On Whom do I Focus?

Scripture: When this had dawned on him, he [Peter] went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Acts 12:12

Observation: That is Peter, previously known as Simon, who two chapters ago was staying with Simon the Tanner, neither of whom is Simon the Zealot. And this is not Mary the mother of Jesus, nor Mary Magdalene, nor Mary the sister of Martha, but Mary the mother of John ... not John the brother of James (who isn't James the son of Alphaeus nor James the bother of Jude also called Judas ... who isn't Judas Iscariot), but John also called Mark.

I mean ... would it have been too much to ask if the church founders had had just a little more diversity in their names?? Did we have to try to cram ~30 important people into what seems like ~7 first names?

I know it isn't quite that bad, but it certainly doesn't help the confusion factor. Then again, maybe the point is ...

Application: God may not want us to dwell on certain individuals, but on the deeds and good works and strong faith of believers. If we get too caught up trying to admire John, or Mark, or Paul, or Peter, or Mary, perhaps we end up focusing on the wrong person ... we end up focusing on a person instead of Jesus, and those things that Jesus is actually doing through the people.

If I get confused over something like, "wait, James is dead, so why is Peter telling the others to 'tell James' something?", then I'm probably missing the point ... the point is that, through the continuous prayer of the church, Peter was miraculous saved from a prison death sentence, and Herod (who BTW was Herod Agrippa NOT Herod Antipas who tried Jesus) was then punished by death. When I focus on an earthly "who is doing it", I lose sight of the heavenly "what God is doing".

Prayer: We are indebted to the early church, who did great things by their faith in Jesus. However, please help me to always remember that it was Jesus who did those things through them - the church is your "plan A" for redeeming the world, and there is no "plan B". We are here to do your work, not to do our work and hope you bless it. May I join you where you are, and focus on you.