Jailbreak?

Fourth Saturday of Lent

Lectionary texts for Saturday

Luke 15:1-10

Luke 15:11-32

 

Lectionary texts for Sunday

OT: Numbers 21:4-9

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 (UMH 830)

Epistle: Ephesians 2:1-10

Gospel: John 3:14-21

 

Thanks to April, Frances, and Jennifer for their comments. Special thanks to Jennifer for her comments on Beth Moore.  I'm glad at least one of our blog readers could speak about her from a more first-hand perspective than I have. Although I have known about Beth Moore for a long time, my major source for yesterday's blog was two lengthy stories in the New York Times, one last Sunday and one yesterday. I'm sure the next issue of Christian Century will have a story. Although I don't subscribe to Christianity Today, I'll pick up a copy of the next issue.

 

Today we return to our Acts Bible Study. Please read Acts 16:19-30.

 

Paul's casting out of the divination demon that infested the slave girl got Silas and him in trouble quickly. Her owners lost a source of revenue. The owners had Paul and Silas brought before the magistrate, who had them beaten with rods and imprisoned. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul writes that he had been beaten with rods three times. This was apparently one of those times. 

 

The accusation against Paul and Silas was that they "were advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." Notice that the objection is not about their preaching or its content. It's about their action. Roman religions had all sorts of exorcists of their own, so it wasn't about that. Rather, it's about damaging other people's human property. The slave girl was nothing more than a source of income for her owners. For Paul and the early Christians she was a beloved creation of God. Was her situation all that different from the human trafficking evil that besets our country today?

 

Paul and Silas were imprisoned under tight security. They kept up their spirits by singing hymns. Then there was an earthquake. Although this story sounds fanciful to many a scholar, it should be noted that this part of Turkey is one of the most highly seismic areas in the world. The earthquake rattles open the prison doors. The sleeping jailer awakens in terror. He has failed in his maximum security job. He is about to kill himself, when Paul intervenes. Paul, Silas, and the rest of the prisoners do not take the opportunity for a jailbreak. With an authoritative shout Paul dissuades the jailer's suicide attempt. 

The jailer then falls down before Paul and Silas and asks the two-pronged question, "What must I do to be saved?" He doubtless means saved from torture and execution by his superiors in the prison system. The Acts reader, along with Paul and Silas, sees another meaning in the question. 

Lord of those who do not yet believe,

Grant us the apostolic courage to be your loving witnesses to those in despair, some of whom may be contemplating suicide in our time of plague. Help them and us to see beyond the present and to find your glory, as the slave girl and the Philippian jailer will do. In Christ's name. Amen.

Faithfully

Christian