What prompted the crowd so readily to believe Peter?
One thing that always bewilders me is the total contrasting attitude of the people who, some fifty days ago participated in the death of Jesus, were now so readily to believe Peter (Acts 2:14-42; 3:13-26). Consider for a moment what Peter said. Not only did he boldly reprimand them, he professed something that was extremely incredible if not insane---the resurrection of a criminal and that he is the “Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36). What prompted the crowd so readily to believe? I would say that they believed because they encountered the presence of God. They encountered the presence of God in the spirit through Peter who was himself “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4).
Whereas “encounter” usually refers to sensory perception, it also includes intuitive experience. While the saying “seeing is believing” may be true to some extent, one can encounter with physical eyes and yet fail to recognize (like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus) or encounter with physical presence yet still disbelieve (like the eleven and their companions in today’s Gospel reading). Likewise in Mt 28:17, the disciples saw Jesus and were in His presence, “they worshipped him, but some doubted”. Rather it is the heart that can see rightly for it is not just a generator of emotional feelings but the seat of human intellect and will. It is here where discernments and decisions are made. It is here where believing takes place and faith is born. It is here where the Holy Spirit dwells (Eph 3:17; 2 Cor 1:22; Gal 4:6; Rom 8:27). And since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth it will reveal the Truth which is beyond the grasp of reasoning and senses (cf CCC 2563). The crowd “were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37) when they heard Peter and instantly asked for the remedy of their wrongful act.
Very often we ask which comes first: the work of the Holy Spirit or ours. While the Holy Spirit is the one who enlightens and inspires, we ourselves have to be docile and cooperative. No human eye now has the privilege to encounter the presence of God in the flesh as those people did in the Gospels, yet the Holy Spirit is at work all the time though not all are touched by it (cf Acts 2:41). Only those who have a right disposition, an open mind, a listening ear and most of all a humble heart, will be able to benefit from the gift of the Holy Spirit----the gift of faith.