as he himself testifies later in Acts: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.” (Acts 22:3).
Peter and the apostles were put on trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin. The high priest accused them of refusing to obey a direct order: “We gave you strict orders did we not? to stop teaching in that name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” Peter replied: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:28-29). The Sanhedrin wanted to put them to death when the wise sage and teacher Rabbi Gamaliel intervened with a warning and instruction: Do not try to fight against God!
“Fellow Israelites, be careful what you are about to do to these men…For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” (5:38-39).
The Rabbi suggests that time will tell if this endeavor is of “human origin” or “from God.” Gamaliel knows that God can work in surprising and mysterious ways even in these “uneducated, ordinary men” (Acts 4:13). His sage advice is to let God settle it.
Let us take Rabbi Gamaliel sage advice to heart today. Jesus must call out Peter for judging only by earthly standards and so fighting against the ways of God.
“Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Mark 8:33).
Rabbi Gamaliel advises us to let God be God and not to foolishly try to stand in the way a God. It is the height of folly to fight against God.
Image: “The inscription of Rabbi Gamaliel which identify with the son of rabbi Yehuda Hanassi Rabban Gamaliel beRabbi – replica” by Hanay is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.