Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36
By the way we speak and also the things we speak about, others will be able to figure out what kind of spiritual orientation we have.
And that spiritual orientation is either rooted in God and in the eternal life of heaven, or it may be rooted in the things of earth and in world desires.
In the gospel, John the Baptist made this clear when he said that he who is born of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way.
But he who come from heaven bears witness to the things he has seen and heard.
In the 1st reading, we can see who is of the earth and who has seen and heard the things of heaven.
The chief priest and the Sanhedrin demanded an explanation for what the apostles had done, especially for fixing the guilt of condemning Jesus to death on them.
The chief priest and the Sanhedrin seem to be more concerned about their reputation and the opinion of the people.
On the other hand, Peter and the apostles declared that obedience to God comes before obedience to men. Furthermore, in obedience to God and with the power of the Holy Spirit in them, they had to bear witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus.
It is not that difficult to see what the spiritual orientation of these two groups and where they are coming from and where they are heading.
What is more difficult for us is to answer the question of our spiritual orientation - Do I pledge obedience to God or do I succumb in obedience to men?
Our answer will tell us where we are from and where we will be heading.