Readings and Thoughts for Saturday, February 16, 2008
Acts 8:1b-3 Saul Persecutes the Church
“And the witnesses [to the stoning of Stephen] laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul (Luke 7:58).” “And Saul approved of their killing him (Luke 8:1a).”
We know nothing yet about this young man, Saul. We do not know the source of his hatred for the church. We do not know what kind of righteousness compels him to “drag off both men and women, committing them to prison (Luke 8:3).” And while Saul is first mentioned here, we won’t learn any more about who he is or why he is important until chapter 9.
Did you notice the language of this passage and the language I used in the previous paragraph? “That day a severe persecution began against the church.” This is the first time Luke has ever used this word to describe the followers of Jesus. Until now they have mostly referred to themselves as “the way.” Right at the moment persecution begins in earnest; just as the first follower of Jesus has died in much the same manner as Jesus himself (forgiving his enemies), the community earns its own name.
Saul began as the church’s most feared enemy, but within a few chapters we will learn that he has been specially chosen by God to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the gentiles (non-Jews).
Have you ever had your opinion of someone completely reversed, for good or bad? Was the adjustment hard to make?
Acts 8:4-25 Philip Preaches in Samaria
The disciples have been scattered “throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria (Luke 8:1)” after the stoning of Stephen. We should not really be surprised, for Jesus himself said “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Luke 1:8).” The disciples are going just exactly where Jesus had said they would go, but who would have expected that it would be fear and persecution that would further their ministry? This is another occasion in which God’s apparent non-intervention to help or protect the disciples actually works to spread his word further into the world.
As you know from the parable of “the good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37) and from the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4), Jews and Samaritans are not generally on good terms. Actually they are closely related, and this is the source of much of their conflict. Like Jews, Samaritans worship the God of Israel, understand themselves to be descended from Abraham, follow the laws of Moses, and are waiting for a Messiah. But they are not fully part of the covenant community of Israel; they were considered by many Jews to be racially impure and religiously inferior. They are neither fish nor fowl - not quite Jews, not quite gentile, either. For Philip to be spreading the Gospel in Samaria is not only a geographical change, then, but a theological one. For the first time, the message of Jesus is being spread intentionally beyond the community of Jews.
Philip demonstrates the power of the apostles as he preaches, heals, and works wonders. He is so successful that he attracts the attention of Simon, a magician. To us, a magician is an entertainer who practices the art of illusion, but to ancients, a magician was more akin to a physician - someone to whom people might appeal for help or healing. Magicians were thought to have the ability to manipulate spiritual power at will. Simon was both powerful and respected, and he liked it that way. Seeing the miracles that Philip has accomplished and witnessing his great public support, Simon himself becomes convinced that Philip does indeed have amazing power (as well as the charisma to draw people to himself and to his message). Perhaps wanting part of the action for himself, Simon agrees to be baptized. When Peter and John follow Philip to Samaria and lay hands on the newly baptized (to give them the gift of the Holy Spirit), Simon offers them money to have this same power. Peter sharply chastises him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! (Acts 8:20)”
Wherever there is power, people seek ways to own and control that power. Simon is not unusual in this respect. But the passage reminds us that God’s activities in the world to save and heal are free gifts, not to be controlled or owned by anyone.
Have you ever bargained with God? What was your side of the bargain? Have you ever been tempted to make a charitable gift in order to win God’s favor or help?
3 comments:
A few times in my life I have met someone, and felt like I could like them, like a friend. Then one day something happened and I mind changed, and I couldn't stand that person. This feeling of hatred continues until one day something happened and I switched back. Usually the switching back is a lot harder on me and takes a lot longer.
Yes, I have bargained with God. My miracle story is the day that I lost an animal and I bargained with God that if He got me my animal back, then I would stand up and tell the whole church. (I was a teen then.) The animal was found, and I told the whole church. I don't know if bargaining works with God, or is it a way to help us feel better and propel us to action. Something to ask God someday!
I recently had an encounter where I changed my opinion of someone drastically, even though I never said one word to her.
As I was shopping at Target one day not long ago, I suddenly began to hear from a distance a child crying. At least I assumed it was a child, though it was such a low, steady, almost guttural sound that for a moment I wasn’t sure. It was almost a cross between crying and yelling. The crying continued, and actually became louder, as I went on shopping. It became quite annoying actually, and many shoppers exchanged knowing glances. One woman I met in an aisle looked me in the eyes and said “Someone’s not happy.”
That’s pretty much what everyone in the store was thinking, along with thoughts like “Why doesn’t that mother discipline her child or take him to the car” or “Doesn’t she know how irritating her child’s behavior is to everyone in the store?”
As the wailing went on, I considered leaving myself, but had been waiting all week to get to the store to pick up my items and was nearly done so figured I could stick it out. Soon I spotted the “culprits” over near the pharmacy. There was a mom with her three children, the distraught one sitting in the cart, still wailing loudly. She was about 6 years old with Down Syndrome.
As I grabbed my item off the shelf, I heard the mother say very calmly “They told me they had called in the prescription. How much longer will we have to wait?” She tried to reassure her daughter that they would be done soon, but the girl kept on crying and rubbing her eyes. Her sisters stood patiently by the cart.
My heart sank. Here I had been so frustrated and I’m ashamed to admit, even judgmental about this woman’s parenting skills as my shopping trip was “disrupted.” Now I stood in awe of this mother who so lovingly cared for an inconsolable, sick child, who couldn’t understand why she had to sit in this shopping cart when she just wanted to go home. This woman knew that people in the store were looking at her sideways. This mother dealt with challenges every day that I found challenging for just 10 minutes.
I said a prayer of blessing for this family, but more importantly asked forgiveness for my intolerance and assumptions. All day long I kept thinking about how often we judge people without knowing a thing about the path they’re walking. What is going on in their life, or simply in their day, that might make even simple tasks like shopping difficult? Do we really seek to encounter people with compassion and open minds, or do we categorize them based on appearance and attitude? Do we see people as children of God?
I have recently started working with myself on this. I will find myself making snap judgements about people and situations in my head. I will then stop myself, examine what I have just thought, argue with myself, then change the judgement to something more loving and accepting. I see the potential of real growth in myself as I continue doing this. Hopefully I will see the snap judgements lessening over time and eventually cutting out altogether.
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