Daily Liturgy and Scripture

There is a LOT happening in this verse. Paul is finally before a higher ruler, but clearly Festus is still present. Agrippa was Jewish but still a Roman ruler, and Paul even challenged him on his Jewish-ness (which could be seen as a bit of a challenge, maybe?). In the midst of this, his story is still of his conversion, of course including the detail of his work with some of the very men who were now accusing him. It's a mess. But Paul is still a witness to Jesus, though it looks very different than his usually preaching gigs. This is the faithfulness that we are also called to hold: to remain true to our call, no matter what form it may take.

(For this cycle through Psalms, I am departing from the NIV and reading from Robert Alter's "Hebrew Bible" translation.)

Paul must have been a bit of a personality among the Romans. The prisoner who was always in prison, yet whom nobody knew where to put. For years he was there, waiting for his appeal to the highest court, but even those who were supposed to send him there didn't know how to approach it. And so he sat. Paul must have been a man of some patience as well, waiting for the time to come. Though it was no vacation, the Spirit remained with Paul even in waiting.

(For this cycle through Psalms, I am departing from the NIV and reading from Robert Alter's "Hebrew Bible" translation.)

Although Paul is stuck with corrupt politicians, he isn't wasting the opportunity. It's impossible to know the influence that the Apostle had on these men, but Paul was a man of powerful words. God may have had Paul exactly where he needed to be, infiltrating the Spirit among the upper ranks of Roman governance.

(For this cycle through Psalms, I am departing from the NIV and reading from Robert Alter's "Hebrew Bible" translation.)

Paul is in an actual legal fight now (probably preferable to the physical fights he has come from), and even before Felix he is still preaching. Here with all the players of his troubles, he brings together the Old and New Testaments to show once again how it all comes together in Jesus. That's a different approach than many might take, as choosing to fight for our own lives might take precedence over preaching. Not Paul, though. He sees his life with that one singular purpose, and showing the world Jesus is always on his agenda.

The plot against Paul is truly a nefarious one. The Asian Jews and the Sanhedrin have both failed in their attempts to bring him down, and now this group of assassins are after him. It's almost like an action movie. Luckily, even in these dire times, God still made a way. It's ironic that it's Rome, the secular power that crucified Jesus, now saving Paul. God is nothing if not creative.

It's quite a feat to redirect two groups who are both angry with you, and cause them to direct their anger at one another. This, of course, isn't something Jesus did. Paul is not Jesus. We shouldn't be manipulative generally, but Paul was very much fighting for his life. With his Roman citizenship binding him to the authorities, he used his knowledge of the Pharisees and Sadducees to skirt their wrath. There's probably also a lesson to be learned here about how anger carries us away. "Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools." - Ecclesiastes 7:9

Poor Paul. He tried his best to sway the crowd by telling his story, but they were already angry. Not even the idea that he had once been a killer of Christians would help turn the tide of this ravenous mob. Still, it was Paul’s job to try. He didn’t run and hide, and he kept doing his best to try and tell the story of Jesus and his encounters with the risen Christ. This is a prophet’s job, and it is in God’s hands afterward.

The words of dread issued to Paul are not joke, he is coming to the end of his days. Even as that occurs, it’s notable how many other brothers and sisters are surrounding Paul. He has been a star disciple, but he is not the only person God has in this game. People like Agabus only have two mentions in the Bible (assuming this Agabus is the same one mentioned in Acts 11:28), and he comes back for the occasion. Mnason, the man providing a place for the traveling preachers to stay, is only mentioned for that act. But of course these aren’t the acts only of Paul, they are the formation of the early Church. The Spirit is raising people up, even as Paul sees his final days.

The Gospel is about one person: Jesus. While we love one another in community, it is not about us. That is fortunate, because the loss of someone like Paul could have been a major blow if it were all about him. As he prepares to leave some of his brothers and sisters, he takes the opportunity to say goodbye, but the Spirit will never leave them.